Riding Tip: How much supporting leg to use
It can be very confusing when learning dressage, how much of a supporting leg you need on at all times when riding. Some riders grip constantly and their horse either freaks out or learns to ignore them. Other riders have very little contact and there are probably millions of riders in between. I liken the contact you have with the outside rein to the contact you have with your legs. It should be present and active, not holding or gripping and it shouldn’t drop the horse.
I call your leg contact an “active leg”. Imagine how your legs would feel if you were a boxer, dancing around the ring waiting for your opponent to make a move. Your legs wouldn’t be filled with tension, nor would they be slack. They would be energised and light ready to take action in an instant. This is the same feeling you should have while riding dressage, you should have contact with your horse through your legs and your legs should have an energy about them, or a quiet excitement, ready to provide an aid to the horse at any moment. This does not imply you nag your horse with a constantly moving leg, rather your leg is quiet but activated. Not only does this type of leg contact encourage the horse by transfering energy, but it also more accurately allows you to judge if your horse has enough activity behind. When your horse is on the move, you expect him to flex his hocks and lift his back, you expect him to be able to turn in an instant while still staying in a frame, this means his whole body needs to be poised and ready, in other words “active”. You should expect no less of yourself.
Give this some thought next time you ride and you might find that your horse has more GO than you thought! If you don’t feel like you get any response be sure to always be ready with a follow up aid like a whip or spur to reinforce the leg if your horse is still learning to take you seriously. Once you are consistent with your approach and keep an “active leg” you shouldn’t have to ride with artificial aids on a regular basis.
