Contact in dressage: learn it step by step

What is contact really?

Contact means that your horse walks with steady, soft contact on the reins — not evading, not leaning, but seeking the hand. The energy you create with your leg flows through your horse's body forward and is calmly collected by your hand. Good contact feels like a weight of approximately 200 to 300 grams per rein — comparable to half a cup of coffee. If it is more, your horse is leaning on the hand. If there is nothing to feel, then he is avoiding contact.

The three pillars of correct contact

Before you work on contact, it is important that three basic components are in order:

• Seat and relaxation: a tense rider does not give an honest signal
• Activity from the leg: contact begins at the hindquarters, not at the hand
• Chewing, relaxed mouth: a horse that grinds or holds its mouth open is tense
• Even rhythm in all gaits: irregularity makes contact impossible
• Straightness: a crooked back results in uneven contact

Building contact step by step

Start on the lunge line or in walk without reins to let your horse first loosen up and walk straight. Then take up the reins with a soft fist — thumb up, pinky inward. Ask your horse with light leg aids to step forward and wait until he seeks soft contact with your hand. Do not pull or hold: establish contact and let your horse respond to it. This process takes some combinations two weeks, others six months. Be patient and consistent.

Common mistakes with contact

• Holding too hard: horse goes behind the bit or no longer tolerates it
• Reins too long: no contact, horse walks loose ahead of itself
• Pulling on one rein for bend: leads to imbalance and pain
• Not coordinating aids: leg and hand must work together, not compete
• Wanting too much too soon: pushing toward a round frame without maturity in the back

Exercises that help with development

A few targeted exercises significantly speed up the learning process. Circles of 10 to 15 meters are ideal: they stimulate the inside shoulder and help your horse round through the bend. Also include walking exercises such as shoulder-in — even in a light form — to make contact more even. Transitions (walk-trot, trot-walk) are equally valuable: with each transition you ask your horse for attention and activity. Do 6 to 8 short transitions per ride, and pay attention to what happens with the contact.

Use your horse profile to track progress

Contact develops gradually and it is easy to overlook small improvements. Note in your horse profile in EquiSight after each training what you noticed about the contact: was it even, was there a difference left and right, was your horse more or less tense than last time? This way you build a pattern over weeks that gives insight. EquiCoach can analyze these notes and ask you questions that help you plan more focused training through the calendar.

When do you bring in a trainer?

If the contact does not improve after four to six weeks of focused training, or if your horse regularly opens his mouth, goes above or behind the bit, a second pair of eyes is valuable. A qualified dressage trainer will see in a few minutes whether the problem lies with you or your horse. Sometimes a small adjustment in your seat — such as bringing your hands slightly lower — is enough to improve contact in a single lesson.