# My hands! Are betraying me.. Tips on quiet hands?



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Tuck your little fingers of each hand under the saddle cloth when you ride. It will give you more of an idea of just how much your hands are moving, and how much you are relying on them as you'll feel the pull of the saddle cloth each time you go to move your hands. 
You can also ride with a whip laying across your hands, under your thumbs. Keep the whip even, so not sloping up/down on either side, and maintain the distance from the saddle. Having a visual aid like a whip will help keep you more aware of what your hands are doing. Trust me, I had a 'bung hand' that liked to sneak back to my hip - rode with a whip under my hands for an hour and haven't had a problem since!


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## Beling (Nov 3, 2009)

You can't have really good hands until you've developed your seat. You must be able to ride/follow your horse with your lower body, independently of your upper body, before you will have full control of your arms/hands. So work more on your seat/balance/core strength first. Does that make sense?


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## Bethy (Aug 31, 2010)

One embarrising tool has helped me (I had no upper body/core strenghth)....SHAKEWEIGHT!


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## Clair (Jun 7, 2010)

Lol shakeweight  Love it

My seat is pretty good. I turn, make circles, and back up with it. No reins except when he's being lazy!
I have very quiet hands generally. Just this trot threw a wrench in the works! I just feel all out of sorts!
But I'm going to try or straight rod or something like kayty said thanks!


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## Oakley Eastern Miss (Aug 10, 2010)

When i first started riding, my old instructor used to make us hold plastic cups full of water. It didnt take long before it pointed out to everyone who had steady hands and who didnt!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Kayty said:


> Tuck your little fingers of each hand under the saddle cloth when you ride. It will give you more of an idea of just how much your hands are moving, and how much you are relying on them as you'll feel the pull of the saddle cloth each time you go to move your hands.
> You can also ride with a whip laying across your hands, under your thumbs. Keep the whip even, so not sloping up/down on either side, and maintain the distance from the saddle. Having a visual aid like a whip will help keep you more aware of what your hands are doing. Trust me, I had a 'bung hand' that liked to sneak back to my hip - rode with a whip under my hands for an hour and haven't had a problem since!


Bucking straps are ideal for this if you don't have an oversized saddle pad. You can also get a length of cotton rope and loop it under the horse's neck and hold onto that - it gives you a bit more freedom than the bucking strap.


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