#hand aids

[theclassicalhorse]

So I heard a great explanation as to why we need to make sure we hold a steady contact with the outside rein (something I still struggle with) and its so simple and obvious idk why I never thought of it!

With a single or double jointed snaffle, if you use the inside rein and the outside rein independent of each other without holding steady contact, you end up just sliding the bit back and forth through the mouth and you risk pulling the bit all the way through if you use a strong rein pressure.  This is exactly why I had so many issues with Bubs gaping his mouth.  I thought I was being clear and light, yet every time I used a rein, no matter how ‘light’ my hands were, the whole mouthpiece was sliding back and forth.

When you hold contact with the outside rein, you can use your inside rein more effectively because the only half of the mouthpiece moves, whole the other remains steady with contact.  Its easier to ask for softness and bend on the inside rein this way.

[theclassicalhorse]

Pavlov (1927) described the situation that arises when two stimuli compete for salience.  He defined the effects of this competition as resulting in ‘overshadowing’, where the more salient stimulus would outcompete the other.  In the ridden horse, analogues of the overshadowing phenomenon manifest as habituation-like phenomena, where the horse may learn not to attend to the pressure of the bit (heaviness) and the rider’s legs when simultaneously used during training (McLean, 2008).  Anthropomorphically, the consequent dullness to the pressures may be interpreted as loss of ‘willingness to please’, laziness or, when conflict behaviors arise, sourness, resistance, and evasion… It is now common for this important principle to be disregarded even at the highest levels of contemporary training practice; for example, the German National Equestrian Federation (1997) proposes that ‘rein aids should only be given in conjunction with leg and weigh aids’.  Yet, Decarpentry (1949), one of the great masters of French equitation, maintained the importance of separating rein and leg cues with the famous French maxim ‘hands without legs, legs without hands’.  This should be re-embraced as an important ideal that allows optimal learning and eliminates the potential for confusion for all equitation disciplines.  Signals must be elicited singly and any set of signals should still be separated and elicited consecutively (Decarpentry, 1949).

Paul McGreevy & Andrew Mclean ~ Equitation Science

[theclassicalhorse]

In some sports, particularly dressage, the postural requirement is highly significant to the extant that many trainers and riders today prioritize head and neck posture above locomotory responses.  This has not always been the case, and classical dressage theorists believe that the body tons, relaxation, and head and neck posture are consequences of consistent training of the horse’s locomotion (Henriquet, 2004).  Focusing on the head and neck posture at the expense of locomotory responses is implicated in conflict behaviours because the horse learns to prioritize, for example, shortening the neck before slowing its legs from the rein signals.

Paul McGreevy & Andrew Mclean ~ Equitation Science

[theclassicalhorse]

What ever you don't educate in the body of the horse will be felt in the hand

Marijke de Jong (when asked about horses with a supposedly "hard mouth")

[theclassicalhorse]

Challenge: Mouth Resistance

"Possible Causes:

Restriction by the rider- It is true that horses can show resistance in the mouth because of discomfort from a badly fitted noseband or sharp teeth.  However, a more common resin is the restriction through the rein or excessive use of running reins or a martingale.  Always remember that the rein belongs to the horse, not to you, and that an unnatural position of the head and neck will adversely affect his way of going.  Having his head in a fixed position may also make the horse angry, which in turn instinctively makes him what to open his mouth.

Lack of impulsion- If a horse has sufficient impulsion, this will have a direct and positive effect on the way he accepts the bit and rein contact.  Developing all five constants (purity, acceptance, calmness, straightness, and forwardness) will help achieve better impulsion and better acceptance of the bit.  This is why good riders use few types of bits.

Habit- Unfortunately, once a horse has developed a habit of resisting in the mouth, it will tend to stay with him.  Once again, the emphasis is on good basic training so that the problem never arises.  Riding in a bitless bridle for 6 months may break the habit."

~William Micklem (The Complete Horse Riding Manual)

[theclassicalhorse]

From “The Complete Horse Riding Manual” by William Micklem. Throughout the book, Micklem gives pointers and suggestions on common horse and rider issues. I thought this one was some great advice for common problem!