Thursday Training Tips

Rein aids need to be soft and light if we want to get our horses to collect for us. Once you have pushed through the levels of the collection pyramid and are starting to work on getting the head placement correct it is important to remember that your hands need to remain soft and giving. If your hands are not used to this it will take a little bit of training on your behalf but it will pay off! In order to get our horses to want to move forward on to the bit it must be a nice place for them. If your hands are hard and stiff then that won’t be very comforatbale at all for them and they will search for ways to try and avoid the contact as opposed to searching for the contact. Practice by tying some string on to a chair that is tipped backwards slightly by placing something like a book under the front legs. Now take contact up without pulling the chair over. Next take contact up and start rising up and down without pulling the chair over. Try and develop a soft feel for your horses mouth.