Helping a new rider- keeps crossing her hands

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browbrow

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Hello all - any ideas all gratefully received !

I have been teaching my pal to ride for just under a year and over the weeks has been going from strength to strength. She is walking, trot, cantering on 20m circles nicely - little jumps and good with no stirrups - had some little gallops on hacks- I am really pleased for her as she started riding with a fear of horses and at the age of 41 - so a late starter compared some some

She has one problem tho and I am unsure of what I can offer her to help. Her right hand ( no matter which rein she is on keeps crossing onto ponies neck - I can sometimes remind her and three sides its back.

I have gotten her to lunge heaps with no stirrups and reins so she knows she cannot rely on reins but she goes straight back to the crossing thing - she has nice hands and does not tug on reins and tries very hard to use her seat to steer so still no idea why she does it!

Explained countless times about why we do no cross them, asked her why she thinks she might do it - she has no idea? Her right side is the weaker side and she is trying so hard on getting strong - yoga and weights

I just don't know what I can do to help her as she s doing fab but this will hold her back - its getting worse so no chance of her growing out of it.

She's such a good dedicated person - I feel like I am failing her ! :-(
 
Bloody hell, whats it matter?

I find my self crossing my hands every now and again, it hasnt killed me yet and it certainly doesnt hold me back!

At 41 she snot going to be having intentions of competeing in the 2012 olypics and is more likly learning to ride to enjoy these majestic animals, in which case id say sod it..

Let it be and let her enjoy the horsexs and you may find that it rights itself.

After all, we cant all be perfect!!

Lou x
 
Really???? So putting the right hand over the left side of the neck isn't too bad? I always thought it was a massive no no - I am not disputing your opinion by the way.

She wants to have her own horse one day - and get to a good level- well she has 12 already but there all race horses of husbands and I got a funny feeling she will end up having one of those if she can as they never sell them on - the all retire no matter what age with them - well at a stud farm the pay to look after em etc...... Lol
 
I do this all the time, didn't even know I was till I started having lessons again. Still do it unless I concsiously think not to!!
 
I have competed elimentry which althought not high is not low either, and i know i cros smy hands at times, and i can honestly say i dont think in has ever effected the signals i give.

The odd cross of the hand, if the reins on a good contact shouldnt do a lot at all.

My opinion tho, and it comes from understanding im not perfect, never will be, im 6ft so tip forwards like it or not, i have soft hands (too soft at times and find myself not 'gripping the reins' and i ride with my legs too far back, and while it can be improved to a degree ill never be perfect lol

Lou x
 
I cross my left over my right occasionally and, like you OP, I consider it a big no no.

My whole left arm from the shoulder down is a complete mess and my Instructer and YO are constantly 'checking' me!

I'd be interested to see what the replies are :)
 
Nailed - your comments are a bit harsh - this member is asking for a way to help her rider, no-one is perfect but she would like help.

Browbrow
When you are teaching her, say to her to check and correct her position before she does anything - for example

"Prepare to go forward to trot rising - Check & correct your position - shorten your reins, tap with your legs and trot on"

Using "Check & Correct" before any instruction gets the pupil into the habit of checking their position.

Also check her rein lengths - is the right rein getting longer, she may be compensating for the extra length by bringing her hand over - again this is where the 'check & correct' helps.

One way I would work with her for a while is to have a thin loose neck strap around the horses neck, get her to pick it up with her little fingers making sure the hands are correctly apart. This will mean that her hands will move as a pair.
 
Like others have said, it's not the end of the world, but you could try asking her to ride like this when schooling to see if she can break the habit?:
840699_f520.jpg

I do it (as I have a bad habit of not carrying my thumbs on top!) and it's quite good fun! I call it the "tea tray" and I have to try and keep it level! :)
 
She's tall too! And soft contact ! So I know she's not doing damage - I just want to help help her sort it as it's not just a bit it's all the time - I'll get her ride western instead lol

Thanks for advice
 
tell her to hold the reins like she is pushing a wheelbarrow! either that or tell her to shove her elbows into her sides/hips (will make her very rigid in upperbody but will stop the crossing) till she gets it better. Maybe try lowering her hands as far as they can go (again putting her into a bad riding position but just till she gets out the habbit)so that she physically cant cross as there is a horses neck in the way...
 
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JustJasper said:
Like others have said, it's not the end of the world, but you could try asking her to ride like this when schooling to see if she can break the habit?:
840699_f520.jpg

I do it (as I have a bad habit of not carrying my thumbs on top!) and it's quite good fun! I call it the "tea tray" and I have to try and keep it level! :)
Click to expand...

I was going to say to try this! I used to do the hands crossing, because I think it made sense to me that of my horse was drifiting inwards, I should bring my inside hand outwards! In reality, all it did was make him bend inwards like a banana and come above the bit massively! Once I'd stopped, it allowed me to encourage him to properly relax through his neck and be straight.

It's like all bad habits though- remind remind remind, and have her ride like this for the first half of each lesson so it's in her mind she can't!
 
Agree with one of the comments above about checking her rein length - on of the most common reasons for crossing the hands over the neck.

Also look for positional faults further along the line. Where does the crossing stem from? The elbow? Shoulder? Twisting the body?
 
Thanks lolo - we do just that - lost of this for first half and a quarter working hard and quarter fun stuff. She really is doing well - just the hands but again I know it's not a huge beef but wondered what others could recommend etc ..... Thanks
 
ruth83 said:
Agree with one of the comments above about checking her rein length - on of the most common reasons for crossing the hands over the neck.

Also look for positional faults further along the line. Where does the crossing stem from? The elbow? Shoulder? Twisting the body?
Click to expand...

Hello Ruth - her movement is just hand - reins same length - it's bizarre - she actually just move her hand over and forward - shoulder elbow stay soft - when she uses her body to turn which she is doing much more and super it does subside a bit.

Its odd x
 
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