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Get some coloured elastic bands or similar, then with your trainer, find points on the reins that you need to be carying them and mark them with different coloured bands. So say a length for warming up mark them yellow, then a length for when you start asking him to round up mark them red etc. It's not totally ideal as rein contact does need to change depending on the situation, however it will give you the idea or where you need to have your reins

As for learning about collection at a clinic on the ground. Yes you can learn a few tips, but horses are different and what may have worked for one persons horse may not work for yours. Collection isn't something you can just get up one day and decide to do. It happens over time, you can work a horse in collection for only a fewminutes initially then work up to longer periods because of the different muscle groups required.

 

I only ride western, so naturally I ride with loose reins, lol :/ so I am not much help, sorry!

 

Buy some of these, and have your trainer pick a color. =] When I worked at a therapy barn, we only ever used these, because it's so much easier to tell a kid to hold the yellow then it is to tell them to shorten their reins. =]

 

Very cool i need some of these for my boys!

 

I will look into those ricci, I used to use them as a lesson-kiddy. :p
And no worries Chevy!
Good idea Kayty, I will look into that.

Any other ideas anyone?

 

When I walk any of my horses I keep a loose rein, but when it comes to trotting or cantering I like to have contact with my horses mouth.....even though I ride western. Now when it comes to competiting or running in rodeos, I always ride with loose reins....but then again I ride with gaming reins, so its alot easier especially since the reins are alot shorter.

 

I ABHORE rubber reins, they seem to slip out of my hands. I would just think while you are riding "Do I feel the horses mouth in my hands?" Always helps me

 

I have that habit too! Remember that if your reins are slipping, chances are you are sitting ON the horse, not WITH the horse. It is very easy with a horse that is behind the leg to sit back and let the rains slide. Don't think hold the reins, think push the horse INTO the reins. Make them hold the contact, not you shortening the reins to find a false contact.

Same thing for jumping. My trainer always says don't chase the horse the to jump, make them pull you to the jump.. Create the pull with leg into hand, not hand by itself.

 

if you hold your hands upside down on the reins [with your thumb on top still...so thumb pointing toward the bit, but the end of the rein leaving by your pinky finger..haha i hope that made sense to at least one person !!] i find its a lot easier to feel the mouth & figure out the situation that your hands/reins are in ie too long reins or too tight reins

 

You need to get away from the feeling that contact=pain. Snaffle bits do not hurt when ridden on contact. Soft contact is GOOD!

Now, what is soft contact/soft hands? Many of us grew up with the phrase "soft hands". We learned to ride with our fingers not locked on the reins, thinking this would make our hands softer. In reality, this has the opposite effect.

If fingers don't grip the reins, the reins will work their way through them. Suddenly, you realize that your reins are, once again, too long. Then you have to adjust them shorter, only to have the cycle repeat.

Contact MUST be consistent. Any inconsistency (unless planned ie; half halt) can ruin the lines of communication with your horse. Any unplanned adjustments causes these inconsistencies.

Soft hands GRIP the reins. The softness comes from the elbow and shoulder's ability to follow every movement of the horse's head without the contact pressure changing.

Learn to follow the movement with your arms and shoulders/back, and you will develop soft hands. Then you should trust that contact will help you get the lines of communication you really need for dressage and jumping.