rein contact and head carriage tips

[sophie33]

I didn't want to hijack the other thread on this, but have similar queries. I have been struggling to get Flicks to work from behind into my contact. Our problems are many fold - she is quite green and doesn't know what I'm asking, and I am quite green and don't know how to ask! I swing from not having enough contact to having something like the right contact but not being good enough at softening when her head comes down.
In our little dressage test the other day she was very tense (don't blame her it was first test away from home in a strange arena) and I was quite tense. She resisted my contact all the way round and I didn't know what to do about it.
But when I went to ride last night I was determined to do better. My confidence was boosted by the fact that she was tense and nervous throughout our little trip out but still obeyed me, so I set out to use my legs and make her work. Things definitely went better and her head came down more. We even had a nice little canter where I felt I was able to keep her on a nice contact (breakthrough for me!) but I definitely am not quick enough to react - to tweak when her head comes up and soften when it goes down. So does anyone have any advice about how I can improve and therefore help her to improve?

 

[squidsin]

With mine (I am no expert) the first thing is to make sure she's going forward (and she won't if she has any say in it!) That generally takes about 15 mins, then we have an argument about her taking up the contact and staying there, and then eventually she does what I want! I'm sure a better rider could jump on and get her working in a contact straight away, but that's the process I go through every time - we get there in the end, but sometimes I just thing 'screw this' and take her for a hack instead!

 

[Skib]

Our horses are fittened to go forward out hacking -using their hind ends and without what judges or the average RI might think of as contact.
The problem with using the word contact is that it is used in a context which emphasises the pressure on the rein (tautness) between your fingers and the horse's mouth. It rather ignores length.
So my advice would be to concentrate on rein length for a bit. What we were taught was that the length of rein dictates the "frame" of the horse meaning how far forward (not up or down) it holds its head and the length of each stride.
My share was an old horse and might ask for more rein, and lower her head. I was taught to allow her more rein, but to keep that slight tension (feel on the rein - no loopy long rein) and to use leg so that she did indeed take longer strides from behind to fill up the length of rein she had chosen. If she tired of that and raised her head and took shorter steps, then I had to shorten the rein.
You probably already do this in the school when you ride a dressage test changing from walk to going across the diagonal on a long rein, asking for longer strides and a lot of power, but not allowing the horse to trot. And then returning to a normal walk as you reach the long side again.
These early dressage tests are not designed to win rosettes or do thing better than the other riders. They are there to train young horses to move properly - with a light contact and regardless of the length of the rein.
The same alteration -tho in the opposite direction- may take place when you prepare to transition to trot. Or when you ride a 10m. circle in walk at a corner or part way down the side of the school. You need to ask the horse for more energy going round a circle but (ideally) you want to maintain the rhythm of the walk so you may shorten the reins a bit and ask for more energy in a more compact frame.
In both cases the extra energy in the walk comes from your legs signalling to the hind quarters of the horse. And the energy in the hind legs on a shorter or medium length rein lifts the back of the horse.
If you cant do it with small circles because of other people in the school, you can get the feel by riding multiple walk trot transitions, and then transitioning within the gaits - both walk and trot.

 

[Gimp]

I've been working on lots of transitions with posy, seems to work for her and she's almost poised ready for her next instruction now. There is a significant difference in how she works she's certainly coming of the forehand and looking less camel like when asked. She's holding herself naturally I'm not doing anything more harsh with the very light contact I have on the reins.

 

[Mary Poppins]

My top tip for a consistent rein contact is to make sure your hands are still. I have a dreadful habit of raising my hands and putting them forward as I go into trot. When my hands are still and consistent, Ben has something to work into and becomes much softer and rounder. Also make sure you are using your leg aids correctly to engage the back end. I have recently been going right back to basics and making sure I use my outside aids (both leg and rein) to turn and bend, rather than pulling round the corner with my inside rein. If the hindlegs are engaged, the horse will work through his back and naturally go into the soft outline that we all strive for. That's the theory anyway!

 

[CharliesAngel]

my advice if you are both green is to forget completely about the contact and looking for a certain head position Look up the scales of training. Focus on his rhythm and balance by doing lots and lots of transitions and make sure your transitions are quality - eg ride FORWARD from trot to walk; serpentines; shallow loops; leg yields. Just keep your hands soft and don’t think about where his head is. Think about relaxation, he has to be relaxed, supple and balanced before he can work in a proper outline. Relaxation will come from, among other things, being supple and balanced. His head will then naturally begin to be where you want it as he works properly and then you can think more about contact as he connects his back end to his front and lifts over his back.

At Intro and even early Prelim tests the judge will be looking for rhythm, balance, obedience and an accurate test.

ETA sorry, Ive said He and I re-read now it’s a mare you have x

 

[sophie33]

Thank you all! Lots of very useful and thought provoking advice. Most of you have mentioned lots of transitions and I think that is a very good idea - I will experiment with doing more tomorrow.

I will also try and follow this from MP:
My top tip for a consistent rein contact is to make sure your hands are still.

And this:
I have recently been going right back to basics and making sure I use my outside aids (both leg and rein) to turn and bend, rather than pulling round the corner with my inside rein.

Because I know that when I do both Flicks goes better. Truth is that until recently I haven't been using my legs enough on her because she is forward going and I've been frightened of the consequences! But actually she is much better if I do. And similarly if I ride her with no contact (which is what I've always done really) she rushes terribly in the school especially in trot, so although I am talking about where her head is because I understand (wrongly probably) that is an indication of how she is working it is not her head position itself I'm worried about. And - at least according to my RI - my idea of a contact is pretty gentle! But it is so hard to keep it consistent - both keep my hands still but also still in relation to her when her head moves! Anyway enough incoherent rambling - thanks for you help - I will go home and try to think about it and also look up the scales of riding.