Maz55
Well-Known Member
Hi Im really struggling to maintain bent elbows/keeping elbows into my sides and keeping both hands shoulders elbows equal - any tips please?
We were working this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, on symmetry and balance. The instructor put a lot of emphasis on holding the reins right in the palm of the hand, and maintaining light, even tension, even if the horse held it's head off to one side.
I was on a horse that never needs a crop, so to get the feel of the reins, I tucked my crop under my arm, and the instructor commented on this being a good way of making sure that my elbow was tucked in.
I agree with Cortez that the hand come from a stable seat and work without irons will help with that
One tip I was given, many years ago, was to hold your hands as if carrying two coffee cups,(helps to keep thumbs on top and elbows in), the other thing is to carry your hands up, rather than letting them drop. I agree with Cortez that the hand come from a stable seat and work without irons will help with that
Hi Im really struggling to maintain bent elbows/keeping elbows into my sides and keeping both hands shoulders elbows equal - any tips please?
I agree with Cortez too. You need to be able to absorb the horse's movement properly so that everything can free up. If you focus too hard on clamping your elbows to your side etc it's just going to add tension.
Going to share a couple of photos.... please don't crucify me I'm still a work in progress and the second photo was 3 years ago now. 1st photo 8 years ago when I first got Granny and hadn't sat on a horse consistently for several years. As you will see my hands were shocking for ending up somewhere near my knees, I didn't seem to have any control over this. It wasn't until I sorted my seat out that they got better. I got lessons with an instructor who focuses on the seat and who had endless buckets of patience! 2nd photo is the sit phase of a rising trot so my shoulders are slightly forward and my seat is far from perfect anyway BUT I hope it illustrates. The better (again, not perfect) hands came as part of the package of better seat and balance not through a quick fix...
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