Strides for Success

Tag: contact

  • What Your OTTB Believes About Contact Right Now…

    What Your OTTB Believes About Contact Right Now…

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    Contact is something so many riders want to achieve when working with their horses. However, it’s always worthwhile remembering that your horse was not born knowing how to be ridden.  This means that contact is something both of you must learn about and then refine through your work together.

    For many horses, the challenge is made even more difficult when they have been taught something completely different about contact because they had a previous career. Especially if that career was racing. 

    When working with horses, especially ex-racehorses or OTTBs, we need to understand that there will be both training and re-training involved.  And sometimes, the retraining can be a little more challenging than the training due to your horse wanting to ‘revert’.  Especially when they feel stressed or anxious.

    This episode is the first episode in a week of audio horse riding lessons from Daily Strides Premium. You can get all of the episodes and work on this topic with your horse at https://stridesforsuccess.com/dsp

    Start on the Lunge

    Tempting as it is to mount up, I suggest that you first try lunging instead. Lunging is great because it will give you the ability to help reframe the conversation for your horse. And for your horse to give you instant feedback you need to make adjustments that get results.

    Keep in mind, when you’re working with an OTTB, your horse has to relearn or reframe when he learned before – especially when it comes to contact and your seat.

    Both are usually quite different in how you would like him to engage with you when working together. There are a whole host of reasons for this. However, it all boils down to the same thing – you must start your retraining by reframing the expectations and conversations your horse has been having up to this point in his career.

    Re-Educate Your Horse To Your Aids

    One of the most common mistakes riders of OTTBs make is assuming that because your horse has been backed at some point, he knows all of the things. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Being ridden by two different riders practicing the same discipline can be confusing for a horse. When we add changing the discipline into the mix as well, you can see how wires can get crossed when it comes to aids and communication.

    A better way to approach this is to assume your horse knows nothing and start from the beginning again. Again, the lunge is a great place to do this for both of you. 

    And if you’re worried about how long this process will take, don’t. While re-training can sometimes be a little more time-intensive than straightforward training, so much can be achieved in each working session. Especially if you are intentional about what you’re doing and how you’re approaching each interaction.

    How to Get Going with Re-Training

    When you lunge with just a basic bridle, no fancy additions, you can begin to understand & reframe what your OTTB believes about the contact. Have the bit in his mouth. But no ‘pressure’ coming from the reins themselves, he can begin to explore this on his own.

    This is where well-fitted and good-quality side reins can come into their own. You want to get your horse going forward first without any contact. But then, you can simply engage the side-reins so that he can begin to explore the idea of the contact, without any pulling or fussing.

    This will begin to explain to your horse to go forward, on the lunge, with consistent contact that can begin to change what your OTTB believes about the contact. 

    It is also worth spending time here developing your voice aids. These will help greatly when you do mount up and are in the saddle. Your goal is to make things as easy for your horse to understand as possible. Again, the lunge will help you to do this easily.

    Mounting Up and Riding

    Make sure that you’re in a safe area. Again, keep in mind the expectations placed on him up to this point are vastly different from what you are now looking for.  This is why re-training can sometimes take a little longer. Your horse will naturally want to ‘go back’ to the original way of doing things. The original expectations.

    Being consistent with your approach to retraining your horse will help him to understand things have changed. 12 weeks of re-schooling done right can transform things for both of you. 

    There are no ‘quick fixes’ for redefining and overwriting what your OTTB believes about contact. It will take a commitment from you that will include patience, time, and compassion.

    What Your OTTB Believes About Contact

    If you would like step-by-step guidance on how to begin reframing this for your horse, I can help. Inside Daily Strides Premium, there are two weeks of audio horse riding lessons focused specifically on this. Get both the “Understanding Energy Creates Contact” and “Engaging the Energy in a Correct Channel” ready and waiting in there now.

    These 10 audio horse riding lessons, when coupled with the live calls and other training, will help you to transform your conversation with your horse, OTTB or not. 

    You can get all the details about Daily Strides Premium and join over at https://stridesforsuccess.com/dsp

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Simple Tips to Improve Your Hands & ‘Fixes’ for Those Habits…

    Simple Tips to Improve Your Hands & ‘Fixes’ for Those Habits…

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    Your hands are an aid in your riding. So understanding why the way you hold your reins and how to judge the height of your hands when riding is important. And realizing how much your hand aids are impacting and affecting your riding can change everything.
    As riders, one of the first things we learn is how to ‘hold’ the reins.  However, often the ‘why’ behind all of this is never really explained to us.

    Your Hands Connect

    So, it’s obvious that your hands are the connection between you and your horse’s mouth through the reins.  And it would be an awful pity if that connection ended there! As riders, one of our greatest responsibilities is to refine communication.
    When you refine your hands and how you use them with your horse, you can truly help to enhance the whole conversation between you and your horse.
    So just like with all of your aids, a great place to begin when refining your hands is their position. Being in the ‘right place’ will allow you to give more precise aids to your horse. And when we can create more clarity in our communication, it shows in our riding.

    What to Aim for with Your Hands

    Before we go any further it is worth mentioning that each horse and rider combination is a unique and individual blend.  However, there are a number of basic guidelines you can follow to really begin refining your hand aids.  And of course, develop better contact and connection with your horse.

    Thumbs on Top

    This is one of those really small details that makes a MASSIVE difference to your riding.  Holding the reins while in the saddle should feel like carrying two cups of tea (or coffee, hot chocolate, etc.).  If you were to carry the cups or mugs with your knuckles on top, there wouldn’t be anything left to drink when you finally go to take a sip.

    A great experiment is to literally pretend you’re riding and both carry your hands with your thumbs on top. Your hands will be around your belly button height in front of you.  Now, from this place, turn your wrists so that your knuckles are on top.  And feel the difference down and through your arms.

    Turning your hands so that your knuckles or the back of your hand is on top will create instant tension down through your arms.  When riding, this tension is passed through the reins to your horse’s mouth.  Not good! 

    Side View – Elbow, Wrist, Thumb, Rein, Mouth

    The first thing to look for is a relatively straight line from your elbow to your horse’s mouth when viewed from the side.  Now, I get that this can be difficult to really ‘see’ when you’re the one riding the horse!  However, if you don’t have mirrors, there are other options available.  Review some photos or videos of yourself while riding.
    The important thing to note here is that this ‘line’ should be there regardless of what gait you’re working in, or what moment of that gait your horse is currently in when the photo was captured. 
    This will indicate if your hands are truly fluid, elastic, and supple.  Your ability to ‘follow’ your horse or ‘stay with’ your horse through your hand aids is vital to really developing true and lasting contact.

    Overhead View – Wrist, Thumb, Rein, Mouth

    This second ‘view’ is one you can do all the time when riding.  The key is to ‘glance’.  Not LOOK! Looking will create a whole host of other habits that you don’t want to fall into habits with! Okay, so to check this you will, as you ride your horse, glance down at your hands.

    Notice how straight the line is from your wrist through to your thumb and then on down the reins to your horse’s mouth.  If you notice any ‘curling’ or ‘twisting’ simply straighten things out. 

    This particular ‘line’ is very much dependent on your thumbs being ‘on top’ as you ride.  If your hands have turned so that your knuckles are on top (like riding a motorbike) or your fingernails are on top, revert back to thumbs on top.  It will look and feel like you’re carrying two cups of tea :)

    If Your Hands Are Too Low

    This is the most common challenge I see with riders when it comes to their hands. Riders are trying to work their horses and improve the overall way of going, but literally ‘blocking’ their success!  Riding with your hands too low can be caused by a few different things.  Often it is a habit that was created due to holding onto the pommel or a neck strap.
    Another reason riders tend to carry their hands too low comes down to a lack of understanding regarding contact and ‘on the bit’.
    Many riders feel that when they lower their hands and then apply pressure quickly from each alternative rein, their horse will magically go ‘on the bit’.  And yes, the horse might tuck their head in to try and get away from the discomfort of the rider’s hands.  But this is definitely not being ‘on the bit!’.
    Hands that are too low can be corrected by simply bending the elbows and ‘carrying’ the hands more. Doing this will allow for greater elasticity and suppleness. Both are essential for correct contact. 

    If Your Hands Are Too High

    This is, thankfully, not as common as the low hands. And I say thankfully because this particular habit can often lead to a lot of needless discomfort for the horse.  High hands really change how the bit interacts with your horse’s mouth – and usually not in a great way.  Especially if not intentionally done.
    I think the big reason riders can develop this habit is due to a lack of balance. Very often, when the rider carries their hands too high to be effective as an aid, they are doing so to try to either remain balanced – or stay on!
    Excess tension in the rider’s body due to nerves or fear can cause them to raise their hands higher than what would be normal when riding.  The irony of doing this is that the horse usually becomes hollow through the back, which causes the rider to experience more bumps, wobbles, and bangs as the horse moves.

    If Your Wrists Are ‘Twisted’

    This is when you ‘glance down’ (important to emphasize – we are not LOOKING; just glancing) and you see that the line from your lower arm to the rein is not straight.  This lack of straightness can vary from anything like a slight ‘kink’ to a complete ‘lightning bolt’ shape!  True story!  The key to changing this is to first identify it.
    If you glance down and things are less than straight, focus on thinking about your lower arm (hand to elbow) as being an extension of the rein. Then just ‘straighten’ that rein out. 

    By creating that ‘straightness’ from the elbow, through the wrist and thumb, and then onto the rein, you create clarity with your questions. Clarity with your aids. This issue often comes up when a rider doesn’t want to necessarily ‘pull’, but they still feel the need to apply a lot of pressure with their hands. It can be a difficult habit to break, but one that is worth persevering with.

    If Your Knuckles Are On Top

    Ohhhh, this is something I personally resonate with.  I spent a couple of years doing ‘work riding’ for a racing yard.  This was coupled with teaching and actively eventing.  It did not all blend well.  I’m pretty sure that there are so many riders who can make this work – and let’s be honest, I did at the time.  But if I knew then what I know now… A completely different approach would have been taken!
    For me, this particular habit developed in my left hand.  I’m right dominant, so perhaps this was the reason? Either way, it became a MASSIVE issue for me later in my riding. 
    My left hand would just, on its own, revert to ‘knuckles on top’ when riding.  This, obviously, affected the contact between me and, well, any horse! And yet, it took me quite a few ‘seasons’ in my riding for this to be noticed. And a far few longer for it to be corrected!
    Trust me; knuckles on top changes EVERYTHING between you and your horse when riding. From how you move your arm, to how it feels in his mouth… EVERYTHING 
    If you find yourself with this habit, one or both hands (mind was just the left hand), focus on this first.  Think of carrying cups of tea and not allowing an ounce to fall… There is a certain way we move our bodies when we’re carrying cups of tea (or whatever). If we put that same fluidness into our riding… #Winning!

    Your Hands as Your Aids

    We connect with our horses on so many levels.  Our legs, our seats, our hands, our mood, our attitude, our intentions, our focus… And on and on it goes.  Yet, if we don’t develop our hand aids past what we learn in that very first lesson, we are doing both ourselves and our horse a disservice
    Your hands are your connection to something your horse NEEDS; his mouth
    His mouth is an absolutely essential part of his health, life, and experience every single day.  So it makes sense to spend time refining this aid… Maybe to the point where it becomes ‘feather light’ and ‘feather soft’.
    And in between, do all you can to remove any excess tension will definitely help :)
    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Why Improving Your Accuracy Will Improve Your Engagement in Your Riding

    Why Improving Your Accuracy Will Improve Your Engagement in Your Riding

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    Accuracy can seem like a dull and boring concept when riding horses.  Sure, if you are going to compete in dressage or show jumping, accuracy can become really important.  But what about if you are simply a rider, working alone with your horse, trying to improve your overall skills?  Is accuracy still as important?

    I’m going to say yes, accuracy is important. And it is an excellent way of actually establishing and building engagement with your horse.

    Now, granted, accuracy and engagement might seem like they have nothing to do with each other initially.  How could do something at a specific point in the arena or in the conversation help with engagement?  And the answer is “more than you can even begin to realize”.

    What Is Accuracy?

    Accuracy is about doing a specific thing at a designated time or space when you ride. So, for example, picking up a canter at a specific marker in your arena, perhaps A or C.  Or riding a certain number of strides within a certain measured distance.

    However, in order for you to achieve true accuracy with your horse, the energy that goes into the preparation and, subsequent, follow-through is equally as important as doing the ‘exact’ thing.  

    This means that, as a rider, your attention to detail must include what happens before the transition, during the transition, and then after the transition. Realizing accuracy is about how well you can maintain what is established as you also allow the desired outcome to happen at the right endpoint.

    What Accuracy is Not…

    Contrast this with a rider who roughly kicks or pulls their horse in order to achieve the desired outcome at a specific point.  The overall ride lacks softness, consideration, knowledge of energy, and flow.  It is doing something with the sole purpose being to get a specific result.

    True accuracy is when the result adds to the overall performance and conversation between horse and rider.

    Being accurate, if it is merely to get something done, is not true accuracy.  It must play into the bigger picture of horse and rider.  Working on being accurate must incorporate the energy of what comes before and after the specific ‘point’.  And, in doing this, you can begin to build both engagement and true accuracy with your horse.

    What is Engagement?

    For many riders, when they hear the word ‘engagement’ in relation to horses and riding, the mind jumps to collection.  And, for most of those riders, true collection is not somewhere they visit regularly in their riding. And yet, engagement starts much earlier.  At the beginning in fact.

    Would your perception of engagement change if you began seeing it as a connection, rather than a collection, in your riding?

    If we think of the word ‘engage’ outside of horses and riding, it means that you occupy or attract someone’s interest or attention.  It can also mean entering into an agreement with someone. If we applied both of these to your conversation with your horse, can you see how engagement is a far more basic concept than we might first allow ourselves to imagine?

    And developing accuracy is an excellent way to attract your horse’s interest or attention a little more. To increase your horse’s focus on what you are saying or asking… On your desired outcome. 

    Engagement as an Agreement

    Once your horse has begun to focus a little more on you and what you are saying (or trying to say), you can begin to develop the conversation a little more.  This is where using accuracy can help to begin developing more contact and connection between you and your horse.

    Developing contact is often the point in your horse’s training where he agrees to begin taking on some of the responsibilities for your work together. An agreement. Engaged. 

    And this is also the point in training where energy can begin to truly be recycled through both of your bodies as you work together.  Rather than the energy falling out or leaking out somewhere, it remains within the container.  Part of the responsibility your horse engages with is to ‘hold’ that energy inside of his body.

    Accuracy and Engagement

    Hopefully, from this explanation, you can begin to see the link between improving accuracy and encouraging engagement when working with your horse.  It all begins with understanding that true accuracy requires a holistic approach.

    Attention to detail on the preparation, the doing, and the following through of what you intend to be accurate about. 

    As you become more consistent with this, your horse’s interest in what you are trying to achieve becomes heightened; engagement.  And at this point, you can begin to allow your horse to carry some of the responsibilities regarding your work together.

    Contact and connection.  Which, inevitably, begin to lead to the sort of engagement that will eventually, if you continue to develop and work on it, lead to collection.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Remaining Calm While Introducing Canter on the Lunge

    Remaining Calm While Introducing Canter on the Lunge

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    If you have even been at the other end of a lunge line to a horse who is adamant to show you exactly how fast he can go on a circle… You will know all about ‘that’ feeling!  The one where every fiber of your being is screaming at you to ‘stop the horse’.  And yet, it feels like there is absolutely nothing you can do!
    Intentionally mixing cantering and lunging together is not for the faint of heart!  It often requires nerves of steel – especially at the beginning of the journey…
    The good news is that, for those who persist and persevere, the reward is being able to truly use lunging as a tool to develop the canter.  And being able to do so from this wonderful, and unique, vantage point of ‘trainer’.

    Why Canter on the Lunge?

    Well, why not?!  Okay, I realize that many riders will answer that with “Because my horse turns into a lunatic!”, or “Because I value my horse’s soundness and my own life!”.  And versions of these scenarios do feel really within the realm of possibility.

    However, that is a key point.  They ‘feel’ real – but are they really? Or is there a story going on in your mind that is simply telling you cantering on the lunge is a no-no for you and your horse?

    I think that if you are working on a canter when riding your horse, there is a pretty good chance that you can also work on a canter while on the lunge.  And reap the benefits.
    I am a firm believer that most of the things you can do while in the saddle when it comes to training, can also be worked on while lunging.  And because lunging is so versatile regarding time, facilities, weather, equipment, etc.  It makes sense to use this tool to help you improve the canter…

    Notice Your Feelings First

    When I first began to really ‘work’ on the canter while on the lunge, I realized that a lot of the work was actually mine to do.  And, the vast majority of that work was mental, rather than physical.  I noticed that, when I began intentionally introducing canter on the lunge, my mind had a whole lot of stories about it all.

    Just the thoughts of canter produced excess tension in my body which, obviously enough, the horse must have picked up on. Couple this with changes in breathing, body language, and just aids in general…

    Looking back, I am certain that any excess energy the horse displayed was probably a reflection of what I was feeling and communicating.  

    However, once I realized this, I began working on it.  Why did the thoughts of canter make me respond so differently?  Was it true, all the doom and gloom outcomes I was prophetizing for us?

    Or were my feelings of discomfort simply because I was doing something new – and that felt challenging to my mind?

    A Few Pre-Requisites Before Introducing Canter

    Okay, so along with doing the work regarding your thoughts and the feelings they produce, there are other things that also need to be in place before you can safely, and successfully begin introducing canter on the lunge.  The first is responsiveness.  Your horse must be able to understand what it is you’re asking. And respond appropriately.

    Invest time developing your aids and responsiveness in halt, walk, and trot before even thinking about canter. Make sure that both the ‘go’ and the ‘whoa’ aids work well :)

    I also firmly believe that the setting can either help or hinder your progress.  Taking the time to set up an enclosed area, around 20m x20m to lunge in can help so much in the future.  It will allow you to use the lunge line for contact, rather than trying to stop the horse or slow him down.

    Introducing the canter on the lunge in an enclosed area also helps the rider to remain a little more relaxed and calm…

    I also think it is important that you can easily work the lunge line and ‘keep up’ with your horse.  Physical fitness is not just for horses.  And working the line correctly will help to prevent tangles and knots.

    Not Just a ‘Check List Item’

    It is also worth keeping in mind that intention is important.  Meaning that cantering for the sake of cantering is neither helpful nor productive.  The canter can really help with the training and the development of your horse, but only if you put intention and focus behind it.  Why do you want to canter?  What are you hoping to achieve from the canter?

    Creating a specific focus for your canter work while on the lunge will allow you to make each circle count; rather than just running in circles!

    I would suggest starting with rhythm and going on from there.  Accuracy and responsiveness are also really helpful filters when working in the canter.  Can you maintain the correct levels of tension; relaxation?  And, later, use the filters of suppleness and straightness to really develop strength and responsibility.

    Canter on the lunge is also a great way to work on the contact; especially if your horse has a tendency to become heavy on the forehand when being ridden in the canter. 

     Introducing Canter on the Lunge

    Start with asking for a good quality trot.  Spend a few minutes ‘tuning’ things up a little more so that you are sure your horse is listening to you and responsive.  From here, see if you can find a way to ask for the canter that your horse already understands.

    Using verbal cues is often helpful, especially if you can use the same cues while you ride. Find a ‘common ground’ where aids are concerned and build from there. 

    Just like when riding, reward (verbally and ‘softening with the contact’) any step in the right direction from your horse.  Keep in mind that your horse may initially seem to fall into the canter. This is normal.  If he has only ever been ridden into the canter, he may be a little dependant on the rider for balance.

    Asking for canter on the lunge requires your horse to ‘step into it’ himself.  No balancing effect from the rider.  This means things may look unbalanced, rushed, or heavy the first few times. 

    Just like when riding, it will take time to develop straight, clean, relaxed, forward, and light transitions into the canter on the lunge. It requires your horse to being to take more responsibility for his role in the transition and the gait.  And it requires the rider to learn to balance the aids for clarity.

    Introducing canter on the lunge is not an easy thing.  Correct preparation is required.  However, it is such a useful tool in your training toolkit that it is well worth the effort and time.

    Happy Lunging
    Lorna

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  • [Training Scale Series] Part 4 – Creating True Impulsion

    [Training Scale Series] Part 4 – Creating True Impulsion

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    How do you know if you have actually achieved true impulsion? What makes this ‘real’ impulsion different from simply running around the arena like the energizer bunny with your horse?

    This post is the fourth in a series I have created about the training scale.  I suggest also checking out the previous posts on rhythm, suppleness, and contact.  At ‘Step 4’, impulsion is in the ‘top tier’ of the training scale.  I really do believe that the final 3 steps, impulsion, straightness, and collection, need to have the solid foundation of the first three in place if they are to be worked on and mastered.

    What is impulsion?

    Impulsion is the harnessing of the energy that your horse creates and that is inside of the ‘container’ that you and your horse create when working together.  Working together is an important part of impulsion; it occurs when both horse and rider are working towards a shared outcome.

    Make sure that you do not confuse impulsion with speed. It actually has nothing to do with speed, it is the energy and the focus.  Like a laser beam! 

    In step 3, Connection, the focus is on how the energy is connected through the horse and rider, from back to front.  In order to establish and maintain true impulsion, the energy must first be there and remain connected throughout the movement.

    There is little point in creating energy if it is all going to fall out the front of your horse.  Similarly, if you are constantly losing energy through a shoulder or hip falling in or out, there won’t be any energy there to effectively channel and create impulsion.

    Creating from Behind

    True energy will be created in the back end, the hindquarters, of the horse. That is why when we are riding, we are always making sure that the hindquarters are working and that the horse is not dragging himself along using his shoulders or front end; the horse equivalent of being in front-wheel drive.

    Ideally, we want our horses to propelling themselves along from the back end, like a vehicle with rear-wheel drive.

    In order to be able to do this, there has to be a certain amount of self-carriage in the horse. A certain amount of lightness. Self-carriage is important for both horse and rider.  I believe that we can really develop and improve it through the filter of contact and connection.

    Developing Self Carriage

    I have mentioned how all the steps of the training scale work together to achieve a better conversation with your horse.  So, for example, suppleness is when the energy can move and flow within you and your horse.  But it also means that there is a certain symmetry to your horse.  That your horse is developing equally on both sides.

    In fact, I believe that suppleness is the key to straightness (the step after impulsion). However, you can begin working on it today in order to develop and work towards straightness.

    And this symmetry is important when considering impulsion; your horse must be pushing himself forward equally from both hind legs. 

    As that energy moves through his body, it is ‘engaged’ through contact and connection. This connection is due, in part, to your horse engaging his core.  Which will allow him to begin to carry himself a little more.

    This self-carriage creates lightness in the front end of your horse, which in turn, helps to sustain the impulsion (or focused energy) in the ride. 

    Driver, not Passenger

    Think of impulsion as you becoming the true driver, and not just the passenger. Obviously, I don’t mean driving him from the seat or driving him forward.  By driver,  I mean that you are directing the situation. And, you are confident that your horse is doing his part in order to create the desired outcome.  When you drive a car, you don’t physically turn the wheels yourself.  You trust that the wheels will turn when you put them into gear.

    When you are riding and working at this level, it is a similar approach.  You trust that your horse will show up with a similar level of responsibility and ownership towards the outcome you’re both working towards.

    The horse is creating it, and you are allowing it to come forward, and then you are directing it where you want it to be. All while your horse remains engaged and part of the conversation. That is impulsion. But again, as I mentioned earlier it requires relaxation, rhythm, suppleness, contact, and connection. This is because they are all intermingled and mix together – they cannot just be alone without the others.

    Working on Creating Impulsion

    Firstly, invest time in truly understanding and implementing the earlier principles of the training scale. They must be understood by both you and your horse.  Once you have those in place on a fairly consistent basis, one of the most useful ways to work this into your horse’s training is through transitions.

    With transitions, you are moving up and down the gears. These can be transitions between actual gaits – from trot to canter or walk to trot.

    Or it can transitions within the gait itself – lengthening and shortening of the stride.

    By asking for and riding these transitions, the hindquarters become more engaged in the work that is happening. And both you and your horse have an opportunity to ‘tune in’ to each other a little more, which helps create the focus of thought and energy between you.

    Impulsion is not Speed

    A lot of riders make the mistake of trying to ask for impulsion too early in both or either their own or their horses training.  What ends up happening is the horse will try to answer the question.  However, you run a big risk of either causing damage with an injury, or teaching your horse to work incorrectly.

    This is often the point where riders confuse speed for impulsion.  With just pure speed, there is little controlled, directed energy.  There is also a complete lack of lightness and self-carriage.  The connection is missing. 

    When you use transitions as a way to develop impulsion, you allow your horse to develop both mentally and physcially.  Keep in mind that he has to understand impulsion as well, before you can move on.

    Using well ridden and practiced transitions will help both you and your horse do just that.

    Your goal is to make sure your horse is listening to you and is responsive.  And, that both you and your horse have a good working relationship with the rest of the steps of the training scale.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • [Training Scale Series] Part 3 – Contact in Your Riding

    [Training Scale Series] Part 3 – Contact in Your Riding

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dailystridespodcast/1207_Contact_Being_The_Start_Of_True_Responsibility_for_Horse_and_Rider.mp3″ title=”Contact; The Beginning of Responsibility for You and Your Horse…” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”If contact was less about the reins and more about responsibility, how would it change your approach?” hashtag=”equestrianpodcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]
    Contact and connection; hot topics for many riders.  This is often because they can feel quite elusive.  There is confusion regarding what needs to happen in order for contact to occur.  And, how can you tell if the contact is correct and ‘good’?
    This post and episode are the third in a series about the training scale.  We have already covered rhythm and suppleness. The next ‘step’ in the scale is contact.

    What is Contact?

    This is a big question because most riders feel a lot of confusion around contact.  And this confusion impacts most of their riding and lessons.  The numerous different comments, suggestions, ideas, and methods can muddy the waters!  “Soften your contact”, “Stop losing the contact”, “Be more consistent with your contact”, “Ride into the contact”, or “Pick up the contact” are just a few ways contact is discussed in relation to riding. So, what is contact?. Is it the reins?
    It is important to understand that contact is not just one thing. It is a lot of things coming together. It occurs as a result of lots of other things happening, simultaneously.
    Essentially, in black and white, contact is the connection between your hand and the horse’s mouth down the rein. However, like most things to do with horse riding, it is not that simple.  This is due, in part, to all of the other ‘connections’ that influence the hands, reins, and mouth.
    For example, if somebody were to tell you to “soften your contact”, you may not be 100% sure what to do to soften it. It could, perhaps, be a softening through your elbow. But not always! Sometimes it is almost a ‘wiggle’ through your fingers which could be enough to soften it.

    Quiet, but Not Fixed…?!

    Another aspect of contact that can be quite confusing, is the fact that your contact should be quiet.  And yet, at the same time, it should not be fixed.  In the previous post & episode, I covered suppleness and how it is fluid and ‘loosey goosey’.  This applies to contact as well.
    When we think of quiet we tend to think of this as being still.  And yet, I can bet that you realize that when you’re riding with fixed and ‘still’ hands, things probably would not go according to plan!
    So quiet, yes… However, we also need to have a certain amount of ‘wiggle room’ through our contact, with the horse.

    Contact as a Result

    Let’s take things back a couple of steps, and look at contact as a holistic concept with your horse. If we begin to see contact through the filters of relaxation, rhythm, and suppleness, we can see how this applies.
    Everything begins with forwardness.  Thinking and moving forward.  From here, we can establish both relaxation (the right amount of tension for the question we have asked) and rhythm.  Building on that, we can then begin to assess how supple the energy and the body are.  Is there a ‘flow’?  Are we allowing this ‘flow’? Is your horse being allowed himself to use himself correctly?
    From here, we can begin to work towards true contact.  A little like seeing it as being the ‘next step’.  Contact is where, with this ‘flow’ of energy, you can begin to direct it a little bit more.
    It is important to remember that you are not forcing things.

    Plugging Holes and Leaks

    If there are leaks or weak spots in your ‘flow’, contact is where you can really begin working on plugging and strengthening them.  Imagine water flowing in a river, and the bank of the river had a little hole in it. Obviously, some of the water is going to flow out there, and over time the hole will possibly cause even more problems.
    Also, as the water leaks out, it leaves less and less water flowing down the path of the river. Your horse’s energy works in a very similar way.
    Over time, as you strengthen the channel that you and your horse create when working together, you will be able to put more energy in without it leaking or bursting out. 

    Directing the Energy

    Once you begin to work on plugging any energy leaks, you then allow your contact to begin to become about how you are directing that energy. Often, the confusing part for many riders is when they think that they should steer with their hands when riding. But that is not true.
    When you are steering and directing that energy, it has to come from your seat and your legs. Basically, you are then feeding it into the hands.
    Imagine as you ride, if you were allowing all of this energy to flow (through your seat and legs.  From here, imagine what would happen if you were to shut that flow down with your hands.  Things are going to begin damming up pretty quickly!
    Let’s go back to the example of the river; by shutting down your hands, you are making the river a lot narrower. This creates a build-up of water or pressure.  This can cause the water to overflow, and if we apply this to your horse, a similar build-up of energy will occur.  Energy must go somewhere, so you will either begin to produce new leaks, or there may be an explosion of sorts!  A lot of ‘naughty behaviour’ can actually be attributed to this!
    It is important to remember that relaxation and suppleness help to balance the contact, to ensure that the energy flows.

    Elasticity Through Contact

    Another element of ‘good contact’ is the ability to remain ‘elastic’ through your arms and hands as you ride.  This is where suppleness really helps to achieve contact.  It is about the stretchiness; the give and take.
    Remember, while contact should be quiet, it should also be moving.
    To understand the contact being quiet, imagine a conversation with someone. A good conversation is when two people are involved and there is a natural ebb and flow in the conversation. You almost know when it is your turn to speak. You refrain from jumping in because you know there is a lovely rhythm happening inside of the conversation.
    When we ride, we have a conversation with our horse.  Just like when we have a good conversation with a person, there is no shouting or dominating occurring inside of the conversation.  This goes for both rider and horse.  That is the connection, and that is the contact with your horse.

    How to Work on Contact

    How do we achieve true contact? Let’s start by thinking about the conversation and the ‘channel’ you create when you ride.  Distractions tend to ruin conversations.  So does constantly changing the tone or mood. ‘Fiddling’ with the length of the reins is a distraction that changes the tone.
    When you ride, think about setting the length of your reins – and then, as much as possible, leaving them there.  This helps to create a consistent tone and rhythm for your contact conversation with your horse.
    Also, imagine that your hands are directly connected to your seat. If your seat is following,  then your hands should be following in sync.  And if you were to apply the half halt, again, your hands work with your seat.  They are led by your seat.
    It is always important to remember that the seat comes before the hands.
    In order to achieve this ‘syncing’ between your seat and hands, both relaxation and rhythm must be present.  If there is any excess tension through your body, and stiffness, that flow cannot happen.

    Creating a Good Conversation

    Think about a conversation where there was no rhythm to it.  Or one where there was a lot of tension involved.  When a conversation is or becomes a little bit stiff, it lacks flow.
    A good conversation is where people are relaxed.  It also has this lovely understanding between the people involved that each person will respect the other person’s opinion and space. 
    If you can take all of this with you into your contact, you can begin to create a great connection between you and your horse.
    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Find in the Gaps In Your Horse’s Training

    If you are interested in learning more about where you might be missing pieces in your riding, sign up for my new free training “ FIND THE GAPS IN YOUR HORSE’S TRAINING“.  This audio training can be listened to, via podcast app, to help you figure out where to begin working with your horse.

    You can sign up and get it, for free, HERE

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