Listening Corner: Contact and “On the Bit”

Theme: Contact / "On the Bit"

contact 1
Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

The difference between effective and ineffective contact in horseback riding is immense. You know what "bad" contact looks like:

- horse with mouth open wide

- frantic rider on runaway horse

- disengaged hind end and hollow-backed movement

- above the bit/below the bit/rooting the bit

- rider jerking on the bit

I'm sure we can all conjure up pictures of what we don't want to see or feel in riding.

However, if you're like me, you probably also are well aware of the conundrum of developing a compassionate yet useful contact - one that keeps you first of all, safe on the horse, and second, able to give the horse such good "feels" that every horse you ride is inspired to be their best. 

There is so much to be said about the concepts of contact and "on the bit" in horseback riding. Many of the great riders of the past have elaborated on the idea and even the feel of on the bit, but without educated guidance on the ground while you're riding, true contact can become a long-awaited and distant dream. So although we can benefit greatly from the words below, it falls to ourselves to be forever on the quest of discovering an honest and effective contact with our own horses, making the act of riding pleasurable not only for the human, but also for the horse.

I've tried to pick out the most relevant sections for today's quotes, but please go to the original books to get a much more in-depth analysis. Enjoy!

****

The connection between the rider's hands and the horse's mouth is called "contact with the bit." This contact governs the guidance and collection of the horse.... To be correct this contact should be consistent. The rider should have the feeling that he is connected to the horse's mouth by means of an elastic ribbon. As the reins are made of leather and have no spring, this elastic connection can be brought about only by the supple flexion of the horse's jaw combined with the sensitive and light touch of the riders hands, which depends on flexible wrists. A perfect contact is possible only when the horse is in absolute balance, carries himself, and does not seek support from the reins. It may then be said that the horse is "on the bit."

Podhajsky, Alois. (1965). The Complete Training of Horse and Rider In the Principles of Classical Horsemanship (pp.41-42). New York, NY: Doubleday.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Unlike popular perception, acceptance of the bit has very little to do with the frame in which we ride the horse. It is more that wherever we place our reins - long, short, or to one side - the horse follows them without evasion. Acceptance of the bit could also be called "the confidence of the horse in the rider's hand."

Riding a horse in a very short and cramped frame in front has nothing to do with being on the bit. Neither does work with draw reins, martingales, curbs, chambons and other artificial aids (based on inflicting pain) help to achieve it. The acceptance of the bit is a demonstration that the horse has been taught to find his balance and to carry himself willingly in front of the rider's leg, accepting the reins and the bit as communication, rather than a threat of pain or support to lean on.

Only when a horse has accepted the bit can he begin to carry himself. And, as the engagement improves, the horse will become lighter and lighter, without the rider having to use any artificial aids or excessive rein action.

Gahwyler, Max. (1989). The Competitive Edge: Improving Your Dressage Scores in the Lower Levels (p. 29). Middletow, MD: Half Halt Press.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When one drives the horse forward towards the bit, the bit should ever so slightly elude the horse's "arrival" on it, his taking hold. This allows the horse to step forward without fear of hindrance by pulling (and the accompanying pain). The horse's forward (but not running) thinking very much depends on his courage in working towards the bit. The bit must represent to him a suggestive and resilient opening, a yielding and elusive communication, rather than a literal contact. A tense, restraining, pulling rein results in an open jaw, tense neck and back muscles, and ugly, apprehensive, stiff, pussy-footing strides. 

de Kunffy, Charles. (1984). Dressage Questions Answered (p.69). New York, NY: Prentice Hall Press.

What do you think about when you consider contact and having your horse on the bit?

********

If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published!  Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email

Riding Goals Defined: At some point, you’re going to find yourself wondering: why am I riding? 

The ‘Art’ of Riding: When does riding transform from being a purely physical endeavour based on skills and technique, to “sculpting while progressing through space?” (de Kunffy, 1992, p.3)

Studying the Circle: The circle is used so frequently, not only in dressage, but in almost all disciplines, that we would be remiss to not include it in our “studies” about riding and training.

The Rider: Although the world around the horse has changed over the years, the horse itself remains essentially the same, and therefore the requirements of riding are essentially unchanged.

Listening Corner – Riding Goals Defined

Theme:  Riding Goals Defined

 

At some point, you're going to find yourself wondering: why am I riding? 

Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography
Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

No two answers are going to be the same, and your own answer might change as time goes on. Regardless, the moment that you find yourself evaluating your successes and considering your challenges will be the moment that your decisions will be impacting both you and your horse.

In effect, you're going to identify and set some horseback riding goals.

Horseback riding is distinguished from all other sports due to a very unique characteristic that no other sport can match: the relationship between two beings so different from each other seeking to combine into one elegant whole. When setting your sights on bigger/higher/better/rounder, you must consider not only how to improve your own skills (as in other sports), but also how you can be the best possible teacher/leader for your partner, the horse. 

Although as the human partner, we have options on what we want to do when, we must keep in mind that the horse does not have a similar choice. In fact, the horse is dependent on the rider's decisions. This is when goal setting takes on even more significance. The rider's responsibility to the horse becomes a key factor in determining the progress (and health) of both partners and should not be underestimated.

Many people have written in the past about developing solid goals - both for the horse and the rider. Below are some short excerpts from excellent authors. Read on for a few thought-provoking tips and suggestions on the whys and hows of goal setting in equestrian disciplines.

First of all, evaluate your horse physically and mentally.... Moderate faults do not ordinarily disqualify a horse, but if you have no idea where you might find the horse's weakest link, it will be more difficult to plan a program.

The second step is to write down some reasonable short-term goals.... The earlier you can start and the smaller and steadier the progressive increases can be, the more opportunity you will have for review and revision.

Thirdly, plan a one-week, a one-month and a three-month program.... Use your one-month and three-month plans as references only. If you look too far ahead, you may miss what is going on under your nose. Review everything once a week and make progressive adjustments up or down in your programs.

Finally, get started today. Since the benefits of progressive training are continuous, any delay could put a cap on your horse's eventual achievement. If your untrained horse is not sick or tired, he can do a little more today than he did yesterday.

Equus Reference Guide, Principles of Successful Conditioning - Training Your Horse For Any Sport. Fleet Street Publishing. (1989). pp.45-47

Ideally, the rider uses the minimum amount of work to the maximum advantage. She structures her sessions so well that each step builds on the last, and this kind of build-up makes even the most difficult exercises seem comparatively much easier. She achieves her aim without any unrealistic goals threatening either herself or the horse, and this requires her to base her work on a recognition of the horse's needs and limitations, rather than focusing solely on her own. Her attention shifts away from herself to the horse. And thoughts such as, I wonder if I can get this horse going as well as I did yesterday, or, I'm not going to give up until I've put those extensions through, are replaced by, He's bound to feel stiff today, so I must work him lightly, or, If he feels ready, I'd like to work again on the extensions.... She has a far more genuine love for the horse and can put herself in second place, knowing that the time she spends preparing the soil will result in a strong and beautiful planet.

Wanless, Mary. The Natural Rider: A Right-Brain Approach to Riding. Trafalgar Square Publishing. (1987). p. 243

Riders must promote their horse's well-being by maintaining their state of comfort, which incidentally, fosters the extension of the horse's serviceable life. Therefore, riding should consist of three goals:

1. RESTORATIVE RIDING is designed to reestablish the purity of the horse's natural gaits, his balance and regularity of rhythm under the added weight of his rider.

2. THERAPEUTIC RIDING aims at developing the horse's ambidexterity....

(a) Straighten the horse by aligning his spine parallel with the line of his traveling on the ground....



(b) Load the horse's hind legs evenly by applying properly functioning driving aids and appropriate exercises....

(c) Ride each hind leg toward the corresponding forehand and prevent attempts to cross over, or track inward.

3. ATHLETIC RIDING goals may be pursued only after the restorative and therapeutic ones have been addressed. However,... these riding goals must be mixed and blended successfully. They overlap, run parallel, and support one another. The art of riding is not severely compartmentalized.

de Kunffy, Charles. Dressage Principles Illuminated. Trafalgar Square Publishing. (2002). p. 123.

If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published!  Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email

Enjoy more Listening Corner themes:

The ‘Art’ of Riding: When does riding transform from being a purely physical endeavour based on skills and technique, to “sculpting while progressing through space?” (de Kunffy, 1992, p.3)

Studying the Circle: The circle is used so frequently, not only in dressage, but in almost all disciplines, that we would be remiss to not include it in our “studies” about riding and training.

The Rider: Although the world around the horse has changed over the years, the horse itself remains essentially the same, and therefore the requirements of riding are essentially unchanged.

Listening Corner – The Rider

Theme: "The Rider"

________________________________

From Training Strategies For Dressage Riders by Charles deKunffy (1994), p. 95-96

"Because it is based on communication between two living organisms, riding must include not only the rider's 'talking' but even more his 'listening'. A rider's awareness of his horse's mental and physical state, indeed, should determine what and how much he asks of his mount. Therefore, the truly talented riders are recognized as having 'feel,' which depends on the talent for being a living antenna that picks up all communications the horse sends....

A rider should always be fully aware of the horse's well-being and his horse's communications. He must also react to them with knowledge and insight. Knowledge comes by practicing riding, coaching, reading, watching, and discussing. More important, however, is the insight and wisdom gained by empathy toward the horse.... The rider ought to train himself to think the way his horse does."

In case you're wondering, Horse Listening did not model its name or idea from Charles' quote - nothing could be farther from the truth (see our original first post to discover the inspiration for "listening" to horses)! Finding this section from a book of over 200 pages was just another one of those "coincidences" that occur from time to time when everything seems to fall together. In any case, as important as the topic of the post (being an empathic rider) is the fact the the concept of "listening" to horses had already been elaborated upon in 1984, almost 30 years prior to the conception of the Horse Listening blog. So... here we are, reinventing the wheel, although I daresay that it is an important concept to revisit.

____________________________________________________

From:  Balance in Movement: How to Achieve the Perfect Seat by Suzanne Von Dietze (2003), p. 174

"There is really no such thing as the perfect rider or, for that matter, the perfect horse. If we want to make progress, it is of great importance to recognize where some difficulties arise and why. Some problems are not immediately recognizable, but they are a serious nuisance whenever more subtle influence is required. Thus, riders can learn to master the three basic gaits even in the chair seat, but they will never be able to develop quick and sensitive reactions for further influencing the horse because they are always behind the movement....

Riding is a game of balance between the horse and rider. Two living beings should, ideally, find such a degree of common balance that it appears to an observer that they have grown together as one unit. The majestic rider sitting quietly on a horse represents the ideal aesthetic picture of riding. Any layman would be able to recognize a good rider by his calmness. As soon as the rider's influence becomes too obvious, a sense of agitation is created which is visually distracting. The sensitive balance of a horse and rider is endangered."

It is well known that good riding can be easily distinguished by its effortless appearance - in fact, the good ride can be identified by its lack of "excitement" - in the sense that the horse appears to be calm, at ease and confident in what it is being asked to do. A good rider is the one who maintains poise and has the tendency to give the horse the benefit of the doubt. Developing a strong and balanced seat is a prerequisite to being able to influence the horse in a way that enables the horse to perform at its highest potential.

______________________________________________

From: The Complete Training of Horse and Rider In the Principles of Classical Horsemanship, by Alois Podhajsky (1967), p. 211

"The best way to obtain the correct seat, especially for a dressage rider, is longeing without stirrups. During this work, the rider need not pay attention to guiding his horse but can concentrate on controlling his own movements in the various paces. This is the quickest way to achieve the necessary independent seat, if the legs and reins are to be employed as aids and not as a means to regain lost balance. Absolute self-control is the basic requirement for every rider. He must not only be able to control his body but also his temperament. Only then will he be able to make the other creature submit to his will and develop his natural abilities. "

A discussion about riding simply cannot be complete without the mention of lunging to develop the seat and balance. Although it is true that in our time and place - with horses becoming more of a recreational pursuit than a form of expression and art - there is an emphasis on "instant gratification" and achieving (perceived) results sooner than later. Riders new to horses want to get on and "ride", get to a show and win ribbons, and resolve riding problems quickly and with little preparation or background.

However, in this short quote, Podhajsky tackled the two most critical components to becoming an effective rider - first, balance and body control, and second, the social/emotional awareness necessary to bring out the best from the horse.

Although the world around the horse has changed over the years, the horse itself remains essentially the same, and therefore the requirements of riding are essentially unchanged. A rider must be prepared to work hard to acquire the necessary skill, and most importantly, be willing to wait for results.

Listening Corner – Studying the circle

Theme: Studying the Circle

Cantering on a Circle

How many times have you caught yourself pulling on an already tight inside rein? Have you ever noticed your horse swing his neck to the inside, while you find yourself drifting out toward the rail (thank goodness for that rail, since without it, you would probably drift to oblivion!)? We've all been there and done that (and I have the T-shirt)!

The circle is used so frequently, not only in dressage, but in almost all disciplines, that we would be remiss to not include it in our "studies" about riding and training. The quotes below come from dressage sources, but you can surely find similar information in writing from any discipline.

"Every [dressage] test contains circles: large ones, small ones, some placed in difficult spots, some very easy ones, and some placed before or after a transition into the next movement. But all of them have a number of requirements:

- Circles must be round and executed exactly as stated in the test. This means the rider has to know where the "points" are. The rider must touch these points for one stride only.

- They must be ridden on one track. This means that the horse must be able to bend and have sufficient freedom of the shoulders and hips to accomodate the requested size of the circle without the hanuches falling out or the horse 'popping' his shoulder.

- The regularity of the rhythm must be the same throughout the circle, including engaggement and impulsion, while the horse stays on the bit. As a matter of fact, the horse should be in a better frame coming out of the circle than going into it." 

Riding a circle is not just following the path of the circle (although that can be difficult enough) - it is more about helping the horse improve the use of his hind end, teach him about flexion and bend, and to enable the outside aids to become more effective. The aids for the circle come not only from the rein and leg aids, but even more importantly, from the seat and balance of the rider. Your shoulders and hips should be aligned with the horse's shoulders, while your weight is distributed slightly to the inside. Other things to be aware of:

- your inside seat bone is slightly more weighted than the outside, and is moving within the movement to encourage the horse to use his back.

- your horse is "filling" the outside rein (rather than you shortening the rein or leaving it loopy).

- the outside hind is as engaged as the inside, because the outside has further to travel!

- the inside rein is softly maintaining flexion but that is all - don't let it interfere with the horse's movement.

- half-halts at every "point" of the circle help the horse to improve his balance and become more round and free-moving.

"One can say that a horse is on the aids and correctly bent on the large circle when he applies an even tension to both reins, when both hind feet tread in the tracks of the forefeet, when the crest tips over to the inside, and when the horse maintains the bend when the rider surrenders the contact with the inside rein.

One should not, however, expect the horse to maintain the bend on his own for any length of time. To keep him precisely on the line of the circle, the rider must remain extremely attentive and continuously though imperceptibly, alternate between shoulder-in and travers-like aids according to the tendency of the horse to fall in or out from the prescribed line."

By Alfred Knopfhart, Dressage: A Guidebook for the Road to Success, 1996, p.34

They say that the greatest riders look like they are doing nothing at all. The more you ride and you begin to feel the success that comes with the refinement of the aids, the more you will know this to be true. The secret to looking like you are doing nothing is to do a lot in tiny little increments. Once you get used to the subtle movements that are required, it will feel like you are doing nothing - but in fact, your body is making constant minute adjustments to ensure that it is either following the horse or helping the horse to maintain balance. 

__________________________

"Excessive bend is wrong and creates tension rather than making the horse more supple. Another common fault, especially in lateral work, is excessiv flexion. Too much bend in the head and neck prevents the horse from bending through the ribs as required, and therefore also makes it impossible for the horse to be evenly bent throughout its length. The horse's neck is 'broken' just in front of the withers.

Exaggerated bend can also result in the horse falling sideways instead of answering the rider's inside leg. This defeats the object of the exercise, which is to bend the horse."

German National Equestrian Federation, Advanced Techniques of Dressage, p.32

We know we should not be pulling on that inside rein, yet we continue to do it all the time. The trick to "unlearning" the reliance on the inside rein is to take a look at the neck. Just look down! I know everyone says not to - when you look, just don't tilt your head downward, so you can maintain your balance. But take a glance and actually see where that neck is. Learn how the "cranked" neck appears from above - it looks like the neck is disconnected at the withers area. The body seems to go one way while the neck is headed toward the middle of the circle.

When you see that, lighten the inside rein.  Work on using a more active inside leg, use your seat to help rebalance the horse to the outside, and take up the (very likely) loop in the outside rein. Then allow the neck to straighten (note: don't just pull on the outside rein!). Straighten the horse's body, and start the circle again and see if you can continue on the circle without pulling on the rein.

And that's all there is to the circle! 🙂

What other tips do you have for us about riding the circle?

Horse Listening

Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published!  Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

[pro_ad_display_adzone id="23593"]

More Listening Corner posts:

Contact And "On The Bit": I've tried to pick out the most relevant sections for today's quotes, but please go to the original books to get a much more in-depth analysis. Enjoy!

Riding Goals Defined: At some point, you're going to find yourself wondering: why am I riding? No two answers are going to be the same, and your own answer might change as time goes on.

The Rider: Although the world around the horse has changed over the years, the horse itself remains essentially the same, and therefore the requirements of riding are essentially unchanged.

The "Art" Of Riding: . We know 'art' when we see it - the performance transforms from just plain effortless and technically correct to evoking an emotional response, moving us in the depths of our beings and reminding us why we are so enthralled by the power and magnificence of the horse.