In Parelli, as we move into
level 4, and our no longer STRICTLY working on our own development as a
horseman, we can begin to play with the physical development of our
horses. For many, this means contact and collection... and the beginning of our
fourth savvy, Finesse Riding! While with Parelli I have had the privilege of
riding with Linda, and am slowly growing my understanding of the Game of
Contact. I am by NO means an expert (and as a 3* instructor, not certified to
teach finesse ... someday I will be!), but I have SO enjoyed playing with these
revolutionary concepts! As always, Linda and Pat are constantly coming up with
ways to "do the opposite" of the normal world, and make everything a
game, for you AND the horse!
To begin with, if you are
anything like me, some people might want to know, what are the benifits of
collection? Especially in Parelli, we often get into Level 3/4 and can all of a
sudden ride bridless, play at liberty, and communicate with our horses SO well,
why would we want to mess with trying to collect them? Well, some of the main
reasons are that horses can become more balanced, and less anxious, as WELL as
becoming more powerful. In addition, the main thing that stuck out to me in
Linda's descriptions of the benifts of contact is that EVERYTHING is actually
contact of some sort... every time we ask our horses to yield or respond, we
are making that MENTAL connection, and that IS contact. Taking up a feel on the
bit is merely the next more refined step in that. Plus, I dont know about you, but I want to be good enough with horses to be totally and completely accepted by my horse in the most vulnerable place in their bodies.
Linda truly believes that
the game of contact is the "breakthrough in teaching horses and riders to
understand and enjoy riding with contact," and after watching her teach this,
and experimenting on my own, I agree!
As I mentioned before... these are merely just MY own personal
thoughts and explanations from my time studying with Linda, and I am by NO
means an expert! Just consider this my musings :) The Game of Contact comes
down to an attempt to teach horses that the bit is not a barrier; to achieve
the flow of energy that we aim for in classical dressage, the energy must run
circularly, and not hit a wall at the bit... and unfortunately this is often
what happens. Most horses are in some way afraid of the bit, and since we are
touching the most vulnerable part of their body, we as horseman must make an
effort to help them overcome this, thus it comes down to TRUST, just as Walter
Zettle aptly named his series, "A Matter of Trust."
As many of you may have
read, Linda stumbled upon the game of contact, out of an effort to turn contact
into a game for Remmer, and not feel like she needed to PUSH him forward
constantly. She began by taking back on the reins, until Remmer made some form
of an effort to move forward... to take the contact. When he did this, she
released. Thus the game becomes, "if you don't take it, I will."
Another way to think of this is begining by teaching your horse that
"reins mean go" ... hence the bit not being a barrier, and them being
able to move forward through that. This concept of course can be broken down
into "nose, neck, maybe the feet"... Isn't it amazing how it all
relates?!?
The most amazing thing, I
think, about achieving collection this way is that the horse arrives at collection
AS the release! Not as the pressure... and remember, pressure motivates and
release teaches! So how beautiful is it, if your collection is ACTUALLY your
release? Let me tell you, it is an amazing picture to both see, and feel!
