Giant horse and washing line reins

[slumdog]

I rode today and it felt like I could ride 'properly' for the first time (as in- I wasn't just bobbing about on top lol!) my lower left leg is generally weak and sometimes it just does what it wants but I felt strong enough to canter for the first time without it hurting. Giant horse was brilliant, his walk and trot is good but his canter felt a bit flat and he wasn't really working into the bridle, he tends to slip the reins through my fingers without me realising, resulting in washing line reins. Does anyone else have this problem? He's 17hh and I'm 5'3 so I feel like if I have a short contact I'm tipping forward and the he slowly pulls the reins through my fingers and before I realise it I can't keep him between my hand and leg and he starts to look like an old goat. I'll be getting lessons in a couple of weeks but just wondered if anyone had any words of wisdom? He's very soft mouthed and fussy which doesn't help

Oh and my new dressage saddle is the comfiest place I've ever parked my bottom! I love it goodbye hard as a rock jumping saddle!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Glad you had a good session, its lovely when things start to fall into place with the horse you're riding.
Regarding the reins being pulled from your grip; lock the reins between your thumb and your forefinger. This prevents the horse from yanking the reins through your hands. The ring finger and little finger are the communicators and remain soft and fluid.

 

[WindyStacks]

I'm a horror for this - I feel like I've just slipped an inch and before I know it - washing lines. I've started riding without gloves - of I let the reins slip my fingers are red raw and bleeding - if I keep contact they're ok. Maybe a bit harsh though!

 

[slumdog]

Glad you had a good session, its lovely when things start to fall into place with the horse you're riding.
Regarding the reins being pulled from your grip; lock the reins between your thumb and your forefinger. This prevents the horse from yanking the reins through your hands. The ring finger and little finger are the communicators and remain soft and fluid.

That's a good idea thanks, they're rubber grip reins but not very grippy so I may invest in a 'stickier' pair as well but I'll try this.

I'm sure you all know but in case anyone hasn't seen my posts, I broke my leg quite badly 7 weeks ago hence the weakness and the floppy lower leg problem, but I'm getting there

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Ah, silly me, I didn't know about your leg. I do sympathise about riding with a disobedient leg though. After an op to repair my leg, I resorted to strapping my stirrup to the girth with a velcro tie to stop my blooming leg doing its own thing.
You seem to be making good progress though, hope you get back to full strength soon.

 

[Mike007]

Ahh , The good old"big horse,short arms syndrome". How to give and take rein (in sufficient quantities ) when you are a shortarse! I know this well. My best tip is to keep your hands wide , if you suddenly need to give a lot of rein ,eg over a fence , simply bringing them in will add about 3 inches before you do anything else.

 

[Lolo]

If you find your reins slipping, it can be useful to mark on the reins where you feel you should be holding them with leccy tape: it's a good visual reminder that your reins have slipped, so you can adjust quicker and you also get more used to the level of hold you need to maintain the contact.

 

[dominobrown]

I am 5'3 and my horse is also 17hh so I know how it feels.
However just to look at it from another point of view, if you feel like you are having the reins pulled out of your hands and you have to 'hold' him together to stay round then you have a problem.
It is impossible of someone of 'our' stature to hold a horse together, and incorrect. Your horse needs to develop 'lightness' and self carriage. Just because a horse is big doesn't mean he has to feel heavy or strong in the hand. You should never feel like you are playing tug a war in dressage, or the horse is leaning or pulling.
My horse was previously ridden by a 6ft man who held him together, and I found him impossible to ride.
I have worked on lightness on myself i.e sitting light and being light in the hand. Now I am not saying no contact, but I can ride him with one finger on the reins and he stays round and 'up'.
I have a classical trainer who had a 19hh horse doing psg dressage and the rider was the same stature as me. I would recommend lessons with a trainer who could help develop lightness, self carriage and a correct way of going. The fact he is fussy in the mouth would be an indicator that he isn't really 'through' or understanding the contact correctly.

Basically what I am trying to say is if you feel like you need to 'hold' or 'pull' the horse together you are onto losing battle, so don't even start it. He is looking to you to make life easy for him and 'carry' him, but it is not possible!

 

[slumdog]

I am 5'3 and my horse is also 17hh so I know how it feels.
However just to look at it from another point of view, if you feel like you are having the reins pulled out of your hands and you have to 'hold' him together to stay round then you have a problem.
It is impossible of someone of 'our' stature to hold a horse together, and incorrect. Your horse needs to develop 'lightness' and self carriage. Just because a horse is big doesn't mean he has to feel heavy or strong in the hand. You should never feel like you are playing tug a war in dressage, or the horse is leaning or pulling.
My horse was previously ridden by a 6ft man who held him together, and I found him impossible to ride.
I have worked on lightness on myself i.e sitting light and being light in the hand. Now I am not saying no contact, but I can ride him with one finger on the reins and he stays round and 'up'.
I have a classical trainer who had a 19hh horse doing psg dressage and the rider was the same stature as me. I would recommend lessons with a trainer who could help develop lightness, self carriage and a correct way of going. The fact he is fussy in the mouth would be an indicator that he isn't really 'through' or understanding the contact correctly.

Basically what I am trying to say is if you feel like you need to 'hold' or 'pull' the horse together you are onto losing battle, so don't even start it. He is looking to you to make life easy for him and 'carry' him, but it is not possible!

You are spot on, if I don't constantly have him in a contact with my leg on then he looses any form of outline and becomes a giraffe. He's an ex-racehorse and he has been nicely re-schooled but he is quite weak still. I should be starting my lessons with him in a couple of weeks so hopefully that will help. I think you are right in that he's expecting me to hold him, it's only the third time I've ridden him as well so we're still getting used to each other but he has a nice attitude so hopefully with some lessons it'll improve us both no end.

 

[Batgirl]

If you find your reins slipping, it can be useful to mark on the reins where you feel you should be holding them with leccy tape: it's a good visual reminder that your reins have slipped, so you can adjust quicker and you also get more used to the level of hold you need to maintain the contact.

This or I got some continental reins (the ones with little tabs all they way down) they really helped me to hold the right length.

 

[anna22]

I'm a horror for this - I feel like I've just slipped an inch and before I know it - washing lines. I've started riding without gloves - of I let the reins slip my fingers are red raw and bleeding - if I keep contact they're ok. Maybe a bit harsh though!

I have the same problem - regularly get chastised throughout both jumping and dressage lessons about the length of my reins, I don't even notice them slipping, my instructor told me to grip them like a vice (which is bad for normal people) but she said it may help me actually keep my reins from turning into washing lines....
Am still struggling! lol x