Keeping Hands still when riding

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WishfulThinker

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Im ok in walk and canter, but Beau has a 'bobby' head in trot and so I find it very hard to keep my hands still. I have tried clamping arms to sides - but thats not practical! I feel like I am jabbing him in the gob. If I lengthen my reins he doesn't bob as much, but then they are too long for canter as he comes up in canter and needs a contact.

Help! What can I do?!?! I dont remember having wibbly hands before!
 
Are you sure your arms are bent and your hands are turned with thumbs upwards? My daughter has the habit of riding with her arms straight and her thumbs towards each other which means there is no give from bent elbows so every head movement means her hands move.
 
Yup - Thumbs on top like carrying a cup of tea and line from elbow through wrist to horses mouth. I cant straighten or drop hands or my schooling stick sits funny on my leg so I know when they are in wrong place. Unfortunately that is close to his withers/neck and RI always shouts at me to get my hands off his neck - when thats where they sit with a bend in my elbow and hands in correct position/line!

I did wonder if maybe I am concentrating TOO much on keeping hands still this and its making hands bob?
 
Hi there
Good but very old exercise for this which really helped me loads, was to hold a whip sideways in both hands, with your thumbs about 6 inches apart and reins held normally. Not describing it very well but as it's in front of you and where the hands should be, you soon realise if hands are moving too much and it really helps keep them still!
Good luck
 
Is it your hands that move or his head? Could it be because you are trying so hard to keep them still, when you rise your arms don't move, meaning your hands would move up and down as you rise/sit?
 
Busgysmum - I know exactly what you mean!! Brings back memories from the RS! eek.

I did think it was more his head as at walk and canter he holds his head more himself - but in trot is a bit 'bobbly' . In fact I would jsut say he is more 'bobbly wobbly' all over in trot.

I am going to try a flash as a balance strap and see if that works. I tried holding my hands right on the pommel last night for a side of the school and they did feel like he was snatching at them. Didn't help that the yard cats were ripping shreds out of each other outside the school and he was going all hollow and excited!
 
My last instructor said to imagine holding a tray of your favourite drink (something alcoholic, then you won't want to spill it
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I used it for keeping my hands up as had habit of getting scurfy knuckles
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You could try using some flexi reins or rein aids. They are elastic inserts you put between the bit and the reins and they help a lot with Horses who are inconsistent in the contact. Oh, actually, Carl Hester has just brought some out as well called 'elastic fantastic rein' I think. I think they are a great idea, good for strong Horses as well, and if you ever get left behind when jumping.
 
I'd approach this problem from a different angle.
Your hands shouldn't be still in relation to the saddle anyway - they should move elastically forward and back with his head and neck stretching. The pace with least movement in terms of the horse's head, is trot...so your hands should be quietest then.
If your hands are wobbling about, this is a symptom of tension somewhere else in your riding position. Perhaps your seat is not deep and secure enough? Lunge lessons, and work without stirrups in walk, canter, (and trot but only for a stride or two...as long as you can stay soft) will help with that.
Maybe you don't absorb the movement in your pelvis, but stiffen and try to hunch your shoulders to absorb it (this is what I do, but don't tell anyone
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) in which case the shoulder tension will result in bouncy arms. An exercise for this is deepen the seat and do shoulder shrugging, as well as circling your hands outwards whilst keeping contact.
A revealing exercise can be to mount up, take a contact (in halt) and get a friend to come and 'be the horse's head', moving your reins around. Your ability to follow with an even weight of contact should improve as you practice.
Avoid straps etc...as this will increase tension and make the problem worse IMHO.
S
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