BODYZONE.
THAT vital CONNECTION BEING TOLD THAT YOU HAVE GOOD HANDS IS POSSIBLY THE HIGHEST PRAISE A RIDER CAN RECEIVE. PERFECTING HAND POSITION AND FEEL IS A WORK IN PROGRESS FOR MOST, AS MOVING UP THE LEVELS DEMANDS EVER MORE PRECISION AND SUBTLETY OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A PARTNERSHIP. ANDREA OAKES ASKS SOME TOP RIDERS AND TRAINERS TO SHARE THEIR SECRETS.
“F
or good hands, your arm position must be right – from the shoulder,” says BHS level 4 coach and BD registered trainer Stef Eardley. “Only if your arms are hanging next to your body, with right angles at the elbow, can you
halt start here, at the back of the armpit and shoulder. “There’s a reason why we say thumbs on top. Cocoon each rein within the hand as if you were holding a little bird, keeping it secure but not squashed, and form a roof with your thumb. Otherwise, the muscle at the base of your thumb can become quite tight.”
THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEEPING HOLD OF THE CONTACT WITH THE HORSE’S MOUTH AND HANGING ON engage the muscles that enable them to be soft and flexible, and disengage those that cause resistance. “The best way to achieve elasticity is to feel the contact from the elbow, not just the hand,” she adds. “Watch that your elbows are not sticking out, in a blocked position. To keep them in, engage your ‘lats’ (the latissimus dorsi muscles, behind your armpit), which are critical for riding. The aids for the half-
KEEPING CONTACT “There’s a difference between keeping hold of the contact with the horse’s mouth and hanging on,” explains Lisa Hopkins, who coaches Paralympic gold medallist Natasha Baker. “Imagine a comfortable handshake, or the grip you would use to hold a small child’s hand while crossing the road – firm enough to keep them safe, but not so tight as to make the child cry! “The aim is to find a way to do
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this without throwing away the contact, to create lightness,” she adds. “Keep your shoulders and elbows loose, and your muscle movements controlled but not tight. It is especially important with a young horse to create the kind of contact from the start that you’d like him to accept. If you want him to be elastic, then you must be, too.”
JOINT ACCOUNT “We aim for still hands, but stillness can only be achieved with some movement,” says Lisa. “Think of your elbows as mobile joints, which act as shock absorbers that separate your upper body from your lower arms. If you lock your elbows, your lower arms will move. But if you imagine the elbows opening and closing, especially
at sitting trot, your upper body will follow the horse’s movement and your lower arms and hands can stay still with the contact. “Wrists held too straight or inverted can stiffen the muscles in the lower arm,” she adds. “Instead, allow a little elasticity and flex in the wrist, keeping a very slight curve.”
