Hi, I'm a new poster here and I'd appreciate some insight about dressage. I've always been taught to get a horse to use itself correctly by focusing on rein aids as well as leg aids. My horse will start off hollow, with a high head carriage but if I don't do anything with my hands and just warm him up with lateral work after about 20 mins he reaches for the contact and raises his back. It's a very different feeling to putting him on the bit.
The thing is I'm not sure if that's the correct way of riding him. Every dressage rider I've know doesn't let their horse choose where to put its head. They don't give it the opportunity to be high headed. My horse resists rein aids to put him on the bit but given time to warm up he naturally goes on the vertical when he raises his back. Is this a correct way to ride?
This may sound silly but I feel like I should be able to ride like everyone else does. However I'm starting to think the reason for his resistance might be physical. So after this long essay Id like to hear other people's opinions on what I'm doing
The thing is I'm not sure if that's the correct way of riding him. Every dressage rider I've know doesn't let their horse choose where to put its head. They don't give it the opportunity to be high headed. My horse resists rein aids to put him on the bit but given time to warm up he naturally goes on the vertical when he raises his back. Is this a correct way to ride?
This may sound silly but I feel like I should be able to ride like everyone else does. However I'm starting to think the reason for his resistance might be physical. So after this long essay Id like to hear other people's opinions on what I'm doing
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