Keeping Hands Still - Exercises?

[dressage_diva]

I've been riding for about 14years and owned my horse for 8yrs, but for the last 3years I've been away at Uni and only get to ride him during my holidays. As a result, my position has become pretty bad compared to what it use to be like! We've just started doing affiliated dressage and the judges keep commenting on my hands which are apparentely significantly affecting my horse's way of going and resulting in me not doing him justice any more! I took a video of me riding him the other day and I see what they mean!!! My hands are no longer still when I ride, particularly in trot when they rise with my whole body, but it is evident in all of our paces.

Can anyone recommend any exercises I can do to teach me to ride with still hands again (when I was younger I was always told I had lovely quiet hands!)? The only thing I can think of is for someone to lunge me while I hold two cups of water in my hands!

I have a lesson coming up next week so hopefully my trainer can suggest some ideas, but I'd really like to start working on my hands before then as I'm so embarassed by how much they move!

Thanks

 

[Haniki]

Don't know if this would help but I used to have to ride with my riding crop horizontally across the top of my hands and under my thumbs.

 

[MizElz]

putting your whip under your thumbs is a good exercise, but more for people who need to train themselves to have 'thumbs on top'. i was told, after just one dressage lesson, that my hands were moving around far too much ('i dont know what they teach you when show jumping, but it isnt right!' said the instructor). cue the hand cuffs

embarrasing, but they do work! get a piece of baler twine, and tie it in a loose figure of 8, the put each hand iinside one of the loops. it will feel strange at first, but it helps you reduce dependency on your hands and start using your seat bones! i took them off after 2 weeks, and my hands are nearly perfectv now

 

[LEC]

The one I find really useful is to have your little finger touching the D rings on your saddle. Cannot notice that you are doing it and it really works as you concentrate on keeping your hands still and it gives you something to aim for without fixing your hands.

 

[Llwyncwn]

I used to have mega problems keeping my hands still and I didnt realise they were moving, in fact I could have easily knitted a twin set

I did two things to get myself sorted - firstly, the velcro straps on the front of the saddle cloth which should go around the top of the stirrup leathers - I pulled them out and folded them into loops and stuck my thumbs in them, although this keeps your hands low, its better than knitting. Secondly, imagine you are steering the handlebars of a pushbike and imagine that they have to be kept equal/level at all times with elbows by sides - telling yourself to 'carry your hands' as if you had a tray of G&Ts. This worked for me as I have never been known to spill a drop

 

[kerilli]

a big part of it is your seat... when that's soft and still, it's easier to keep your hands still.
keep your elbows as relaxed as possible... if they're locked, your hands will go up and down.
schooling with a dressage whip in each hand will help, too.

 

[Taboo1968]

Hold a showing cane straight over the withers.... this helps with the tip re handlebars and will also let you know if your reins are too long..... Worked for me!

 

[sfward]

I have an overactive left hand, and I had a couple of lessons up at the Yorkshire Riding Centre last week with a guy who made me take the extra bit of my stirrup leather, move it so it was at the front of my leg and then hold on to it so i had to keep my hand down and still in order to keep hold of the stirrup leather. I only did it with one side but he said the chief instructor of the spanish riding school used to use it a lot and on both sides at once...
Or you could try bridging your reins and looping a finger through some mane; or the other thing the instructor mentioned was using a pommel strap. But depends what you do, all these will make you keep your hands low, but at least they will be stiller!
I like the baler twine idea, and I've found carrying two whips helps me too as i have a habit of instinctively trying to neck rein when horse not turning...!