Gettting It?

So after my last post about the search for Contact, I decided I needed to practice. I took a spare set of reins home with me and made my husband hold the bit ends while I practiced holding the contact-he's so tolerant!
I had read in a book that some people find it easier to hold the reins with more tension between their forefinger and thumb, and use their other fingers to take up more rein if needed, but to concentrate on most of the contact being on the forefinger and thumb. So I experimented with that, and found that for me, it does indeed help me keep my contact much more consistent. Also, I noticed that if I concentrate on turning my wrists slightly out, it helps me remember to NOT cross my reins, for my habit is to have my hands too close together and want to cross them over JJ's withers. But if I keep my wrists turned out a little, my thumbs stay on top, my hands stay the proper width apart, and I am less inclined to move my hands in too much. It also helps me remember to keep my elbows in close to my body, for if my wrists are slightly out then my elbows naturally fall in.
Now I'm not saying to ride around with your wrists cocked out, but for me it really helped me get the right feel in my mind so that I can! For the first time I was able to get him to worke! Hey, any progress is progress.

The Training Scale

From my very first lesson with my new trainer, she made it very clear how important the Training Scale is. So what is the Training Scale? Here's the elements of the scale: Relaxation, Rhythm, Contact, Straightness, Impulsion, and Collection.

There is a wonderful book that explains the steps in great detail, Six Steps To A Schooled Horse, by Susan McBane.

So, the Training Scale applies to every type of training, with every horse. Even though I wanted to learn dressage, the scale stays the same. Because JJ was out of shape and had been out of training for who knows how long, we had to evaluate him and see where to start. At our first lesson, JJ and I could barely make a turn or transition. We had never cantered, and I had no idea how to ride with any sort of contact. Neither one of us were relaxed, and there was no rhythm to speak of. So guess where we started?

For the first few months, we would start every lesson by lungeing JJ, to relax him and also to improve his rhythm. She was not trying to "get the bucks out" or tire him out, but actually schooled him on the lunge. This meant lots of walk-trot transitions to get him to use his body and find his rhythm. I also learned how to lunge, and would do that 3 or 4 times a week on my own.

Then my trainer would ride him, since I am not experienced enough to work on myself and my horse at the same time! She did simple exercises: change of rein at the trot, serpentines, circles, all at the rising trot, all trying to get JJ working in a relaxed, even rhythm.

Then I would ride, and try to get myself sorted out so that I didn't interfere with JJ's new relaxed rhythm! After a few months, we were doing SO much better, and all from just trotting and doing nothing more than "simple" movements. Magic!