Giving hands

[Stella2]

This may seem a somewhat dumb question!

What are the specifics of giving with hands when the horse softens? Is it a matter of opening the fingers? letting the reins get a little longer? taking the hands foward? or a combination of the three? and how do the hands progress after this? I think my mare need me to understand this ASAP!

[rache]

giving of the hands - well lets try and explain this.

Well when i ride i try my absolute hardest to make the horse work properly, good outline etc, i have been known as "magic hands" as i can get every (well the every horse i have rode) horse on the bit and working.

When i do this i use the sponge technique squeeze one rein and then release and then other rein release so that the horse softens the mouth so i can (or trainer) start seeing frothe. When i get the horse on the bit i release my hands so im not constantly on his mouth so he knows he has done well (i hope this makes some sort of sense) release of the reins not washing lines but so the rein is relaxed.

I do this until hes totally warmed up, on and off through-out the lesson. then he gets the idea he has to stay like this without me asking him.

Does this make any sense?

[Stella2]

Rache, yes it does make sense, but just to clarify, when you "release" the the reins - do you let them a little longer and then close fingers around again gently? I guess if the horse has reached down a little and the rein is slightly lenthened, then the contact remains the same - both hands and horse having moved so to speak. Is that right?

[rache]

mmmmm what i tend to do is give them my hand open fingers.

If needed then yes lenghten the rein but u may have to start again u dont want to give him to much head as its back to the start maybe just lower your hands a little and slightly ever so slightly open your hand, so u can feel as tho the bit has actually lowered in his mouth- it would feel like this because he has dropped and shortened his neck/head so to speak.

yay or nay?

[Stella2]

Thanks, I think I'm with you, I'll let you know how it goes later in the week when schooling. Probably not until Friday as only lunging and hacking before then.