# Why ride with wide reins?



## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Say that title five times fast  

So I just posted about coming back to riding after a long break, and I have a quick question about something my instructor had me do in my first lesson. 

The horse she put me on was, according to her, still green. She had me ride with my hands wide the whole lesson, with the reins off his neck completely and forming a triangle with the bit. That was one of the hardest things to keep track of, since I'm not used to having to do that. What might have been the purpose for that? I know she told me, but either I don't remember or I didn't quite understand


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

what was her purpose in putting you , so newly back to riding, on a green horse?!

but, in any case, that way of holding the hands can , in effect, shorten your reins without you moving your hands down the rein. If you keep your hands the same distance from your body (no closer to the hroses poll), and widen them apart from each other, the horse will have to move his head back to accommodate this. 

so, this maneuver can encourage the horse to meet the bit and to soften to it because it takes up the slack. then, if you bring your hands closer together, the horse has more rein and can carry the bit more forward, hopefully maintaining a soft contact, but with his head more forward and neck more stretched out.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Truthfully, that whole thing really makes me wonder about your instructor. 

1) She put you on a green horse. After being off on a long break, even seasoned riders need to be on a broke horse to re-situate their balance and ability before moving on to a green horse.

2) While riding with the reins like that is something that a lot of people do (I've seen it mostly on WP type horses), I don't necessarily agree with it...but that's beside the point. Being able to ride with your arms far away from your body like that and avoid bumping the horse in the mouth is very difficult even for riders who are in shape. Her putting you on a green horse and asking you to ride like that on your FIRST lesson is putting up big warning flags to me.

Granted, I don't know your ability or what level you were riding before you took your break. If you were an accomplished/experienced rider before your break, then she might have just expected you to be able to handle it.

I still don't agree with the whole situation though.


----------



## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Thanks for the input. I wondered about that when she told me, and it made me nervous to get on, and then nervous to go any faster than a trot. My brain just associates "green" with unreliable or spooky, though I know that's not always the case. He turned out to be very quiet, though.

Maybe she meant bombproof, but new to the ways of proper dressage? I'm not sure. After the lesson, she said she'd classify me as an advanced beginner or low intermediate rider (though I know that's subjective). 

By the end of the lesson I felt much more comfortable on him. Once I knew he wouldn't bolt/buck/rear, I was able to relax. But the reins thing was just one more thing for me to have to focus on, and I'm already having trouble doing everything at once. I will ask her to clarify next week when I have another lesson. 

One thing I have realized, though, is that I've never had a proper trainer before. I don't ever remember being taught things like the purpose of the outside rein, or that you should change the direction of your bend when you cross the diagonal, or HOW to do that. So that's probably why I'm struggling with all this new input...even though I was competing at one level, I wasn't actually RIDING at that level.


----------



## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

While I'm a bit concerned as to why she's putting you on any green horse I'm a bit more concerned about why she's having you hold the reins out so far. 

I do do this with horses that need it. Some need more contact, or I have used it so that I can give more effective half halts that they're used to do to positioning of longlinges/side reins in early stages. But I can't say I've ever maintained contact in that position for very long.... it's usually on a very loose rein..... I'd just ask her, she can probably clarify more than we can and who knows, the horse may just need that particular style.


----------



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Green doesn't necessarily mean spooky and unreliable. It simply means untrained. My gelding is SUPER green, but he's quiet, reliable, and pretty well "bombproof" (not much scares him and if it does, he gets a little looky and might trot a few steps, then stop).

That's why there has been so much questioning of your trainer. A returning rider who has had a long break is usually treated more like a beginner rider, meaning they are put on a horse who can cope with any mistakes the rider might make and not become confused. A green horse is still learning and has a harder time coping with or adapting to mistakes or miscues. 

Think of it like someone who is barely learning English (the rider) being asked to teach someone who doesn't speak the same original language (the horse) English.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## WildAtHeart (Jul 17, 2013)

My instructor told me to use wide low hands to help a horse soften and lower its head.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I think it's a bit much, personally, to ask a new, or re-new, rider to use this kind of hold on the rein, becuase, for it to be effective, you must have a fairly independent seat.


----------



## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> A returning rider who has had a long break is usually treated more like a beginner rider, meaning they are put on a horse who can cope with any mistakes the rider might make and not become confused. A green horse is still learning and has a harder time coping with or adapting to mistakes or miscues.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


And I certainly was giving him a lot of miscues!


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

^^Don't feel bad, it's not your fault. IMHO, your instructor overfaced you by asking you to do so many things at once...and not really simple things either.


----------



## CandyCanes (Jul 1, 2013)

Wide hands can encourage the horse to soften and come down into the contact, but the biggest thing with a young green horse is to keep him straight. If you ride a green horse, they wiggle EVERYHWHERE! Wide hands help give them a bit of guidance, and keep them straight.


----------



## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

He definitely did have a problem with straightness! I bet that was why she had me do that.


----------

