I wish that I would have understood sooner than I did. I WAS taught to do "forward" hh. I THOUGHT I was doing it. But I wasn't giving enough/giving in a manner that allowed the horse to telescope out. And yes, this DOES need to be taught to a horse; the following the hand. If the horse is posed, there is no recycling of energy, even if the horse looks correct. There needs to be a fluidity to contact that allows for fluidity in the rest of the horse. I'm now into this course correction for a week/week and a half. The horses that Andrea trains understand this and I've been having the best rides ever on them. My horse, who loves to pose and duck, I'm having a hard time because I'm teaching him what to do with the rein when I take a feel and then give forward. It's easier in the trot somehow than in the canter - the canter feels like his neck is stuck on - but I'm having moments where I give and he telescopes, so it'll get there.
So, in it's infancy - the trot is going from this:
![M1.jpg](./download/file.php?id=2707)
- M1.jpg (222.85 KiB) Viewed 21323 times
![M2.jpg](./download/file.php?id=2708)
- M2.jpg (252.2 KiB) Viewed 21323 times
To this:
![M3.jpg](./download/file.php?id=2709)
- M3.jpg (234.8 KiB) Viewed 21323 times
It's not a huge change, but it's not stuck. The movement is a bit different, a bit rounder, and when he is following the hand, his nose comes out by about 3 inches, I think you can see that it's more uphill as well. He does have a short, very thick neck, so I need all the length I can get.
Basically, I lift up the bit, add a bit of energy, and give forward with my hand, over and over until I feel him take the rein out, like fish on the line. If you've ever fished, it's not the feel after you set the line and start reeling in, it's when you first feel you have a bite, and the line goes out a bit. Then I check it back to me to maintain the balance (so that it doesn't fall downhill), and I repeat process. (The check back is more in my seat than anything I'm doing with my hands).