Update:Max's lack of wet mouth!!

[Monty]

Some of you replied to my thread on here, which focussed on why Max had a slobbery wet mouth when everyone else rode him, and a minimally wet mouth when I rode him!!

We have progress. I think you were ALL right. The problem was definitely centred on the impulsion and my inconsistent contact. The impulsion has improved enormously now, I have found the pelvic movement and rhythm to be able to do a really active rise. and therefore the slobbers have really come on, as I'm sending him forward better. I do still have a problem,however, with the contact. I'm not pulling his mouth, nor am I using the reins to haul myself out of the saddle. That I'm absolutely sure of. However, I can see very clearly that when I'm rising and sitting, my hands go up and down with me, and the reins very easily become too long . When I concentrate on my hands and try to keep them still and low, and the contact short enough, the action required to do that is pulling my trunk forward and therefore off balance. Awwwww I DUNNO how to sort this one!

I'm well aware that babies with late diagnosis Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, tend to grow up with short legs, and yes, I do have somewhat dispropportionately short legs, but I'm honestly beginning to wonder now if my arms are short too . I just can't figure this one out at all.

Any insights anyone please??

[Monty]

Improvement....the pathetic evidence!!

[ADHD Alfie]

Sorry, am not in a position to give any useful advice, but i just wanted to say what a gorgeous boy he is, very handsome

[eml]

I don't think you have particularly short arms, if you look on my FB you will see mine are so short that I have to straighten my arms more than technically correct to achieve a consistant contact.

I tend to concentrate on relaxing my shoulders and elbows rather than thinking about hands as it is generally stiffness there that makes hands move with body in rising trot

[TEmily]

Do you have a vid of yourself riding? It sounds to me like if you really can't keep your hands still you may be over-rising but then you said that your active rise is helping with impulsion so its a bit of a dilemma isn't it!

Could you try having someone lunge you, knot your reins so you don't need to use them and fasten some string to the D-rings of the saddle and hold that while rising? That way you can keep your hands in exactly the same place using the string and can get used to the feel - its all about elastic elbows and shoulders really as they need to flex as you rise to keep your hands in the same place.

Get us a vid!

[TEmily]

I cross posted with eml and she wrote exactly the same thing about elastic elbows - good to know I'm not talking rubbish lol!

[m22]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "active" rise. In rising trot you really should only be hovering above the seat - if you rise too high your hands will move with your body.

You need to relax your shoulders and feel the weight of your arms in your elbow and ride with an elastic wrist. This will help you kepp your hands steady. On a big striding horse this is more difficult.

Impulsion should come from the legs. I recall that you ride with 2 schooling whips, I would be using these to ask the horse to engage more, more rather than trying to ride the horse "forward" with an active rise.

As for contact issues, well this comes from developing a feel of your horse's mouth. In walk, start by asking the horse to relax his jaw and poll by sponging alternate reins. Then asking for flexion and counter flexion as you start the warm up. Once the horse is really relaxed in his mouth, then do the same in trot.

[Joyscarer]

No advice Monty but I did just want to say how pleased I am that you have found some answers. I'm really impressed on your commitment and drive to improve and love following your threads even if I don't always post to say so

[Monty]

Ah yes m22, reading that back to myself does sound a little strange....about the active rise I mean. Rather than continue to dig myself a hole, I'll ask my daughter to post a link to videos on YouTube. I can't as I don't have broadband...or rather, as SFS puts it....I have 'wind-up internet connection'!!!

Watch this space.........Don't expect miracles!