This may seem silly

[Bets]

Hello all,
This is my first time on and I'm so glad there are others with the same novice problems as me! It's wonderful to feel like I have a support team!
Anyway, my instructor tells me that my hands move too much in my transition from walk to trot. She says my hands need to be "quieter." I understand that this can confuse the horse and obviously doesn't help my riding!
Any suggestions for my tedious bad habit?
I'd love to try out some of your suggestions my next lesson.
Thanx,
Bets.

[Horselover2]

Hi Bets,

To answer your question, LOTS OF PRACTICE!! You didn't say how long you've been taking lessons, but it does take many, MANY hours in the saddle. One thing that helped me was to consciously keep my elbows in tight to my body. There's some really good instructor's on this site that will probably have more ideas; and definitely check out Heather's pages...they're loaded with great advice!

Happy Trails,
HL2 :)

[Horselover2]

Bets, it's me again. I think I can safely speak for everyone here when I tell you that the only question that's silly is the one that isn't asked.....we're all here because we love horses, and we can all learn from each other! -HL2

[cynthia]

hey there, bets.

HL2 is quite right... quiet hands are something that just takes time and practice. don't worry, it's not so much a "bad habit" as it is something that will just go away with more hours in the saddle.

visualization can be a very important tool as well, however, so it sometimes helps to just think to yourself "hands down!" *before* you give the aids to ask for the upward transition. give yourself a few seconds to relax, think "hands down", and then give the squeeze.

we have so much to think about, though, so of course it's tough to keep everything straight in your head all the time.

this is why being relaxed is important. riding takes huge amounts of concentration, but taking those few extra seconds to calm yourself and get "centered" goes a long way. sounds a bit hokey, but it works. ;)

have fun!

-cyn

[Dace]

Hi Bets,

I agree with all folks above that practice will do a lot. I had this habit (still fighting with it) and I've seen this by other beginners. As the horse starts go faster or in transitions hands move upwards. So don't worry, others are learning the same things :)

I've made a lot progress in keeping the hands down as I have been told/figured out that hands aren't "a tool" that will help me stay on the horse or keep the balance. The tip about relaxing your arms is also good. In this case gravitation will kinda help keep hands in the right place.

Now all you need is remember all the good tips and hints in the right moment ;) Good luck!

[Mar]

Not a silly question at all! Yes, lots of practice is the key. I used to, without realilzing it, balance myself with my hands. Not so nice for the horse! When I learned to ride from my SEAT, the hands quieted down immensely. Get some lessons on the lunge to improve your seat. There's nothing like a lunge lesson!

[Perry]

hiya , learnt on the lunge, my instuctoe put a leather strap around the horses neck with just enough movement so that i could hold it loosley instead of the reins and it would only come up to where my hands should be , it didnt take long just a couple of lessons to learn where my hands should be and now i,ve cracked it , you could ask your instructor about this idea , it worked for me, have fun riding and visit often .

[Jo]

Hi

My hands are not as still as they should be - after several months of riding! The 2 things that help me are: 1/ I imagine I am holding an icecream in each hand and don't want to lose them and 2/ I hold my hands in front of me now and again to check I am not balancing on the reins (ie the horse's mouth)

[Bets]

Hi All,
Thank you so much for all your suggestions! I guess alot does have to do with practice. Although I've been riding for about a year, I only go once a week and I when I first started the instructors and horses I rode weren't very consistent. I've been practicing with a personal trainer now so hopefully I'll see quicker improvements.
Thanks for the icecream suggestion. I tend to visualize things alot so that will really help!!

Happy Riding!