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.

“For 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

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 halfhalt 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

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 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.”

LIGHT THE WAY

“The reins are for flexion, rather than steering or bend,” advises grand prix rider and coach Dan Greenwood. “The contact is there because of the energy from the horse’s hind leg. Try to imagine headlights on your chest, and turn the light beam to create bend around your leg.

“If the horse feels unequal in the contact and you’re not sure whether it’s you or him, bridge your reins, keep them down on the withers and relax your hands onto them. Now steer with the other aids such as the seat and the headlights, and the hindleg connection. It’s a useful reminder that the reins are not there for steering.”

POSITION POINTERS

“Watch for obvious faults, such as turning your palms down to create ‘pram hands’,” says Stef. “Depending on whether you’re right- or left-handed, it’s common for one hand to move ahead of the other. Check they are equal with a quick look down: you should see a triangle, where the bit forms the point, the reins form the long sides, and the hands form two corners equidistant from the withers.

“If one hand tends to be stronger, practise giving that one forwards to scratch the horse on the neck,” adds Stef. “This can also help diffuse competition nerves that cause upper body stiffness. Another tip for relaxation is to breathe deeply, and to picture sending your breath out through your arms to your fingers.”

BELOW: WE AIM FOR STILL HANDS, BUT STILLNESS CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WITH SOME MOVEMENT.

GET A GRIP

Riders sometimes tell me that their reins become too long and slip through their fingers,” says Dan. “Prevent this by taking a firmer grasp of the reins, before relaxing the hold to find an easy contact.

“You’re gripping the reins, not the horse’s mouth, so a soft grip does not mean a soft contact. Your hands must ‘give’ because your arms allow them to, rather than allowing your fingers to open so that the reins can slide through.” 

DAN’S HANDY GUIDE

THE WATERSKIER

“When a rider becomes tense, a typical reaction is to take the legs away from the horse’s sides,” says Dan. “Suddenly, the contact has gone and your hands creep ever higher as they try to find it, in a classic waterskiing pose. If this happens, recollect and rebalance by bringing your lower legs back and your hands down.”

THE PUPPETEER

“This is where both hands are up, one higher than the other. Again, the answer is to find the horse’s hindleg to re-establish the contact. A strap on the front of the saddle that you can loop your little fingers under can be a useful reminder of where your hands should be.”

CHICKEN WINGS

“If you’re tense or nervous, or if your elbows are ‘stuck’ because they’re stiff, take a moment to ‘flap your wings’ as you breathe in and out. Shake it out! Then take up the contact and melt your elbows into your sides, rather than clamping them onto your ribs.”