Hands

Hands Hands should be vertical to the ground, thumbs on top. The reins should be held snugly between your thumb and forefinger. The rest of your hand should be closed on the reins in a relaxed fist. Hands should not be any further apart than the width of the horse's mouth (approx. 5"). Hands should be quiet, light and still.

Self carriage and lightness can only be achieved when the horse feels free to move forward with no backward pulling from your hands. When you ask your horse to go forward the fist should be relaxed, when you ask the horse to halt the fist should be closed more tightly and once the horse has halted should immediately be relaxed again.

When you have gained the horse's trust he will begin to gently chew the bit.

Errors Seesawing, alternating rein control, or what ever else you want to call it, is the most horrible thing that you can do. It causes the horse's head to wag back and forth and weakens the neck muscles until finally the horse has a hollow just ahead of the withers. It tells the horse to go right , left, right, left which doesn't allow him to be on balance and move straight forward. The horse's gaits will start to move in a staggering way, and may begin pacing, ambling, and performing other unnatural gaits. Your horse may become explosive, out of frustration, with such crude handling of the reins. Yes, it will cause the horse's nose to come down to the vertical for awhile - - instant success long term failure.

Holding too much pressure on the reins will cause the horse to lean into your hands, and pretty soon you will find that you are carrying the horse's head around the ring complaining (or thinking) that your horse is heavy. Pulling creates pulling; one force creates another. You can not outpull a horse. You can outsmart a horse if you are aware enough not to let him lean on your hand from the very beginning.

Light hands, light horse. Heavy hands, heavy horse. It really is up to you as a rider. You may have to be very alert and pay very close attention to your horse until the habit of lightness is well established.

Holding your hands with your palms down (as if you were playing the piano) causes your hands to be hard. Bending your wrist inward is also a very tense position and will cause resistance in your horse.

Hands should be held in a straight line to the horse's mouth. Your elbow, forearm, wrist, hand form a straight line through the reins to the horse's mouth. Hands held too high will cause the horse to pull down. Hands too low will cause the horse to pull up, against the downward pulling.

In future sessions I will discuss correct hand and rein position for the movement that you are doing.

Lighten Up