Can I have one of your left hands please?

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Hovis_and_SidsMum

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I can trade for a dodgy left knee, a bu**ered right ankle or a weak jointed right wrist?!!

Had a fab lesson on sunday in which I have finally realised that when I quit giving my outside rein away with my left hand my horse does actually go very very nicely. Miraculously when someone is shouting at me to stop giving it away, a lot of his balance issues on the right rein vanish too. Funny that....... :(

In fairness my YO (and instructor) did get on the beast for 10 minutes first to get him going and then beasted me until i was nearly dead, I don't know who was blowing harder - me or Hovis! The Destroyer however worked the entire session in an outline, engaging his hinds and generally proving that for a big hairy beast he can look rather impressive (if very unimpressed). Unlike me who looked like a tomato with legs......

So how the heck to i control my left hand? When I get it right all of our issues come together. However I cannot take Boss lady S with me everywhere i go screaming "outside rein, outside leg" at me!

Anyone want to give me theirs?
 
I have a daemonic left hand that comes back towards me and "Jabs" the horse.
I just have to concentrate very hard on it! Literally sit there and every few strides I check my hand is still. I Keep both hands together and level in a little imaginary box, that helps me :D
 
Are you slipping the rein or chucking your arm forwards?

If the former get a brightly coloured elastic hairband and put it round the rein at a sensible length and don't let it get too far in front of your hand, if the latter get a couple of feet of elastic and attach it to the belt loops at the lhs of your jods and slip your left arm through it up to the elbow, make it long enough so you can't feel it when your arm is in the right place but it tugs if your arm moves forwards.
 
I have a balance strap across my D rings and I slip my little finger into it if I get conscious that my hand is starting to flap. Its very unobtrusive and I'm told its dressage legal!
 
oo jt. I like the elastic to belt loop idea. I give away my outside hand on both sides OP. Gah. What is that all about? Not even one good one?! I don't slip the rein. I let my arm get pulled straight. If I can manage to keep hold of it I can get my horse going quite nicely but I also have to be shouted at continually to manage it :(
 
jesstickle said:
oo jt. I like the elastic to belt loop idea. I give away my outside hand on both sides OP. Gah. What is that all about? Not even one good one?! I don't slip the rein. I let my arm get pulled straight. If I can manage to keep hold of it I can get my horse going quite nicely but I also have to be shouted at continually to manage it :(
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In your case you need a longer length of elastic, tied into a loop, across your back with both your elbows hooked through it!
 
Hovis_and_SidsMum said:
I slip the rein. It creeps like a creeping thing until i have very little in my left had from a contact perspective. My hands are still its just my grip on the left one seems pathetic.
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I'm inclined to do that on both sides, in my case comes from riding a nutty welsh who had hysterics if you had any sort of contact. Another thing to try is webbing reins so you feel the loops go through your hands.
 
In fairness BH is very good at persuading people he needs lot and lots of rein. He is a liar. He doesn't and my RI totally has the measure of him so when she's there it's fine. When I'm on my own he somehow persuades me that I've got too firmer a hold on him. Cheeky sod. If I do make an effort to shorten my reins up that's when he pulls my elbow straight. Grr.
 
Ah, then you need markers on your reins AND elastic behind your back! Set the markers when instructor there with you.

*wanders off looking for further helpful suggestions to be made, this time preferably involving duct tape, WD40 and/or sticky backed plastic*
 
Hovis has a habit of locking onto your hands and then dropping very gradually through his right shoulder, turning his head slightly pulling the rein out of your left hand.
I am naturally right hand dominant and my left leg is weak due to a jiggered left knee so my outside control of anything on the right rein is appauling.
 
Hovis_and_SidsMum said:
I slip the rein. It creeps like a creeping thing until i have very little in my left had from a contact perspective. My hands are still its just my grip on the left one seems pathetic.
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What about some of those multi coloured rubber reins so that you can see easily at a glance whether you are holding them in the right place and equally. They have some for some of the riding school horses at the yard where I'm at livery and the instructor can tell someone to hold the red section and make sure both hands are in the red section etc.

Is it psychological or genuine poor grip? Might different reins help? Maybe webbing ones with the stitched grips or some laced ones would help. Or try thicker or thinner reins or half rubber rather than full rubber. Or a change of gloves......
 
KristmasKatt said:
Is it psychological or genuine poor grip?
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Its psychological. Theres nothing wrong with my left hand i just seem to feel the need to have a really bad contact. Of course on the left rein that softness in the hand works fine as i hold him with my right hand. On the right rein I'm unbalancing him and letting him get away with not working correctly.
As my instructor screamed at me the other day - "you have to ride both sides of him to get him to work correctly!!"
 
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