Bridging Reins - where have you been all my life?

[phoenixrises]

I have a super nasty habit, from my early breed show days, of crossing my inside rein over the withers and/or dropping contact with my outside rein.

On Saturday it was causing major issues with my green bean and no matter how much I tried I kept dropping my outside rein. That’s when my trainer mentioned bridging my reins. OMG this is just genius. I knew that jockeys used it but it never occurred to me it would force me to keep steady contact. But it does!

So do you use this technique at all? Any epiphanies you’ve had that have really made a difference and seem so simple?

[kcmel]

Yes, it helps me follow without pulling.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=phoenixrises;7427129]
I have a super nasty habit, from my early breed show days, of crossing my inside rein over the withers and/or dropping contact with my outside rein.

On Saturday it was causing major issues with my green bean and no matter how much I tried I kept dropping my outside rein. That’s when my trainer mentioned bridging my reins. OMG this is just genius. I knew that jockeys used it but it never occurred to me it would force me to keep steady contact. But it does!

So do you use this technique at all? Any epiphanies you’ve had that have really made a difference and seem so simple?[/QUOTE]

I bridge reins all the time. I use it on horses that pull, or xc just to make sure I leave my horse alone. It is a very useful thing.

I also use a neck strap often on the green horses. A short whip across your hands (held with your thumbs) is also a great exercise to quiet your hands and make sure you are holding them even.

Switching your grip on the reins to a driving rein is also a very easy thing to do that will often cause a rider to soften their elbow more and therefore have a more elastic contact.

Lots of things…as is with most things in riding, it is often very simple, just not easy to do!!

[Auto_Be_A_Storm]

Big fan of bridging. Whenever I feel a bit out of control that is usually my first go to to see if I can fix the problem I am having

[Bogie]

Bridge my reins out hunting all the time.

Also, I always ride with a neck strap. Many problems seem to solve themselves if I keep my hands really steady.

[merrygoround]

I have some students do it. It’s hard to have busy hands then.

[WNT]

My horse’s gallop improved 100% when I learned to use a bridge. He’s strong, I pull, and the bridge just let him pull on himself, and I could focus more on using my body to half halt. Win-win.

[asterix]

Bridging is like the magic wand for my young horse cross country. He gets very keen, but will curl and hop up and down if he feels trapped. If I bridge my reins it’s like he has a “box” he can play in - he settles down and regulates himself.

[ACMEeventing]

Bridged reins are the best. That and the neck strap are my best friends.

[Hilary]

I had that epiphany with my old TB for XC and galloping control. I could use my whole body and the strongest bit and he’d just keep running. Press the bridge into his neck and he’d glide to a halt without a fuss in 3 strides. I about fell off I was so amazed the first time, because he had been so strong I didn’t feel we were safe on course.

It’s weird what they understand to mean “slow down”.

[kcmel]

Interesting. I am going to have to try this fox hunting!

[bornfreenowexpensive]

amazing how they don’t pull when you don’t pull

[MeghanDACVA]

Not meaning to high jack this but I have a really stupid question.
When I bridge my reins, either a single but esp with a double 2 “bad” things happen, or at least happen in my head.
One is that I don’t feel like I have any steering anymore since my hands are locked down on their neck at a fixed place on the reins
And more importantly, I feel HORRIBLY out of balance. To the point I am terrified I am going to come off, esp if the horse takes a mis-step. I feel like I am pitched or perched forward with my center of balance now over the horse’s withers or just in front of them.
What am I doing wrong? I have battled this for way longer than I am going to admit in public.
Same with a neck strap. I often ride with one but can’t seem to develope a habit of ever grabbing for it and the few times I have, it just slipped around the neck and over I went.
What simple pieces to these puzzles am I missing?

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=MeghanDACVA;7430169]
Not meaning to high jack this but I have a really stupid question.
When I bridge my reins, either a single but esp with a double 2 “bad” things happen, or at least happen in my head.
One is that I don’t feel like I have any steering anymore since my hands are locked down on their neck at a fixed place on the reins
And more importantly, I feel HORRIBLY out of balance. To the point I am terrified I am going to come off, esp if the horse takes a mis-step. I feel like I am pitched or perched forward with my center of balance now over the horse’s withers or just in front of them.
What am I doing wrong? I have battled this for way longer than I am going to admit in public.
Same with a neck strap. I often ride with one but can’t seem to develope a habit of ever grabbing for it and the few times I have, it just slipped around the neck and over I went.
What simple pieces to these puzzles am I missing?[/QUOTE]

Well steering does change in the sense that you do not use you reins as much. I find it rarely an issue xc as I don’t need as much steering. Also this a good exercise for riders who rely too much on their hands and the reins to begin with (because you can’t use them as much).

As to your balance, I’m not sure what you are doing. But I suspect you are pressing too much into your hands. Just taking a bridge shouldn’t change your balance so drastically.

[Hilary]

Well when I was learning it it did feel very strange - I was really changing my balance: “push ALL your weight into the bridge” meant that I no longer had much in my heels/feet. I had to work to stretch my upper body vertically, and not pitch it forward when my hands went down on the withers.

I have long legs and a short upper body, and fortunately, also have average length arms. I suspect riders with shorter arms would have more difficulty with a bridge and the balance.

It is a different position that you have to become used to. You need a strong core to hold it, too -its much easier now that a) I understand where I need to be, and b) got myself a lot fitter. Pressing and leaning are not the same thing - that was a big ah ha for me.

(and fwiw. if I just sat up there with a loose rein and the occasional half halt he also ran off with me…I tried that, as well as kicking him MORE forward to go to the contact. That was scary. I was trying, with instruction, to fix it - he came to me with such habits. It took several years but by the time he retired he did go in a snaffle)

[asterix]

Meghan, can you move your upper body around when in the bridge? You should be able to lift your chest away from your hands - this should slow your pace – and then fold a little more over your hands… All without changing your basic balance and stability down into your base.
If you can’t do that you may be transferring too much weight forward. Some good eyes on the ground could sort you out quickly.

[netg]

[QUOTE=MeghanDACVA;7430169]
Not meaning to high jack this but I have a really stupid question.
When I bridge my reins, either a single but esp with a double 2 “bad” things happen, or at least happen in my head.
One is that I don’t feel like I have any steering anymore since my hands are locked down on their neck at a fixed place on the reins
And more importantly, I feel HORRIBLY out of balance. To the point I am terrified I am going to come off, esp if the horse takes a mis-step. I feel like I am pitched or perched forward with my center of balance now over the horse’s withers or just in front of them.
What am I doing wrong? I have battled this for way longer than I am going to admit in public.
Same with a neck strap. I often ride with one but can’t seem to develope a habit of ever grabbing for it and the few times I have, it just slipped around the neck and over I went.
What simple pieces to these puzzles am I missing?[/QUOTE]

Don’t lean on your horse’s neck - just bridge the reins. I know with eventing there can be a bridge in the gallop (not a fan here) but just connect the reins so you’re holding each rein with both hands when doing flatwork, hands in the position they SHOULD be in normally.

[kalidascope]

Yes, you don’t have to lean or even rest on the horse’s neck with bridged reins (but you can if you want e.g. they are pulling, or if they stumble and you get thrown forwards you end up leaning on the neck rather than toppling over the front). Bridging is just taking the tail of the rein from one hand in the other and vice versa. No pressing on the neck required.

See here: http://www.equine-world.co.uk/riding_horses/horses-images/bridge.jpg
Or here: http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/sites/default/files/data/images/12_munster_bridge_0_2118.jpg

You can canter and gallop with a somewhat normal contact (but limited steering) like this too, though I couldn’t find a clear photo of this.

[kcmel]

[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;7430152]
amazing how they don’t pull when you don’t pull ;)[/QUOTE]

That is exactly my problem when fox hunting my guy. He doesn’t like me to pull. He bucks! Like a bronco!

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=Hilary;7430262]

Pressing and leaning are not the same thing - that was a big ah ha for me.

([/QUOTE]

This is a very good point. When I’m using a bridge…it really doesn’t change my position, unless I’m tired and supporting myself a bit more on the bridge, but that is no different then if I had my hands in their neck.

I think riders who fall back more or perhaps have shorter arms may find it harder.

But really taking a bridge, and having your hands into their neck shouldn’t change your overall balance that much…but sometimes making a rider take a bridge can help them feel the balance they should be in.

I like it as it helps me keep my hands very quiet but really, it also helps me stay quiet with my upper body. I pretty much take one without thinking most of the time going xc and every so often when I’m training in stadium. (Although I’m more likely to hold the neck strap in stadium–helps me stay quiet and wait) Just what works for me.