Any tips for softening at the elbow?

[arwenplusone]

When I am riding, if I am concentrating hard I tend to have a tense elbow (and sometimes shoulder too)
Now, I can rectify this by really thinking about it & by looking at my hands, but does anyone have any good tips to try and help me soften a bit?

Thanks

 

[Cop-Pop]

I used to hold myself rigid at one point (result of very bad instructor). I found lessons on the lunge helped doing all those arm exercises you do as kids and also riding with a whip in each hand held at the mid point so I could always see what my hands were doing without looking at them

 

[arwenplusone]

Thanks Zalacca. I did wonder whether the whip thing would work, years ago I had an instructor who made me ride with a whip horizontally across both hands. So I can try that again.
Sometimes I absorb too much of the horse's movement in my hands, rather than my elbows, iyswim.

 

[Louby]

Im the same and am having awful trouble softenning and raising my forearm. My instructor once gave me two plastic wine glasses full of water and made me ride round with one in each hand (as well as my reins) and I wasnt to spill any water. Needless to say I ended up with nearly empty glasses

. It did get me thinking about it and made me realise just how bad my arms were.

 

[Kenzo]

Stop what you doing half way though your schooling, have a stretch, jiggle your arms about and shake the tension off to loosen you off a bit, only for a few minutes (you might look a bit strange lol) along with some breathing exercises then commence your riding again, it does work, you'll feel like a huge weight is off your arms.

The more you think about about trying to relax your elbows the more stiffer they will become or you will become stiff through your wrists.

 

[kit279]

Shoulders back, chest out and look up. The act of drawing back the shoulders relaxes the arms. Also a good one if you're inclined to fiddle with the wrists and hands is to ride with a pair of those rollerblading stiff wristguards that mean you can only move your fingers and elbows not your wrists up and down. I'd probably only do this on a well behaved horse though.

 

[Flibble]

I have problems with this too when I try the whip thing I tense even more.

Kenzo can I please book you to be my conscience I am finding your responses very focussing!

 

[oofadoofa]

A good moisturiser?

 

[legend]

Have you tried riding with your reins upside down?
(Sorry that sounds really silly, but i can't think how to explain it without being able to demonstrate!)

 

[Inchy]

try getting some tape (stuff footballers etc use for injuries) And tape down the inside of your elbow with your elbow in a relaxed position...if you begin to straighten you elbows too much the tape pulls at the little hairs on the inside of your arm reminding you to bend your elbows!

That way if you're doing it right you don't feel anything and if you're not it tugs...then you dont have to concentrate on it 100% of the time.

 

[millitiger]

do rising trot and really think of opening the elbow joint as you rise and shutting it as you sit- this has worked wonders for lots of people i teach