I had a lesson Saturday morning and I had requested some lunging help. We started out with that - and added some sliding reins for a few minutes to (as my instructor says) show Skate the way. He seemed to get it...and sorta stretched down, but we suspect it was mostly to avoid the bit, not seek contact.
-Let me interject here with a comment - I don't fully understand why any horse would "seek" contact, really. Yes, I understand that quiet, elastic contact isn't painful, but if I were a horse I would likely spend more time avoiding that metal thing in my mouth than seeking it ; ) That cliche has just never been clear to me -
After he was going nicely on the lunge, we moved on to riding. Worked on spiral in to turn on the haunches back to spiral out to get him moving off my leg. I have great difficulty with this exercise. It requires so many different aids at once that I get frazzled quickly and tense up. Plus, I am not whispering with my leg - I'm screaming, which throws my balance off and pisses Skate off! Must work on whispering. Lord knows that horse is sensitive enough, its not like he needs anything loud.
Once he was moving in and out and stepping under himself nicely, we went back out to the rail and worked on bending - through the corners and in the middle of each side. Lo and behold - Skate turned into super dressage pony with this maneuver! All of a sudden, after a few minutes, we got Skate "ON THE BIT!". He was stretching INTO contact, using his back, and his trot was leap years ahead of what it used to be (short and choppy). This is a huge turning point for the little guy as you all know he has spent the last few months (not to mention his entire career) avoiding the bit like the plague.
We were both bummed that we had no video to document this moment. My instructor swears there will come a time when I will get frustrated with only a few strides of Skate NOT being on the bit out of an entire ride on the bit instead of being thrilled with the few measly strides of on the bit like I am now. Ha. Can't wait for that day!
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In my understanding (and I might be wrong), I think the horse seeks the bit because contact is a comfortable thing. When I see/feel Pro seeking it, he's simultaneously unlocking/unkinking his neck. It feels GOOD for him to stretch and and seek the bit. So it's not that contact isn't painful, but that it feels good when done correctly.
I had a lightbulb moment when Gayle described the reins and sticks attached to our elbows instead of reins attached to our hands. Push your elbows forward and sticks would "push" the bit out in front of the horse, making them chase it and stretch out, unkinking and unlocking tense muscles and joints in their necks.
You WILL see more than a few strides, honest! :) Those few strides built up a bit of muscle which makes him more comfortable AND able next time, for a few more strides, until you finally, eventually, build enough muscle for him to comfortably maintain it. :) If Pro can do it, Skate certainly can! You're definitely on the right track.
The thing that made the most sense for me that Gayle's said about seeking contact is that when they've got contact, they know where the end of the reins are. If the reins are loose and there's no contact, then any signals you send with the bit come out of nowhere from the horse's point of view and so they get blind-sided by it.
Congrats on those few strides of actually stepping under himself! It's a great feeling, isn't it?
I'm waiting for that day too...it sounds like such a nice concept :)
He gets better and better with each ride! (I think I say that alot with Skate, but its true)
It will take time for him to build up the muscles to stay on the bit and push with his hindquarters. Everytime he get several strides of it, he is building those muscles. Soon he'll be on the bit all the time.
Yup, it won't take long for him to be on the bit most of the time, if not all of the time. Remember too that he's still a green bean, and you're both still figuring all this out together. You'll get there!
And Andrea and Kate are right about the 'unkinking' of the neck. At least, every horse in my experience has LOVED chasing the bit, once they figured out what you wanted from them!
Yay for the good ride! I miss those on the bit rides, but hopefully Jay and I will get it together soon...if it ever dries out. I am fortunate to be hearing from people who know and have ridden Jay that he likes his long and low, and I have had a couple of glimpses of it already. I'm glad you have too with Skate!
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