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boon
Posts: 1
| I'm trying to teach a friend of mine how to have softer, more quiet hands when he is riding. He just started riding earlier this year and I know these things take time to learn, but I was wondering if anyone knew of any exercises/drills I could have him do to teach him that less is more when it comes to using your reins? His main problem is that the horse we bought can be a little hyper at times so it's hard for him to trust that the horse will stop without pulling back and holding his reins. However, it's not the horse's (or my friends) fault that this is going on. They just need to figure each other out. I would really appreciate any and all help with this! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
  
| Have your friend take horsemanship lessons, or clinics. |
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  Texas Lone Star
Posts: 5318
Location: where ever my L/Q trl is parked | a suggestion- if he's flapping his elbows like a bird (hate seeing that) which in turns will jerk on the mouth. I learned to stop this by getting 2 small light weight bungee cord, wearing a long sleeve shirt hook one end to the elbow area pull around my back to the other elbow. This help remind me to keep my elbows in next to my body. The other bungee I hooked to one sleeve cuff to the other giving me enough movement when I needed it, but would remind me to not jerk or pull hard. Course I had to have someone to help me hook the bungees. I used this method when I decided to start showing in E/W pleasure.
It would help if he could use another horse that was not hyper, that alone would kill his confidence in the horse and himself.  |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| Yep! Attach his reins with rubber bands to the bit! I was a heavy handed kid and my mom finally did this with me. Let's just say I have soft hands and don't tell a horse what to do, I ask them. She also put bell boots around my neck to stop me from looking down. |
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 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
I've had this work very well with hard-handed kids: Have him ride ONLY with his thumb and one other finger; usually thumb & index finger. This teaches them how large of a response you can get out of such a small action.
Also, teach him immediately to slow/stop the horse with his body only, and to rate with the body, also in suttle movements. Teach him to use "whoaaaaaa (long whoa, not short)" to aid in stopping.
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 Rebel Without a Cause
Posts: 2758
Location: Adopt a homeless pet - www.petfinder.com! | Can you lunge him on a safe horse where he can ride without reins, pick up/drop stirrups, etc... to help him with balance? Heavy hands can sometimes be a sign of unsecure seat or lack of confidence and he's not meaning to snatch it's mouth but it's a reaction. Also, you can tell him to image he's not holding the reins, but a baby chick in each hand and to handle the reins as he would the chick so not to squeeze it too hard. (I love the Sally Swift, Centered Riding stuff!) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 499
Location: ARKANSAS | The way ive taught heavy handed handed riders is put them on a really resppnsive horse and tie sewing thread to the bit and turn them loose in a round pen. Yep till they can do certain manuevers without breaking the thread they got a lot to learn. |
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Duct Tape Bikini Girl
Posts: 2554
| The key is to keep your thumbs up under the reins. With thumbs up, elbows are down. |
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 Go For It!
Location: Texas |
Here is what I am hearing... Your friend is not confident in his riding, he isn't sitting back on his seat bones because he is probably still not "balanced" in his riding. He is squeezing with his legs and pulling with his hands so it is sending mixed signals to an already energized horse. You need to put your friend on a dead-head, lol. Then he will have an opportunity to worry more about his body and his subtle signals to the horse - then about the horse. This is a REALLY common problem in beginner riders.
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