# "Hard hands" while riding?



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Soft hands really means soft elbows. your hands need to actually be moderately firm. at least, closed and in correct position with the thumbs on top.

the softness that she wants you to have will come from being able to lightly follow the hrose's movement, and that's done through your elbow, and a little bit of shoulder movement, too. your elbow has to be relaxed enought to be able to swing a little to follow the motion of the hrose. You'll need enough contact with the mouth that you can feel it. You cna't follow a mouth that you can't feel. So, maybe your contact is also too loose?

post a video, if you can.

and, btw, this is a problem that everyone works on. The more independent your seat becomes, the better able you are to have soft contact. it's something I work on, too.


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## Stichy (Jan 25, 2013)

I'll try to get a video up, hopefully tomorrow if I don't forget, but what your saying is making a lot of sense to me, she alway says my hands are yanking on her mouth, but I've never really understood what she meant


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

It takes time before a rider has enough of an independent seat to not pull on the horse's mouth , from time to time. So, give yourself some time.

But are you riding English or Western? snaffle bit or curb?


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## Stichy (Jan 25, 2013)

I think the bit I use now is a snaffle, I usually ride western but sometimes ride English (very rare though)


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## DimSum (Mar 28, 2012)

Stichy said:


> I'll try to get a video up, hopefully tomorrow if I don't forget, but what your saying is making a lot of sense to me, she alway says my hands are yanking on her mouth, but I've never really understood what she meant


Here is an exercise you can do on the ground to help you understand how soft supple elbows = soft hands. Golly, it'd be easier to just show you rather that write this out LOL. 

Have someone "be the rider"and hold the reins while you "be the horse". You hold the bridle by the bit in your right hand (standing with your back towards the "rider"just like it was real life) with the "rider" holding the reins. Your right hand represents the horse's mouth. Now have the "rider" hold the reins firmly-not giving an inch as you the "horse" move your hand forward and backwards up/down like a horse's head and neck does when they are in motion. You should feel how the bit "stops" you and you can imagine how the horse gets banged in the mouth. Now have the "rider" move the reins by giving with her elbows i.e. elbows move the hands to follow the up/down/back/forth motion so the HANDS stay in light contact but not banging on the horse's face. Change positions and you be the rider practicing how to have softer hands and follow motion.  another factor is being secure enough in your seat and balance so that you aren't balancing yourself on the reins and the best way IMO to do that is to do lessons on the lounge line and lots of riding without your stirrups.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

As long as your horse will tolerate it get a small ball. Place it on your horses withers and gently rest your hands on it. This will help you hands not to bounce and help your body become more independent of your hands.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Stichy said:


> In advance, I apologize for any mistakes, I'm on my iPod an it has a cracked screen so it's glitchy. ANYWAYS!
> So, whenever I'm riding, my riding instructor always says my hands are to bouncy, not soft, etc. This is a HUUGEEE problem in my riding, the only time I have soft hands is at the walk, and I need this problem to be solved because I know in the future there's probably going to be a horse that needs a rider with soft hands. Has anyone else had/still had this problem? How did you fix it? I really need help with it so any suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated! Thank in advance!


As tiny pointed out it's not really "hard" or "soft" hands (not sure how they ever came up with that name, but it's been around longer than I have). It's really about the arms and joints. It would be a bit like saying that posting is about the feet when it's really about the legs and joints.

If you're riding western you might want to train the horse to neck rein. Makes life SO much easier and solves a lot of the hard handed problems for some people.

My children and girl friend have/had the same problem, but I found two solutions about 40 years ago. I stopped using a bit  (that doesn't really "fix" it, but it solves the effect on the horses mouth :lol and switched to western riding just using one hand for the reins (got to love neck reining ). I didn't have a problem with hard hands, but I did find that when I started riding western style and just used one hand it was easier to solve the heavy handedness of some of my friends who wanted to come over and ride. Not that you can't have hard hands then too, but it seems to be less common with most of the people I know and it's a lot easier for me to get them relax the reins more with one hand.

Of course it's still good to learn to have "soft" hands with the reins for any type of riding since you never know what you might end up doing later on.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Take two cups of hot coffee and walk with them, on YOUR feet, not on the horse.

Walking through the house and trying to keep coffee from sloshing out is the quickest way to learn to divorce hands/wrists from elbows and shoulders.


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## Stichy (Jan 25, 2013)

> Take two cups of hot coffee and walk with them, on YOUR feet, not on the horse.
> 
> Walking through the house and trying to keep coffee from sloshing out is the quickest way to learn to divorce hands/wrists from elbows and shoulders.


I've never heard of that before, Palomine. Does it matter if they are the same size? (Stupid question, I know haha)
Thanks everyone for your tips! I wasn't able to get a video yesterday because there was a bunch of people using the arena and mom didn't have her phone...sorry!


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## wausuaw (Apr 15, 2011)

I am teaching my little sister to ride, and she has pretty hard hands from her mostly trying to balance with her hands (is common). What I am doing with her, is I'm taking away the reins completely, and lunging my horse so that she can focus on her seat, while she "pretends" to have reins in her hand (this way she doesn't have to focus as hard on multiple things). I put her in an English saddle so she would have less tendency to grab ahold the horn. She's doing well, once she gets good at all gaits, i
I'm going to take away stirrups as well (she doesn't have near the tendency to grab with her legs, but she still does sometimes.).


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Stichy said:


> I've never heard of that before, Palomine. Does it matter if they are the same size? (Stupid question, I know haha)
> Thanks everyone for your tips! I wasn't able to get a video yesterday because there was a bunch of people using the arena and mom didn't have her phone...sorry!


Never thought about it.

I was taught this when child, and have always used it when teaching, or helping someone with their riding. It works and is simple to do, and cheap.

But anything in your hands while you are walking, will give the release for softer hands. Hot liquids just makes you more aware of what you are doing.

Trying to keep it from spilling out, does wonders.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

She can do it at the walk but not the trot. A trick we were taught was to grab some mane with your pinkies right in front of the saddle, then ask for a trot. This will keep your hands still and help your relax because it makes you feel a little safer.


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## LynnF (Jun 1, 2011)

They sell tissue paper reins at some tack stores or you can make them out of rolled up tissue paper tied to your bit. Riding with a rein that will break with too much pressure on it really teaches you to ride softer, I make a set every once in a while just to see where I am at.


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## Stichy (Jan 25, 2013)

Finally got vids! I'm on bareback and at the canter, so it's kinda sloppy since it was my first time, but can you tell if my hands are bad still?
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=112861898909568&set=vb.100005572750554&type=3&permPage=1
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=112863938909364&set=vb.100005572750554&type=3&permPage=1


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I, for one, can't see the videos.


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## Stichy (Jan 25, 2013)

You cant? I'll have to put it on YT when I get back on a computer


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## Stichy (Jan 25, 2013)

Aha! Here they are!


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## KountryPrincess (Oct 23, 2012)

Kinf of hard to tell from that video, I cannot see your hands/arms per say except for a few seconds and it is kind of shadowy.

Regardless, you seem to have a decent seat, but the more you ride without reins (on the longe line) especially without stirrups as you are doing, the more independent your seat will become. Also, I was just bringing up the topic in another thread, but as you progress, you should be moving from "light" or "sympathetic" hands, which basically means you are not interfereing with the horse's movement, to "educated" hands, which have an ability to release slightly but immediately when a horse has given you a correct response. Just keep that in mind as you are learning. Those reins communicate a tremendous amount to that horse.


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