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 Veteran
Posts: 189
 
| So during a run i dont feel like my hands are to high..but watching my videos..they are.. I am pretty sure what is happening is he gets really bouncy in the alley and takes off and i get left behind...and unfortunately end up hanging on his face. Any tricks to keep my hands lower and stay the heck out of his way?? |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 582
Location: Wherever They Send Me | We are in the same boat...I've really been more conscious of my hands. Some moments are better then others...
A friend (English instructor) ties a polo wrap loosely on the horses neck and has her students ride with their hands on the reins and holding the wrap...she said it help with feel, but I wonder if it will also help with busy hands. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
 
| I double check myself with my pinkies - if I can't touch his neck south my pinkie fingers my hands are too high.
My issue is i tend to drop them around the barrels. |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | When my hands get busy, its typically because I'm not riding with my legs and feet. Also, what's your rein length? |
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Regular
Posts: 85
| This may sounds crazy....but hear me out. You may want to try shortening your stirrups. If your stirrups are too long, your center of gravity and balance will be off. This could contribute to you balancing on the reins and getting left behind. Don't go too short, but make sure your knees are slightly bent and you can push on your stirrups without having to reach for them. Someone mentioned above about your rein length, this could be a factor too. Good Luck!!!
Edited by Lph88311 2016-08-11 2:18 PM
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 No Name Nancy
Posts: 2715
Location: never in the right place | if it is only happening on the take off from the alley, I would hold the rein in one hand, the horn in the other and after the launch go to 2 hands to the 1st. |
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Veteran
Posts: 189
| Some good ideas to try! Thanks! I feel like my reins are fairly short..and stirrups are comfortable..but i will bring them up a notch and see if that helps.. |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24953
Location: WYOMING | Ride while holding a tennis ball between your elbows and sides. |
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| OH! I like that idea, except I can only imagine what would happen if I dropped the tennis ball. 
When I was younger (and obviously on youth horses), someone made me practice with rubberbands. One on each wrist, and then looped around the saddle horn (at least I'm 80% certain that's how we did it). It just helped me learn to ride with quiet hands. A few days doing that during slow work may help muscle memory? Just a thought! |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| geronabean - 2016-08-11 6:07 PM
Ride while holding a tennis ball between your elbows and sides.
Or a whip behind your back and through your elbows - I remember that one all too well from the h/j days.
Only issue with both of those ideas though is your hands are going to be pretty far back. If you ride with your hands higher up the neck your elbows would not be bent at 90* and therefore unable to hold a tennis ball. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 221
Location: Alabama | I had to practice where I wanted my hands during a run to make it muscle memory. I would turn circles (walk, trot, and lope) in my pasture big and small and focus on where I wanted my hands to be. I practiced that for a week or two and that really helped my hands. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| In addition to the suggestions already made try strengthening yourself ie your core to help you stay seated. My horse is big and powerful and he used to unseat me as well and a natural instinct is to tighten up on reins. The more I trained myself, the stronger I got and it's made a huge difference |
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 To the Left
Posts: 1865
Location: Florida | I had a horse that powered down the alleyway. I would get the reins in both hands, lean forward and grab his mane. Since It was long and braided it kept me forward until time to sit up and turn. |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | You've gotten some good advice. When you develop an independent seat, the hands automatically quiet down and get lower. Riding bareback or english without stirrups with your eyes closed is a quick way to develop that. Also, spending a lot of time riding without reins. Just the mere act of having something in your hands helps you balance but it doesn't let the rest of you develop balance on its own. I've seen good riders that can barely ride when you simply take the reins away. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| take some lessons and get some body strength. also, need help positioning so you dont get left behind. watch some videos of you slow with some friends figure out what you are doing get advise. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | Lph88311 - 2016-08-11 2:11 PM
This may sounds crazy....but hear me out. You may want to try shortening your stirrups. If your stirrups are too long, your center of gravity and balance will be off. This could contribute to you balancing on the reins and getting left behind. Don't go too short, but make sure your knees are slightly bent and you can push on your stirrups without having to reach for them. Someone mentioned above about your rein length, this could be a factor too. Good Luck!!!
I was going to suggest this. Made a world of difference for me!! |
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 Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Fairweather - 2016-08-12 3:09 PM You've gotten some good advice. When you develop an independent seat, the hands automatically quiet down and get lower. Riding bareback or english without stirrups with your eyes closed is a quick way to develop that. Also, spending a lot of time riding without reins. Just the mere act of having something in your hands helps you balance but it doesn't let the rest of you develop balance on its own. I've seen good riders that can barely ride when you simply take the reins away.
This ^^^^
Growing up riding English, our reins and stirrups would be taken away and it does help. Also build your core strenght. That will make it easier to keep your balance as well. |
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