Hi Robyn, >>>it's suggested to do a "signal-and-release" when giving cues w/ the neck ring. However, this seems like the release would be rewarding the horse for "not doing anything", as opposed to asking lightly and holding pressure, releasing when there's a response.
Good question. Horses actually reflexively respond to release and lean into pressure. One of the laws of physics. If you just hold with the neck ring you will trigger the lean, when horses are driven they lean into the collar or breastcollar which is why they pull, you don't want to trigger the same thing with the neck ring. Mostly you ride with the neck ring using signals from your seat, legs and body and the neck ring is loose around the base of the horse's neck. You can just add the signal from the neck ring to either turn or stop. With a very upright horse - like many Arabs and TB's I find that just the thought of the contact with the neck ring and they respond. With horses with a lower neck set or who are heavy on the forehand then it is most important in how you give the signals with the neckring to avoid them falling or leaning into it. IMO the hold until the horse gives or you are rewarding them is one strangest things to me. When you give a horse a signal with your leg to move forward, it is actually on the release, not the squeeze, that a horse reflexively moves forward and I see lots of horses get really stuck from constant pressure. When you ask something, like a horse to move over with you hand, they reflexively move into the pressure (opposition reflex), if you ask and then release they generally comply. If you watch Icelandics play the opposition reflex is what keeps them from generally getting hurt as when one pushes the other pushes back, as long as they are both pushing no one can get kicked. Hope this makes sense to you. Robyn Icelandic Horse Farm Robyn Hood & Phil Pretty Vernon BC Canada www.icefarm.com
