Mini update*** I’ve only ridden 3 times since this post and things are WAAAY better. I have been trying to let her stretch more, more rein and when she starts shaking I make sure my elbows are against my side and do some lateral flexion. and she has almost stopped. getting better each ride and I am doing some more sitting trot to keep more still. The weather has been nice and the last 2 rides she has been very forward and fresh. Remembering to not pull my hands down but turning hand for half halt instead of pulling. Thanks again for all your tips.
Previous to this I felt defeated and couldn’t take her anywhere to learn until I got this figured out. Today I signed up for a working equitation clinic.
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Things are way better. Switched bits and it made a world of difference with her acceptance of the contact. The base of her neck is getting big and her throat latch is much smaller. I went to the working Eq clinic and we did well on all the obstacles (she isn’t scared of much with all the driving experience) and even side passed over a pole which surprised me. Our Leg yields and connection are so much better with new bit and today I really noticed more outside rein contact.
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On “inside leg to outside hand”, focus first, and mostly, on the “inside leg” part.
The outside rein is to contain/control the energy and bend created by the inside leg. But the inside leg has to come first.
It sounds like you are heading in the right direction. If by base of neck you are talking about in front of the wither. If sheis getting bigger under the neck then no incorrect.
From the video, pick your hands up a bit, even contact, then stop moving them. As much as is humanly possible. This doesn’t mean be stiff, but even contact, no wiggle or jiggle or raise or lower.
Steady, even contact, then add leg.
Then do nothing else for a while.
And by that I don’t mean five minutes a ride, I mean the whole time you are riding, every time, until you are both steady and relaxed.
Until the pace and the contact are steady.
This comes, as meup said, back to front. Hands do nothing but be there, up a bit, and even contact, while legs is creating the energy to go forward, first in rhythm, then straight.
Straightness comes from even contact, and driving the horse with your legs into straightness, not by fiddling with the head and neck.
But for now, pick hands up, even contact, then don’t try to do anything with them. Add leg, and regulate tempo through your posting.
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You are very brave to post a video . You are doing fine. It’s never pretty when first starting out and given the fact that you and your horse are learning together you are doing fine. Time in the saddle is what it takes.
I suggest you find a good dressage saddle that fits you and take some lessons on the longe. Either on this horse or a lesson horse. Once your seat is independent everything else will be so much easier.
I love the grin on you face in one of the videos. Keep at it. You are both where you should be expected to be at this stage.
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OP - just curious and slightly off topic - the driving dressage video, is that taken at Grand Oaks resort? I show my horse there regularly (dressage) and the place is enough to tempt me back to driving…
Yes. that was our 2nd attempt ever at driven dressage. I could see I should be a bit more forward but did the pattern well. They also did not mark x for some reason so had a hard time judging the distance.
This is my first lesson since the original post but I am getting my connection figured out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eCvCNlRKuk&feature=youtu.be
China Doll, I want to give you props for coming on here and asking a sincere question and having the guts to post a video and listen to people’s advice and not argue . . . . and then to come back and post another follow-up video. Not many people here ask for help and seem to really want actual answers. :lol:
There looks to be a great difference between your first video and your last. Your body is much quieter, your leg is much more solid, your hands are steadier - great improvement! Did you get a new saddle? Congratulations on your good work!
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It will be difficult top get true connection in a shank bit. Have you tried any snaffle type bits?
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Thank you for the nice compliment and I did learn a lot from the peoples advice. I did not get a new saddle but I was watching a Julie good night special and I didn’t realize that you can slide your fenders back and help your position I’ve been trying to slide them but they’re very tight. One of the more recent posts one person had great advice about my hands and not pulling down which has really helped me.
I have tried several different snaffle bits and had a terrible connection and she was really inverted I tried this bit because I was thinking about showing her in a western class and she just did much better and was much softer. I also have the chinstrap loose so there’s no pressure at all from that and shanks are very short. I went back to a dring the other day to try it and we were way inverted again. With this bit I’m getting great leg yields, turn on forehand and haunches and now side pass.
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The bit is only as bad as the hands so if you treat her softly in the shank it won’t hurt her.
That said you don’t pull back in dressage. If she is inverting in a snaffle she is not going correctly.
Horses do not lie. Listen to what she is telling you. She should be happy and submitting, not rounding only becsuse it hurts if she doesn’t, which does not equal happy.
A great difference in the video. Well done. You will keep learning. 
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I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the bit but you can not have dressage connection with a shank bit like that, at least not starting. OP if you are going to show western thats great
Another snaffle to try (if you wanted) is a straight bar or mullen mouth, happy mouth style. A lot of fussy horses tend to love those.
Regarding bits - I don’t know what kinds of snaffle bits you’ve tried, but my pony hates all sorts of single-jointed snaffles. Her current favorite is a D-ring Myler snaffle with a little roller in the middle. If I put her in a plain single-joint, she chomps and chomps and chomps even if I have no connection on her mouth and ride her on a very loose rein. Her other bit that she does well in is a KK Ultra bridoon.
I think it is technically legal in western dressage to ride in a curb with two hands, but just so you know . . . they are intended (in the western world) to be ridden with one hand and with a drape in the rein, not dressage-type contact.
I have not read the rules but this is a broken 3 piece mouth which I understand you can ride 2 hands in western dressage. I had got this bit for a western pleasure class and was going to have to ride with one hand and she seems to be responding well with one hand or 2. At this point though showing in anything is far from my mind. Just trying to get it worked out.
I was using a french link brass thick bit, tried a couple of different Mylar Drings with a few different mouth pieces, one bing the 34 and I also tried a happy mouth 3 piece Boucher bit. I do have a hard rubber mullen mouth I may try that I used to train her to drive in.
Someone has to say it…get in the habit of wearing a helmet.
Sometimes thinking “look at the sky” or “boobs up” works better than “lean back”.
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Do you have a video of her being driven?
