I was just introduced to dressage about a year ago, and have started getting into it and am interested in improving the multiple things I know I'm doing wrong! Under a few different instructors, I was under the impression I needed to keep a firm contact with my outside rein and a slightly opening feel with the inside rein, giving multiple half halts with my outside rein as necessary to get the horse's head to come down. Plus a good forward gait to move the horse into your hands, it basically seemed to work, most of the time. Recently a new instructor told me something I've never been told to do: when the horse is sticking her head up in the air and being stiff, halt and take a lot of rein equally in both hands (felt like 8 pounds or so, maybe more?) and just hang on, not moving, not giving in, until the horse starts to chew and eventually drops its head. My horse tried backing up but I just gave a bit of leg. Although it worked after about 35 seconds of holding firm, it felt kind of drastic. Why have I never heard of this as a way of getting a horse "round" or at least getting her to accept the bit more and not stick her head in the air - what is the right way? Thanks for any help - my next lesson with this guy is tomorrow morning and I wanted to be more prepared!