Shannon Peters explains the hands and connection

"Think about closing your upper backline -- when you feel your elbows drop into your hips, you know it's right. That, for collecting your horse, is ultimately important. If you can strengthen that circle of your your body, and strengthen that connection between the hip and elbow, you create a feeling of the horse wanting to collect up underneath you...."

If she hits your hand and she hits this feeling [Shannons hands are lowered and her body erect] she comes right up. If she hits that [hands are raised] and you pick up your hands or you hold a little bit, she'll end up pulling down and against you in the shoulders."

"Anytime they can change our position or pull us out or make us lift our hands and disconnect our elbows from our seat, they start to own the connection more and more and more..."