Re: Was bitting questions NOW contact

[Abby Bloxsom <goneriding@snet.net>]

Tracey wrote:
> 
> I also found that with PG, he wanted me to "hold him" into the strike-off.
> He was using my hands as a fifth leg.  

This is not necessarily bad, for a young or green horse who's learning
the canter depart under saddle, but ONLY AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE, and in
PG's case (an older, schooled horse who'd learned to hang on the bit) it
was clearly cheating.  Using reins for support is okay, but the horse
will then need to be graduated off of them as his strength and
coordination improve.  (Another child development analogy: a toddler
needs to hold your hand AND the railing when first learning to do
stairs.  Later, he'll be able to do the stairs with only the railing but
with you standing by Just In Case.  Eventually, he'll let go of the
railing, and by the time he's twelve he'll be leaping down the staircase
and skipping the whole thing!)

-Ab

-- 
* * *
Abby Bloxsom
ARICP Certified Instructor
Level III Recreational and Distance Riding
Colebrook, CT USA
dearab@horsecom.net
goneriding@snet.net