Now or Never...

So, after many months of going forward with long reins, my horse is sounder than he has ever been and you would not know that he had a neck injury by watching him go. That is the great news and it brings the rehab process to an end. Now the time has come to really see what we have achieved - now he has to re-learn how to accept the contact and move forward into it. It is going to be a slow process because my horse, understandably, is worried that making a connection in the bridle is going to be uncomfortable. I expected to be paranoid about exacerbating the neck injury - however, I have come to the conclusion that I have to gently push through this issue with him at some point if he is going to be a dressage horse. And I have done everything possible from a veterinary and rehab standpoint and he looks better than ever. So, if not now, when?