I see lots of less experienced riders who try to get their horse on the bit by overusing their hands. This attempt to “get their head down” can appear successful to novice onlookers who haven’t yet learned what it truly means to have the horse on the bit. I’d really like to get into detail about this topic today. What does it look and feel like to have correct contact? How is contact described in the training scale? How do you even start working on contact with your horse? Let’s get into it!
The bottom line here is playing with the reins, jiggling the bit around in the horse’s mouth or seesawing the reins back and forth is NOT going to get your horse properly connected over his topline. Nor will the use of any gadgets like draw reins or leverage bits. These just force the horse into a false connection and can cause long term training issues, especially when used incorrectly.
The end goal here is to create a correct and comfortable contact for both the rider and the horse. In the training scale, contact is the third building block. It’s introduced after rhythm and suppleness have been established. After contact, there are three more modules to discuss. The very LAST one is collection. Just a reminder here, collection cannot be achieved if the natural balance and movement your horse is being sabotaged by incorrect training, force, and gadgets.
Contact in Relation to the Training Scale
Contact is the third element of the training scale. Without a good foundation of rhythm and suppleness, contact will be very difficult to achieve. If you find you’re struggling with the contact, try revisiting modules 1 and 2 of the training scale to further familiarize your horse with these more basic building blocks. The FEI definition of contact is as follows: “Contact is the soft, steady connection between the rider’s hand and the horse’s mouth. The horse should go rhythmically forward from the rider’s driving aids and ‘seek’ contact with the rider’s hand, thus ‘going into’ the contact. The horse seeks the contact and the rider provides the contact.”
I think it’s important to break this definition down a bit.
- A Soft, steady connection needs to be consistent and elastic. The horse cannot correctly connect to the bit if your hands are busy playing with the reins to try to control the position of the head and neck. Also, with hands that are busy, the horse experiences too much distraction to listen to and decipher one aid from the next. For instance, a halt aid may need to be stronger if the rider’s hands are busy playing with the bit.
- The contact is created by the horse moving into the contact. One helpful analogy is with a proper connection, you should feel like you’re pushing a shopping cart forward, not pulling the horse’s neck in and down. A tight, rigid connection with the mouth, backward pressure on the bit, or downward pressure on the poll does not encourage the seeking of contact. In order to have a correct contact, your hands need to be slightly out in front of you. For reference, they should be about hip bone width apart and in front of the saddle pad with your elbows slightly in front of your ribcage. The elbows should never be pulled back behind the body. Taking your hands too far back and too wide will actually create “negative contact,” or a holding sensation in the connection, which prevents the horse (and you) from thinking “forward.”
- Once contact is established correctly, the horse voluntarily connects to the bit. The action of the rider forcing contact on a horse is never correct.
Where Does Correct Contact Originate?
Contact begins in the hind legs. Yes, you read that correctly. Contact begins in the hind legs. Correct contact NEVER starts in the hands and ends in the horse’s mouth. It has nothing to do with the “hold” of the reins. In fact, it’s just the opposite, it’s the allowing of a “circle of energy” to flow from the horse’s hind legs to the rider’s driving aids. Let’s look at this in more detail.
With active hind legs and the longitudinal suppleness of the back correctly established, the energy arrives at the mouth, and in turn, the horse seeks the bit. After this act of seeking, the energy travels along the reins (not backwards from the reins) to the rider’s hands, where the rider modifies it. The rider may allow a bigger stride, ask for a transition, or do a half halt. Sometimes, the rider is just simply connected, and not asking for anything in particular. Only if the rider’s body is supple and connected through the seat bones will the energy then connect through the rider’s legs. The rider’s legs put energy back into the horse’s hind legs, and this pattern continues. Energy over the topline is what creates correct connection and proper posturing of the head and neck.
So, How do We Know We’re Doing it Right?
In short, correct contact feels as if the horse is stepping into the contact, not pulling against it. The poll and back will be raised and supple, allowing for that energy from the hindquarters to travel all the way over the topline into the bridle. You’ll also be able to feel the horse accepting the contact. Many horses “taste the bit,” gently moving it around without the tongue visible. Your goal is for the poll to be at the highest point. The nose, when looking at it’s vertical positioning, should be slightly in front of the vertical line or on it. Usually horses will not truly go onto the vertical until higher levels of collection are established. When it comes to the medium and extended gaits, the entire topline should lengthen, not just the legs. Even in the extended gaits, if the contact is correct, the horse will still be stretching towards the contact.
A good way to test your contact and the horse’s level of self-carriage is to give your reins forward for a couple of strides. You shouldn’t feel a difference in the outline. When you keep your reins lengthened, the horse should seek the contact by positioning the head and neck forward and down.
When an incorrect contact attempt is made, it’s common to see the horse behind the vertical, avoiding the contact by curling behind the bit. You may also see that the horse’s mouth is very busy, and possibly open, in an attempt to evade the bit. She might also tilt or shake her head. Now, it’s not always about having the reins too tight. Another example of incorrect contact is when there’s none at all! There’s a big difference between light contact and “throwing the front end away” or “spilling him out the front.” In this case, there’s no encouragement from the reins to resupply or direct the energy back through that circle of energy I touched on a few minutes ago.
The Basics of Establishing Contact
You want your horse thinking and moving forward and in good rhythm. Think about the hind legs staying energetic, but not quick. Going too fast can result in him losing his balance and the goal of establishing contact becomes more difficult. It’s possible to start introducing contact without a great deal of impulsion. However, the horse must be responsive and moving properly off your leg.
Think about receiving the power that has sprung over the topline into your hands. You need to establish a feel that isn’t pulling, but also not looping the reins. Allow the horse to step into the contact and stretch his head and neck into the bit. If you’re breaking the habit of playing with the bit too much, a new set of reins that are a different texture (think yacht rope reins) can help you become more aware of those muscle memory reactions. They feel different in your hands, so your awareness of these micromovements increases. I have also had students take a set of reins home, placing the bridle over something sturdy, and just practice holding a gentle contact on the reins – not loopy, but not enough to pull down a sturdy chair. It’s amazing how much we WANT to do something besides stay quiet in the hands. Remember – the horse’s energy needs to flow over the back and into the contact. If you feel like this isn’t happening, it might be helpful to take a step back and work more on suppleness before adding in the contact.
The use of transitions and half halts also help get the horse stepping underneath herself, creating a lighter forehand with increased mobility, furthering the production of self-carriage and cadence.
When We Put it All Together
Contact takes time to develop. Though the “feel” of contact should always be steady and even, this feel varies from horse to horse. As the horse progresses in his training, the feel of your contact will change. The feel of contact also changes during transitions, or half halts, when it becomes firmer for a brief moment. Contact is always a work in progress, and developing it is something you will continue to work on during every ride!
You also need to remember the importance of keeping the flow of energy open. This is not limited to just your hands! Riding position challenges, such as gripping with the knees, tension in the back, balancing off the reins, or an imbalanced seat will all complicate the process of creating a steady contact.
If you’re just starting to introduce contact to your horse, keep the time you ask for contact limited. It’s important that you keep training sessions short enough where your horse isn’t completely worn out at the end of a ride. Contact takes engagement and balance, and if those are still developing, adding another thing to the mix can overwhelm a young or inexperienced horse. Stay empathetic to your horse’s needs. Remember – it’s okay if she gets above or below the bit for a moment. Just be patient and soft. Another thing to remember with young or green horses is to not focus so much on the outline. Instead, focus on whether he’s forward, swinging his back, and supple in his body and mind.
And whatever you do, NEVER squeeze your horse between the action of your kicking legs and pulling hands. In order for your leg aids to be effective, you need to balance them with the same amount of energy you’re receiving in your hands. If you lose the feeling that you’re riding the horse into the contact and feel like you’re just pushing her through it, return to rhythm and suppleness exercises for awhile longer. Correct training cannot be rushed.
Remember – Correct training = good contact.
Thank you so much for reading. If you’re struggling to understand anything in this post or just have some questions, feel free to contact me. You can email me at [email protected] or hop onto my Facebook page and ask your question from there. Listening to an audio version of this post on my podcast while you’re riding might also be handy.
Have a safe, fun, and connected ride!