Outline?

[waffles]

Hi,

whats the difference between a horse being on the bit, and the horse being in an outline?

my RI is helping me to keep a contact in trot, and through transitions, because thats when i fall to pieces ;D

in walk, and canter i am fine, and although i stick my toes out, i can manage to keep a contact, but in trot (particualrly rising trot) i can't - i just find myself concentrating on too many other things, so i leave my reins long and loose.


i'm not sure of the correct terminology, but my instructor has been asking us to get the horses working through the kind quarters, and in a curved outline.

to do this, i have been keeping my outside rein, and "feeling" down my inside rein, (like rolling my wrists, etc) , whilst using the inside leg. am i doing this right?


the horse i am now riding is a 15.3hh cob, who is very strong, and likes to do his own thing! he's also got a very bouncy trot.
any advice on how i can get him to soften to me, because at the moment he is only beginning to go on an outline towards the end of the lesson, in walk, and canter.


any advice/critique wanted!

i will try and get my instructer to take some pictures of me riding tonight


thankyou - and i hope what i said makes sense! ;D

xxx

[hazelin]

Hi Waffles sorry I can't help you but I hope someone else can because this is something that I am always puzzled about too!

[waffles]

Haha - thanks me too!

[maximum]

there is no difference - they both mean the same - I prefer the 'outline' bit as it relates to the whole horse rather than 'on the bit' which tends to think of just the front end!

so many people concentrate on the front ens - pulling the nose in and the back end is trailing out! the horse has to enagage the hind leg and round the whole body rather than just the nose being in.
The horse should reach for the contact which should be elastic and allowing - think of the hands as an extension of the seat - you ride from the leg and seat forward to the hand - the horse will be through when it swings its quarters and pushs through from the hindleg. soft calfs and think swing and soft! lots of half halts will help!

[racaille]

After years of lessons I've only just fund out WHY a horse needs to be in an outline - my new RI told me and it all makes sense. I can't believe I didn't know something as basic as that

[brigadier]

Dont you think that is the case with lots of riding-isms though- we simply accept that we should do something but miss the why? How many people know why a horse if first schooled on a 20m circle for example, or why we ride on certain diagonals, or why the half halt is the most important exercise in flatwork? But when it all slots into place its fabulous.