Tips for keeping hands still?

wellsat

wellsat

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Other than "stop flapping woman, what on earth are you doing with your hands?" any helpful tips for keeping your hands more still?

Lil was clearly quite a forgiving beast. Gerry is used to being ridden by pros and is clearly wondering who let the numpty on board.

*Brownies for all helpful suggestions*
 
This isnt coming from anyone with training or qualifications but it helps me.
I find that the more i concentrate on keeping my whole arm soft and relaxed the stiller my hands become because the more relaxed my arms are the easier it is for my hands to move with the movement of the horse and not go against it. Does that makes sense? it makes sense in my head! lol
Anyway im sure some more qualified peeps on here will be able to give you some better tips! lol
 
Roll back and relax your shoulders, try keeping your elbows "glued" to your sides, lower arms traveling nice and light at around 90 angle to the upper arms, wrists parallel each other, thumbs on top, hands on the level of your navel. I also find that concentrating on your core helps make hands more independent of the body. Have to admit that sometimes I forget everything of the above :) hope it helps!
 
Ok, from my experience of doing this ---
it is probably a symptom rather than an issue in itself, and is (most likely) related to lack of stability through your core? If you can engage your core and back as you ride, ie like a martial arts stance, or by making a "pssst" noise, or coughing, feel what it does to your abs, and keep this "tension" or tone in your body. Get a friend/instructor to check that you are absolutely vertical, your shoulder/hip/heel alignment etc cos if you are leaning back/forward and not in neutral spine it makes it so much harder to be responsible for your own body weight and therefore being able to keep the whole of you still in the saddle whilst moving with your horse.
One you have this stability, good things to think about are the idea of carrying your hands forward, as though you are pushing forward into a resistance. Try this dismounted - push your hands/fists into a wall or against a friends palms held up, and feel how this engages your core muscles. You can't just stop doing this by thinking "don't move my hand, don't move!" but have to give yourself something else to focus on, ie push hands forward - almost like you are offering someone a coffee cup but they have to come to you to get it!
Another idea that works is to (on the ground again) stand with arms in "on horse" position and ask friend to stand behind you and hold your upper arms just above your elbows, with them trying to pull/pull your arms back, outwards/forwards while you push/resist each of these forces by using the isometric tone through your core and back, then keep this feeling of tone when they take their hands away. It's really hard to explain (by me anyway) and I could show you so much more easily - but try it at home with a willing helper, and see if you get what I mean? It really does enable you to offer a really soft, responsive contact (it isn't restrictive as the predominant feeling is of carrying your hands forward, and using your core effectively asks the horse to lift his back and soften to the contact) so it give a real feeling of stability and lightness.

If I have said anything that doesn't make sense or is blatantly wrong, please feel free to correct me - I'm not really claiming to know what I'm doing, these are just things I have been taught that have worked wonders for me and my horses!
 
From experience I have found keeping both hands together and touching just above the withers makes me much more aware of my hand position, along with keeping my little fingers just touching the wither so i can feel my hand moving. Also I find holding a short firm (not bendy if that makes sence like a solid jumping stick or hunting crop) whip between my hands really helps to keep them level. All this just for schooling obviously Im not sure what people would make of me if I did that mid dressage test :p
 
You can also try hording a whip, not like you would in one hand, but in both hands as if it were a tray - it will keep your hands still and level. Alternatively hold onto the little thingeys on the top of the numnah that usually secure on the leathers, that will stop you from pulling back.
 
Booboos, now that is a clever idea. I have used a bit of string across the Ds to make a balance strap before but might be evern easier to use the numnah straps.
 
My instructor also focusses on my core, wants my shoulders rolled back with chest wide open. I find it really helpful to think of my elbows attached to my sides. Avoid riding with your hands too wide apart, keep then low and use your elbows for flexion and softening. Hope this helps.
 
Think of 'pushing' your hands not 'pulling' thrum back. Instantly makes them more stable and your core stronger. (as long as you keep elbows by side and try and get straight line from elbow to bit.). Hope that makes sense!!
 
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