The low wide oxer exercise teaches the horse many valuable lessons! They learn how to 'bascule' and truly use their body to stretch easily across fences with width. This gives the horse enormous confidence in his ability to handle wide obstacles. Learn how to safely introduce this concept here!
"Contact doesn't only refer to the hands, reins, and bit, but to the whole rider. A rider must give the horse contact through his entire seat. This means that his legs must lay gently against the horse's body, his seat must be balanced and supple,
Thinking about steering your horse from the middle of his body rather than his nose will help you to keep all of his body parts under control.
When schooling a green horse through any complex where the last element is a tricky jump (skinny, angle, corner, etc), it is smart, if possible, to school the last element first. This will set you up for success as you then jump through the whole complex, as your horse will
"When you relax your arms and feel the reins softly you need to feel that your horse wants to step into the contact. If you do not then he is behind your leg and seat." ~ Yvonne Barteau