11/11/2025
Technically explained, contact is the connection between the horse’s mouth and the rider’s hand. However, riding is much more than technicalities as we deal with another living entity.
Riding requires continuous communication with the horse, and for that to occur we have to find a common language with him. Contact is an essential piece of this language, and it goes without saying that respect and confidence are essential elements of good contact. Contact is also reciprocal between horse and rider: The rider can achieve good contact only when the horse feels comfortable and relaxed and moves in good natural balance.
To find correct rein contact and keep a horse framed and on the bit, establish a steady and light rein contact by keeping your hands soft and relaxed, driving the horse forward with your legs, and using the rein aids to guide, not pull.
Riders automatically think of their hands when they hear the word “contact.” But it’s important to be aware that the rider is always keeping contact with the horse through the whole body—not only through the hands, but also through arms, shoulders, hips and down to the heels. It’s also important to remember that suppleness in the rider’s joints is indispensable for good riding.
Hands are only one part of the whole picture.
Establishing contact
Start with a steady leg:
Always use your leg aids to drive the horse forward before using your hand aids.
Your legs create the forward impulsion, and your hands provide the steady connection and direction.
Good contact also requires that the rider’s hands are not always strictly fixed above the withers, but that, to a certain degree, they follow the horse’s natural head–neck movements, which allows the rider to be continuously connected with the horse’s mouth regardless of the posture or frame.
Contact has a lot to do with the feeling of the rider, but there is one simple fundamental rule that everyone should follow: Riding with too much tension in the reins, also referred to as “riding backwards,” is wrong.
The rein length must not prevent the horse from using his neck. However, the rider must take care that the reins are not too long because the connection then becomes imprecise, and the rider might be tempted to pull backward to feel the mouth. Long or loose reins do not automatically produce a soft connection. Good contact is steady, but, from the beginning, as soft and light as possible.
Set the rein length:
Find a rein length that allows for a steady, light contact without being so long that it's imprecise or so short that it prevents the horse from using its neck.
Maintain a soft feel:
Keep your hands soft and relaxed, allowing them to follow the horse's motion. The connection should feel like a "good dance partner," with both parties maintaining equal pressure and giving and taking.
Use pressure and release:
Apply steady pressure, and as soon as the horse responds by flexing at the jaw or reaching forward, release the pressure. The release is the reward, teaching the horse to seek it by softening.
*"Release, don't drop rein contact" means to release pressure by gradually giving ground with your hands instead of completely letting go, and instead of pulling back. A release should be a subtle, soft give of the rein that allows the horse to respond and then gives them space, while the rider maintains a steady, elastic connection. This is a way to communicate, not a lack of control, and should be combined with other aids like the seat and legs.
Frame starts from behind:
The roundness and frame must come from the horse's engine (hindquarters), not from pulling on the reins.
Use leg for impulsion and hand for carriage:
Use your legs to drive the horse forward and your outside rein for steady connection. Use your inside rein with a soft, supple feel to help the horse turn and round its frame.
Correct head position:
If the horse's head is too high, slightly widen your hands to encourage it to lower and drop its jaw to the bit. If the horse is braced, use your legs to keep them moving forward and your hands to apply steady, consistent pressure and then release as they soften.
Encourage suppleness:
Incorporate exercises like lateral flexion (gently bending the horse's head to the side) to supple the neck and promote good contact.
Find a steady rhythm:
A steady rhythm at the walk is crucial for teaching new things and establishing good contact. The horse must be mentally and physically engaged, walking diligently and reacting to the slightest indication from you.
Improving your own aids
Develop an independent seat:
Having a seat and body that is independent from your hands is essential for maintaining a consistent contact.
Use groundwork:
Working the horse from the ground can help separate the rider's body posture and rein pressure from the horse's understanding of the rein aids.
Practice and consistency:
Finding the correct contact and keeping a horse framed and on the bit takes practice. Be consistent with your aids, staying calm and steady, and remember that the horse learns by experiencing your aids repeatedly.
Sometimes, a horse may be inconsistent because it is uncomfortable with the bit. You may want to consult with a professional to ensure you are using the right type of bit for your horse. The correctly fitted tack must not be neglected because ill-fitting equipment can cause a lot of trouble. Regarding contact, the choice and correct fitting of the bit and noseband are of utter importance. If we really believe riding is a conversation with the horse, we will not proverbially “shut the horse up” with a cranked noseband. The combination of the right exercises, the sensitive rider’s hand and an attitude in which the rider absolutely considers the horse as a partner makes closing the horse’s mouth with the help of tools not only dispensable, but despicable. Only a relaxed mouth leads to good contact.
A horse who moves in the right frame—which is a result of the good contact, balance and diligence—is one who expresses calmness and harmony with his rider.
Try this;
https://www.horselistening.com/2015/01/23/try-this-exercise-to-improve-your-rein-contact/
