So, I have learned both methods of asking for flexion. Open rein - open the inside rein, get response as capture in outside rein, return to neutral then ask for a little more forward. I learned this more as an initial way of softening and bending the greener horse. Also learned lifting or turn the knob to ask for flexion and softening on the inside rein. Both are looking to rebalance the horse.
So which do you use? Do you find one better than the other or better at one gate than another?
For my horse, lifting inside rein getting softening seems to work better than open with respect to softening the poll, jaw, particularly to the left. Same in all gaits, though I mostly do it at the walk as part of our warm up, less in trot and canter. For reference, he is an aged horse, still doing 4th-psg work and some Piaffe/Passage.
To me, these are three different things.
Lifting is to stand the horse up on that shoulder or catch the shoulder around a turn. Often used alongside the outside thigh.
Opening the rein is for a less educated horse that needs you to re-establish the contact with the corner of the mouth or funnel the horse between the two reins.
“Turning the knob” or bringing the thumb away from the wither is for increasing the flexion at the poll on an educated horse.
I find the open rein more helpful with green horses, and/oor horses that tend to get really tight in the neck. As my first dressage coach said, my mare likes to be a 2x4. Rigid. Took a lot for her to learn to not be so stuck in her neck. A lift didn’t mean jack to her when we started dressage, just locked her up tighter.
Opening rein can also be wide enough to get the horse to release their under neck.
When wanting the funnel the horse and allow it to bascule through more, usually it is both hands a little wide.
Can one turn the knob in a double?
What’s that saying? Fingers for the poll, wrist for the jaw, and elbow for the neck? I just took two lessons with two different judges that kept repeating that phrase and now I can’t remember it…
I wouldn’t use lifting unless I had an intention to re-balance the horse…because later when you have a curb you’re going to lift that part to re-balance and use as a half halt.
I would jiggle jiggle with my fingers or open arm elbow if the neck is tough for flexion.
You can make your open rein like a circle with a little lift to help it and then a really exaggerated drop on the other side to help release it and be clear on the give.
The lifting rein is helpful to influence the shoulder as well based on timing of the aids. This is why I love dressage! Lot’s to dissect and rewarding when it works LOL
It isn’t binary “one vs the other”…it is both. The aids are simply tools. in a toolbox. They are used as needed depending on the horse and situation. Knowing what aid to use and how strongly to use it is known as having equestrian tact.
I don’t know what is to “turn the knob”…
I think some call it scoop the ice cream …it’s a slight turn of the wrist upwards.
Ahhhh…ok. For any of those who were his students, Francois Lemaire used to call this action to “supinate” the hand…
I like that! It sounds better than “Praise Jesus”, but praise Jesus works really well!
hahahaha
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