How
to Use the Hands
Our seat
and legs create the energy, our hands fine tune that energy. The hands
carry out a polite conversation with the horse through the reins, and
should never force or pressure the horse into obedience. The reins should
therefore be considered a tuning aid rather than a steering wheel.
Many riders
practically ride with their hands. The weaker the seat, the stronger the
hands. A deep, confident seat banishes the need of strong hands. We often
hear instructors speaking of maintaining contact. But little do they speak
of how to maintain contact. Contact may simply be defined as
avoiding slack in the reins. With an advanced schoolmaster, the mere
weight of the reins would be sufficient to maintain contact.
'Hard'
hands transfers a heavy horse on the forehand into a very heavy
horse on the forehand. Hard hands are hands that do not yield. Locking
your wrists and elbows into one position disturbs the natural balance of
the horse. You can force the horse into a nice outline with hard hands,
but the horse will never be going forward with impulsion and elasticity.
Only a few horses can be harassed onto the bit; most horses will rebel.
The rebellion can be in the form of neck flexion, hollowing the back, and
tossing the head high in the air, or it can be in the form of leaning and
pulling on the rider's hands. This transforms a harmonious ride into a
battle, with the horse most likely to win.
We often
see horses with the habit of leaning and pulling on the rider's hands, no
matter who the rider is. This habit was developed when the horse has
learnt from one rider that the hands cannot be trusted. But there is hope.
. . even this habit can be cured through sensitive and empathetic
re-schooling.
 |
So how
is it possible to achieve a good outline without abusing the horse's
mouth? Just as you allowed flexibility in your pelvis and seat, now
allow flexibility in the elbows, wrists, and fingers. Keep the contact
light, not necessarily through the weight of the reins alone, but keep
the weight in your hands to a minimum. 'Talk' to your horse through
the reins, let your fingers allow the horse to mouth the bit. Think of
the bit as a lollipop in the horse's mouth--he needs to move his jaw
and his tongue in order to taste it. If the bit is pulling against his
tongue and lower jaw, the lollipop will turn into an instrument of
torture.
(Photo left: Although the contact is light and
forgiving, the horse's face is behind the vertical, which is a fault
to be avoided. Photo courtesy of
Horse & Rider
magazine, December, '99 issue.) |
"Never
pull on the reins and you will always have pleasant, manageable, horses
that are easy to ride."
François
Baucher, French horseman.
Mouthing
the bit will allow the horse to salivate, making him lighter and softer in
the hand. By 'talking' to your horse through the bit, finger the reins
lightly. A simple, almost invisible, give and take with the fingers acts
as though you were conducting a conversation of whispers with your horse.
Be careful not to overdo it, otherwise the conversation may distract the
horse from the main task. This sponging action on the reins can be done
while hacking, walking, or taking a breather. It helps the horse to relax
his jaw without anticipating the next movement.
When a
horse pulls or leans on the rider's hands, the best action would be to
ride more positively with the seat and legs. Bring your back a couple of
degrees behind the perpendicular to strengthen to seat, and drive the
horse forwards with your legs. Keep the hands light, even allow the horse
to take the reins, but never pull back. Soon the horse will learn that he
has nothing to fear of the bit in his mouth, and that he cannot let the
rider carry his weight, rather he should carry his own weight.
The
Right Position
Ideally,
the upper arms and elbows should remain in the vertical line of gravity,
comfortably resting by your sides. Carrying your upper arms and elbows in
front of the vertical upsets the flow of gravity through the checkpoints.
Imagine walking with your upper arms and elbows in front of you, as if you
were pushing a supermarket trolley. Would you feel balanced? How about
holding this position while jogging? The weight of your arms will drive
you forwards. It is almost impossible to carry your arms in this manner on
the horse without exerting a certain amount of pressure on the horse's
mouth. While you're sitting down now, hold your arms in front of you as
though you were pushing a supermarket trolley. How long can you maintain
this position? Not too long without some kind of support, right? In the
saddle, the reins act as a support for the arms.
It is more
natural to carry your upper arms by your sides, after all, the classical
riding is all about natural balance. Do not grip with your elbows because
this will not allow freedom of the horse's jaw. Be sensitive in your
fingers, and give with your elbows.
Many books
stress the importance of maintaining a straight line from the elbows to
the horse's mouth. This is very much true. Lowering the forearms too much
makes it difficult to ease on the reins. A straight line from the elbows
to the horse's mouth increases sensitivity both in your fingers and in the
horse's mouth. Do not drop your wrists, or rotate your fists to face the
ground. Keep your wrists aligned with your forearm and your thumbs at the
top. The reason for this is that this position gives the greatest amount
of 'feel' to both the horse and yourself. The slightest movement from your
fingers will be felt by the horse, and vice versa. Aids will become more
refined, and the ride will feel and look truly harmonious.
Do not
clench your fingers into a fist. Instead, relax your fingers and keep them
open. This way, a simple closing of the hand (combined with seat and leg
aids) will be enough to perform a downward transition. The next section
will deal with combining the back, seat, legs, and hands, to achieve
different results with your horse.
~ ~ ~ ~
