Hand woes

[Sprat]

I’m sure this has been done to death but can anyone give me any tips to keeps my hands from bobbing up and down in trot?

My mare isn’t the steadiest in the contact when tense, (often tense when out competing) and the contact goes a bit brittle, and my hands flap about like they have a mind of their own.

I go to the gym 2-3 times a week and at least one session is solely core work, but I don’t seem to be progressing in my position and riding as much as I would like.

Any experts on how to have Charlotte hands??

 

[Shay]

Stable lower leg and core? Your hands can't be still if your body is tense. What about things like standing in your stirrups (as in bolt upright) at trot and canter?

 

[BBP]

Agree with the core stability work, hands move a lot if you are unwittingly using a ‘contact’ to stabilise yourself, similarly if you are trying to use your hands to work or fiddle the horse down into a contact (not saying you do but those are things I used to be guilty of!).

For me the biggest visualisation thing that helped me create a nicer contact was to imagine that the rein is connected to hooks on my elbows. Unless you are doing a full on chicken impression it is very hard to faff around with your elbows the way we do with our hands! If the rein is attached to the elbow then all the give etc comes from the shoulder joint. For some reason this mental image for me has helped me to lift my hands out of my crotch and stopped me fiddling with the reins in my fingers and wrists. Added to that I then picture being Charlotte or Carl! It sounds silly but visualisation can really help!

 

[eggs]

A balance strap can also help whilst you retrain your body to keep your hands stiller. This is a short strap that attaches to the D rings at the front of your saddle. You can hook it under your little fingers which will stop your hands wandering too much.

 

[daffy44]

When your hands move like that, it just shows that you dont yet have an independant seat. Strengthening your core is a brilliant help, I'd also try and find someone to lunge you without reins, it will really help you realise how much you are using your hands for balance, and then you can wean yourself off that need.

 

[Farma]

When your hands move like that, it just shows that you dont yet have an independant seat. Strengthening your core is a brilliant help, I'd also try and find someone to lunge you without reins, it will really help you realise how much you are using your hands for balance, and then you can wean yourself off that need.

This ^^^ lunge lessons, as many as you can afford, on different horses if you can

The gym helps but nothing strengthens a rider like riding does, you need to have you reins and stirrups taken away to develop your independent seat!

 

[Sprat]

Thanks all, I had a horrible feeling the best option was going to be stirrup free work. I hate it! However, clearly if I want to improve its the way to go. Wish me luck, hopefully I won’t bounce off the side and eat dirt!

 

[flying_high]

Thanks all, I had a horrible feeling the best option was going to be stirrup free work. I hate it! However, clearly if I want to improve its the way to go. Wish me luck, hopefully I won’t bounce off the side and eat dirt!

To me your response tells me it is exactly what you need. It does get easier and easier without stirrups if you chip away at it, little and often. Warm horse up, do a bit of schooling, get horse going. Take stirrups away, make sure have a good grab strap / handle / breastplate / mane / neck strap where need it. Ride as normal schooling until lack of fitness means you are too compromised to school well. Take stirrups back and carry on schooling.

I can also recommend occasional hacking / schooling in bareback suede pad with good grab strap attached to improve seat and balance.

Start with 30 seconds every time ride (without stirrups) and build each time ride. Will become easy.

 

[JFTDWS]

Thanks all, I had a horrible feeling the best option was going to be stirrup free work. I hate it! However, clearly if I want to improve its the way to go. Wish me luck, hopefully I won’t bounce off the side and eat dirt!

Says it all really Learn to love it. Solicit it at every opportunity. Build up, build your seat and your balance until having no stirrups is just as pleasant as having them!

(I'm not a hypocrite - on my most established horse, I will often remove them from my saddle for a week - hacking, jumping and schooling )

I also advocate riding one handed, having your reins taken away on the lunge, and if your horse is reasonably sensible, trying silly games like carrying things / cups of water and not spilling them. Not very dressage-y, but there's a reason why kids do mounted games (and similar sports).

 

[Sprat]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I’m going to crack on and start tomorrow.

A friend has a bareback pad that she can lend me, slightly apprehensive but will give it a go.

Hacking stirrupless I would definitely die as mare is sharp as a knife out on the road and not a fan of vehicles, but I’ll start during arena work.

Out of interest, what do you recommend for amounts of time a week to ride with no sitrrups?

 

[Mule]

This can happen if your elbows aren't bent enough.

 

[JFTDWS]

Out of interest, what do you recommend for amounts of time a week to ride with no sitrrups?

Start small - even doing your walking off without stirrups is better than nothing - and build up.

How much you should do really depends on how balanced you are, how strong, fit and established your horse is, and exactly what you're doing. Walking, I'd say as much as you like, but trot / canter work definitely needs to be built up for the sake of the horse's back, and I would limit it to small bursts if the horse is young / not established or has any issues.

Not quite the same, but when I've had saddle issues, my oldest horse has done six / seven hours a week of bareback hacking and schooling a week (but he is very fit, works at a fairly decent level and is a solid, robust - if ridiculously melodramatic and spooky to hack - type)..

 

[flying_high]

Thanks for the helpful replies, I’m going to crack on and start tomorrow.

A friend has a bareback pad that she can lend me, slightly apprehensive but will give it a go.

Hacking stirrupless I would definitely die as mare is sharp as a knife out on the road and not a fan of vehicles, but I’ll start during arena work.

Out of interest, what do you recommend for amounts of time a week to ride with no sitrrups?

I've two horses, and school each about 3 times week, and try and do 3 sessions without stirrups or briefly bareback with pad. If your fitness and balance means you tire after a few minutes, I'd do it every schooling session for your comfort level. What I wouldn't do it make it too long in trot and canter, as I find I tire and stop being able to ride properly and fairly, and so I stop before I become unfair to the horse.

My yard school is a short hack, so if I am going to lunge, I ride down with bareback pad, ride few laps school, dismount and lunge, then ride back.

Don't take risks though, you know your horse, and what is safe, and make sure have good hanging on strap that is in right place for you.