A Problem with my Hands! *With Pic*

[3Beasties]

I have loads of issues with my riding that I am working on slowly. One problem I have noticed today is my hands.

I hold the reins like I am holding a rolling pin, how can I relax my hand and keep my thumbs on top without having someone to shout at me about it every 2 minutes?

I hadn't noticed the problem till today and it was only whilst I was looking at some piccys that I noticed it, I'm not sure if I do the same when riding my own horse!

Here's a piccy so you can see what I mean

Any ideas?

 

[Angelbones]

Pretend you are carrying two cups of tea and don't want to spill them, thumbs on top!

 

[Scheherezade]

None, but I like your breeches

 

[ngrace]

halt every time you catch yourself..you'll soon get fed up and try harder!

 

[aimeejay]

Have a straight line from your elbow? So your wrist isnt twisted: if that makes sense?

 

[sea_view]

Carry your stick over the top of your hands in your thumbs

 

[JenHunt]

try putting your crop under both thumbs. this helps keep thumbs on top, and helps you ride with what my instructor calls "a pair of hands" instead of them doing totally different things all the time, which makes it more consistent for the horse.

btw, also noticed that you've got one heel down, and one up....

looking good though!

 

[brighthair]

[ QUOTE ]
Carry your stick over the top of your hands in your thumbs

[/ QUOTE ]

This ^^^^ or a wooden spoon!

 

[vicky90]

if you can, place your whip under your thumbs whilst riding.. (it might look a bit odd!) encourages you to keep your thumbs on top! try it every so often, will soon just become natural!

i just noticed others also put this too!

 

[sonjafoers]

My instructor says to imagine you are carrying a tray of drinks and don't want to spill any. I'm not sure it's quite the analogy I would use but I do catch myself thinking about it every now & then when riding and it works!

 

[H's mum]

From that photo I'd say you need to relax your shoulders, bend your elbows and carry your hands - pretend you're carrying two small baby birds in your hands

and concentrate on them - that way you won't absentmindedly forget and flatten your wrists
Kate x

 

[ForeverBroke_]

*notes down*

Need to strike this off my list of crimes too..

 

[Cliqmo]

carry two crops-one in each hand- and tuck the ends under your knees

 

[Colleen_Miss_Tom]

Actually take 2 cups of water, perferably hot, I can guarantee you, you won't turn your hands down again

 

[ForeverBroke_]

[ QUOTE ]
carry two crops-one in each hand- and tuck the ends under your knees

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, now heres an idea. Darcy wouldn't half move himself at last...

 

[3Beasties]

Thank you, lots of great ideas here, I'll have to put them into practice tomorrow!


BrambleandMonty - Thanks

They are Tally Ho ones I think, I live in them, they are actually beginning to wear out in places which could cause a lot of embarrassment

Jenhunt -

I'll save the heel problem for another day

H's Mum - My shoulders are actually quite a problem for me, when I'm schooling I get really bad pains in my shoulders, especially my left one as I am so tense (but not tense because I'm scared/nervous, I just struggle to relax)

FB -

 

[3Beasties]

[ QUOTE ]
Actually take 2 cups of water, perferably hot, I can guarantee you, you won't turn your hands down again

[/ QUOTE ]

Love that Idea

Although in this weather cold water may be better as I would probably try harder not to spill that!

 

[ester]

I was going to suggested iced water

I had similar problems, and sore shoulders used to become very fixed. I can categorically say that what helped me was to think bending elbows and lifting hands higher than I thought, thinking right poncy dressage rider

And to every so often roll my shoulders back round to make sure they stayed relaxed.

 

[cellie]

My old instructor always told me to pretend i was holding a tray

 

[Echo Bravo]

I have the same problem with stiff neck and back on right side, so I tend to collapse on the left side, realised I do this driving and in bed as I have a very bad back, so have to mentally and physcally tell myself to relax and I do it in stages and it does work.
I was always taught to think you had 2 soft rubber balls in your hands and gentle squeeze each in turn and you will find that your thumbs stay on top and your wrist stay soft.
My problem now is that my finger joints are so stiff that I cann't close my grip on the reins at all, so the rubber ball method helps me in a lot of ways.
so hope this helps you

 

[3Beasties]

JR - That sounds very similar to me, I feel like I have the body of a 60 year old with all the stiffness and pain I have

Will practice with 'rubber balls' tomorrow!

 

[Sarajane]

I recently read an article on Pilates and riding that helped a lot with shoulders back and down. Rather than thinking of shoulders back, think of the movement starting at your sternum, to open the chest - this causes the shoulders to go back naturally. Instead of shoulders down rotate your shoulders back from the arm socket, thinking of the movement starting in your armpit - if that make sense.

Having done this a couple of times as I was trying to describe it, I realised that it also caused my hands to turn thumbs up so hope it helps

 

[brucea]

Hey - why get stressed about it - if it is comfortable for you then why worry? Who says thumb on top is right anyway? Your hands don't naturally rest like that!

Looks like your shoulders are carrying some tension and maybe you're gripping with yourlegs so you're "bracing" so try to breathe out and relax into the saddle - it's no fun for the horse carrying a tense, wooden rider!

I hardly hold my reins, often only with one hand, and keep my hands open all the time - just have rein in cleft of thumb mostly (and I have a light relaxed horse because I'm not holding on to his head too!

 

[Pedantic]

What they all said.

 

[Echo Bravo]

Oh Yuk!! I'm 61 tomorrow and I thought I was doing so well with the aches and pains and hot water bottles??. Just take riding as you find it, like me some days are good and others are rotten, afraid life's like that, nothing is perfect.