The Big C

That's C as in "Contact", as in the hardest, beat yourself up, cry-like-a-baby because it's IMPOSSIBLE Contact.


Contact is the third step in the Training Scale, and, so far, the most difficult. My trainer says it's one of the most difficult things to teach.


I know that JJ is capable of taking the contact, because he does it when my trainer rides him, but he doesn't WANT to take it when I ride. He seems to know that I don't know how to do it, so he doesn't give it. I could force him into it, by using draw reins or a strong bit, or throwing him in a double bridle like I've heard some dressage riders say they do with horses who won't take the contact, but that would be opposite of what I'm about. We are about teaching the horse to be the best he can be, and last the longest, and that means no shortcuts. Shortcuts don't work, for JJ wouldn't truly be accepting contact, he would be forced into it. Just like Rollkur is not true dressage, but forcng the horse to do flashy looking "dressage-type movements".
Here's a picture of JJ not-so-subtly resisiting my contact. Because I am not an experienced enough rider, like Jane, he doesn't accept my rein aids yet. But we are working on it. Normally, people probably wouldn't post a picture like this, but my blog is about training, and learning, and this is the reality of having a 15 year old horse with an unknown history and an inexperienced rider.
I get frustrated with myself for not being able to do things, like get JJ on contact, or stay on when he bucks. But then I look at where we started, and I feel a little better. My trainer points out that in these most recent pictures, like the one above, taken a week ago, JJ is really stepping under with his hind legs, and his back is up, he's really working pretty damned well. It's just me. I hope that someday I will be able to catch up with JJ, and I'm sure that with some help, I will.