posting

Do "you" bump when you sit and squeeze or when you rise? I've always bumped on the rise, now I'm thinking it should be when you sit and squeeze?

PS - bump may not be the right word. Gentle squeezing of the fingers is what I'm talking about...

FP, dumb question, but why do you need to squeeze your fingers? I keep my hand very quiet if they move the way I want them too, if not I ask for half halt.

My line of thinking is that I'm pushing him forward by squeezing because I want to maintain the impulsion but I want to keep the speed where it is so I am gently checking him at the same time I am asking him to move forward.... am I crazy?

You push him forward (put leg on) when you are out of saddle, and then you catch the impulsion (in split sec). If squeeze is enough for your horse (mine needs more than squeeze but full half halt usually :) ).

Wait. You squeeze your legs while you are UP?

Yes, I close the leg on rise because this way I influence inner hind leg.

I don't squeeze when I am up, I squeeze when I am down and on my way back up - I let the lift out of the saddle ripple down through my legs so that I give the horse a nudge with my heels as I rise. But I only do that if he is either losing speed or I believe he is likely to lose his speed (because, oh, he's done it every single on of the last 40 times around that particular corner of the ring).

I also know what you mean on the reins, but I do not squeeze them with my fingers. I think of it more like keeping my elbows a little bit firm.

I apply slightly more leg when I 'sit' rather than rise as this is the point at which the inside hind leg is about to come off the ground - when it is most able to be influenced by an aid.
As for a 'squeeze' of the rein - that should be coming from your core, not your hand. The core is what holds the horse in a tempo, not the hand. The hands should remain still, and the body should be ridden towards the hands. The hand can occasionally give a small reminder to the horse, if for instance, he blocks a little in the poll or jaw, you can feel the mouth lightly to ask him to give. The contact should otherwise, be elastic, but consistent.

What I have been doing lately is sit and squeeze while bringing my hands slightly back by pulling my elbows back a bit? Then releasing on the rise. Is that right?

I will probably have to post pix huh?

Kayty, my understanding is you can only influence the leg (or at least the most) while it's off the ground, not on ground..?

BTW, I did search on WHEN to do it (out of curiosity) and the responses split 50% : 50%. Personally I tried both and got better response (more impulsion) when asking while getting up.