One stronger hand when riding?

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Christmas Crumpet

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I was thinking about this when I was exercising my horse earlier - my left hand is def stronger than my right and I'm sure I use it more than my right. Whether I ride with a shorter left rein or not, I'm not sure but I do know when I'm hunting I use my left hand more when trying to steady up a bit. I am left handed so it would make sense.

Is it just me or do most people feel they have a stronger hand/side?
 
yes im right handed but have a stronger hold on my left ,i even went to the measure or having continental reins with the leather bits on them to make sure im even in both hands .
 
I am right handed. My instructor pointed out that my left hand is more likely to be a bit more fixed, making it seem stronger/harsher than my right. That made sense to me, so I work on using my left hand more for day to day tasks, to try to make it more responsive/lighter.
 
mines the same as crag rat, i don't have the same motor skills in my left hand (i'm VERY right handed!) so it is often more fixed than my right, which seems to know what its doing!
 
I've noticed that my right hand is stronger than my left. I'm right handed, but I used to be able to do the same things in both hands but chose to use my right hand instead. After I came off one day and fractured my elbow and damaged the nerves in my hand and all up my arm, my left thumb is never in the right place and is generally just weeker. Another downside is I can't right in both hands which came in very useful!
 
It's common! The easiest way to correct yourself (short-term) is to hold the rein in your strong hand with the rein coming in between your thumb and forefinger and out the bottom. it will feel odd to startwith but at least it will stop you hardening that side until you get it under control.
 
I had an Epiphany today !!
I rode with my reins upside down .. As in instead of the reins going up through the little finger and out the thumb .. They went thumb end first and out the little finger ..( called driving reins) Instructor suggested I try it .. For a few reasons .

1.. I struggle with ' am I holding to much'

2.. I struggle to control my left hand

3 . ..( because of no. 2 ) horse sits on the right rein a little

And honestly wow 😮 .. You feel alittle silly at first .. But it gave me a much softer , clearer feel instantly !! .. Horse was light .. Soft round .. Even in both reins .. And I could feel everything .. I could even control my left hand 😀. It gave me a foward contact .. Rather than a holding contact .. I would definitely recommend People give it a go .
 
My left side is stronger despite being right handed. I lost use of my right side when I got meningitis at 17 but luckily got it back, but its never been as strong since! My instructor darent tell me off now he knows that though! Haha
 
Lambkins said:
I had an Epiphany today !!
I rode with my reins upside down .. As in instead of the reins going up through the little finger and out the thumb .. They went thumb end first and out the little finger ..( called driving reins) Instructor suggested I try it .. For a few reasons .

1.. I struggle with ' am I holding to much'

2.. I struggle to control my left hand

3 . ..( because of no. 2 ) horse sits on the right rein a little

And honestly wow �� .. You feel alittle silly at first .. But it gave me a much softer , clearer feel instantly !! .. Horse was light .. Soft round .. Even in both reins .. And I could feel everything .. I could even control my left hand ��. It gave me a foward contact .. Rather than a holding contact .. I would definitely recommend People give it a go .
Click to expand...

I can recommend trying this too, you can really 'feel' the horse through the bit and learn to gauge how much pressure you actually need to use. I found it a lot harder to become rigid/stiff through the elbow too which helped a lot with the tension probs I was having.
 
Last edited:
Lambkins said:
I had an Epiphany today !!
I rode with my reins upside down .. As in instead of the reins going up through the little finger and out the thumb .. They went thumb end first and out the little finger ..( called driving reins) Instructor suggested I try it .. For a few reasons .

1.. I struggle with ' am I holding to much'

2.. I struggle to control my left hand

3 . ..( because of no. 2 ) horse sits on the right rein a little

And honestly wow �� .. You feel alittle silly at first .. But it gave me a much softer , clearer feel instantly !! .. Horse was light .. Soft round .. Even in both reins .. And I could feel everything .. I could even control my left hand ��. It gave me a foward contact .. Rather than a holding contact .. I would definitely recommend People give it a go .
Click to expand...


What a great idea! I'm very strongly left handed in everything I do, and my lad does sit on my left rein, so might try this to see if it can lighten up a bit.
 
My hands are my worst part. I have an arthritic left hand/wrist and a normal right arm. I'm right handed but the lack of grip in my left actually makes it tense. My horses all are similarly one sided so it's something we constantly work on!
 
I'm left handed and stronger/more co-ordinated in my left hand, which is very useful when schooling other people's horses, as most people are right handed, so I can straighten them up more easily. I just need a right handed person to straighten my horses!
 
I'm stronger I'm my left hand despite being right handed. However my left leg is significantly weeker.
Trying to straighten myself via exercises from the physio.
 
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