I have the bad habit of doing this anytime we meet a jump, or even a pole, a little too long. I think it’s because I always had it drilled into me that no matter what, you DO NOT hit your horse in the mouth. I have just recently started jumping again, and taking lessons of course, ;after about 10 years off just putzing around. So we meet something a little long, and instead of throwing myself forward, I just open my fingers, as we take the big stride over, and my horse uses his neck and uses that extra rein, which probably perpetuates me doing it. I’m getting better about it, but I can only concentrate on one specific skill at a time. Any tips? I need to stop doing it because obviously after that one stride I’m reeling in my reins and it takes several strides to get them back. Luckily my mostly sane horse hasn’t taken advantage of this yet, and I don’t want him to start! Also, my instructor is very good about reminding me to sit up and not get ahead, and says she’d rather see me get left a little bit than be ahead a little bit. So I also occasionally get left a little bit, and I slip my reins then too. My eye is getting much better so luckily this doesn’t happen often but I thought it worth mentioning. Thanks for any tips! I’m pretty sure this is just a matter of making the new habit but anything specific is welcome 
OMG!!! I started doing this EXACT thing for some reason!!! I am following this!
I used to have this habit pretty bad too. It definitely saved by butt several occasions because you can slip the reins, balance back… the horse gets to have his head, and I don’t get yanked out of the tack by the reins.
Anyways…what helped me a bunch was holding onto something in both hands. Pom-poms, a coin, a ball of paper, etc. That way you focus on holding on to the object and you basically HAVE to hold a tight grip (with your hands, not on the horse’s mouth obv).
Slipping the reins is a bad thing? I thought it was a great skill for exactly the circumstances you describe…
I am horrible at this because I don’t want to pull on my horses mouth and she takes complete advantage by pulling her front end down. The only thing that has helped was buying web reins where you can hold by the “section” or vet wrapping your reins where your hands should be to train them to stay there. Now my horse knows that I mean business by holding my reins steady and giving her a good gab with my heels if she tries to pull us down.
GRAB MANE
Really, I have this habit too, but just grab some mane (I just use one index finger) before take off, and HOLD ON to it.
That way even if you do get a long spot - you can keep from hitting the horse in the mouth (your hand will be following, as it HAS to, if you keep holding mane), and still keep your reins a reasonable length, so you are scrambling to retrieve them after you land.
Sounds like you do this and keep your elbows locked. You can straighten your arms and push them forward without jumping ahead, you don’t move your body, just your hands.
One exercise to practice this and get it more into muscle memory is to canter over poles and push your hands forward into a big long release over the pole. Your body just can stay still where it is in two point and just practice pushing your hands forward. This can be done as an automatic release or as a crest release, it doesn’t matter. The same exercise works either way. Doing this over poles helps you resist the temptation to throw your body forward since you’re not really jumping anything, and the exercise helps develop the independence of hands/arms from body.
[QUOTE=Synthesis;8005853]
Slipping the reins is a bad thing? I thought it was a great skill for exactly the circumstances you describe…[/QUOTE]
I’m with Synthesis. I’ve always done this if I really bomb a jump.
However, I don’t believe the slipping of the reins is the bad habit, the bad habit is getting to the jump so freaking long that you had to do it in the first place.
[QUOTE=Ponyclubrocks;8005883]
Sounds like you do this and keep your elbows locked. You can straighten your arms and push them forward without jumping ahead, you don’t move your body, just your hands.
One exercise to practice this and get it more into muscle memory is to canter over poles and push your hands forwards into a big long release over the pole. Your body just can stay still where it is in two point and just practice pushing your hands forward. This can be done as an automatic release or as a crest release, it doesn’t matter. The same exercise works either way. Doing this over poles helps you resist the temptation to throw your body forward since you’re not really jumping anything, and the exercise helps develop the independence of hands/arms from body.[/QUOTE]
I think this is super advice personally. You can always add a jump strap as it gives you a guide for where your hands need to be so you get into your muscle memory the sensation of your arm going forward but your hips staying over the saddle.
I personally struggle with this a ton too. Sometimes I practice over poles and float my arms away from the neck so that I can’t use it for balance and throw my upper body. But being able to remember all these things is so hard, which is why I like the visual of the jump strap.
I don’t care if I look like a baboon on my horse and I’m scrambling to recollect my reins after a bad fence (which I miscalculated the distance, so this is my fault to begin with). I will not hit my horse’s mouth. He gets all the rein he wants. I have never had anyone snap at me for doing that.
I think it’s better for you to be more “upright” and slip the reins. I was always under the impression it’s better to be left behind than be ahead.
Case and point… my famous amateur moment:
http://i.imgur.com/rLDfAda.jpg
ETA: I love my horse. Thank you for putting up with my crap.
I’m with those who think slipping the reins is a plus. I originally was a Pony Clubber and eventer, and slipping reins over those drop fences and fences taken at a full gallop at a questionable distance was a matter of survival. I ride at a hunter barn now, and I still do it when my horse occasionally throws in a long one. My trainer has never criticized me for it.
If you’re getting left (which, in my book, is better than jumping ahead) you most certainly should be slipping your reins to avoid cracking your horse in the teeth and to allow him to use his body properly. I do wonder if you’re riding very stiffly, as this is a common problem I’ve seen with nervous, out of practice, or inexperienced riders.
I agree with whoever said fixing why you’re routinely getting to fence long is the bigger issue. And relax your body and let your horse’s motion move it for you. You shouldn’t have to throw yourself forward, but, unless put in an awkward or bad situation that necessitates staying in the back seat and slipping the reins, you shouldn’t be behind the motion, either.
But at least you’re slipping the reins! Not bad! Good!
Slipping the reins is far better than a fixed hand. The ideal is to use a following hand, which needs a following elbow. Everyone gets scolded for elbows being out, as they should be, but few get fussed at for having a fixed elbow, and a non-following hand.
I also slip the reins a lot, and also come from an eventing background. However, I also ride with my fingers too open in general, and my reins tend to get longer even over fences where I got a decent spot.
I do it because I am stiff in my elbows and shoulders, but I’m trying to be light on the horse’s mouth. Instead of moving with the horse through my body, I end up opening my fingers and thus slipping the reins.
So if you’re only doing it over the fence, then as others have said, maybe not such as issue. If you’re slipping your reins all the time, then work on relaxing your shoulders and elbows.
[QUOTE=Dewey;8006519]
I ride at a hunter barn now, and I still do it when my horse occasionally throws in a long one. [/QUOTE]
That’s when I do it too: “Oh we’re taking off from here? OK, wasn’t ready for that but here’s your rein…”
Grab mane
[QUOTE=SmartAlex;8006932]
That’s when I do it too: “Oh we’re taking off from here? OK, wasn’t ready for that but here’s your rein…”[/QUOTE]
That’s pretty much exactly it! Like I said, my eye is improving, but if I don’t really sit up and get him to the base of a jump, he prefers a longish spot. It’s getting better. I do also tend to do it on the flat, when he stretches down to cough, (which us not often) or something like that, or even when he gets heavy in the front end cantering around, I would just open my fingers and each stride he would get lower. And lower. And lower. Until my trainer realized I didn’t really even know I was doing it. So she reminds me to make a habit of keeping my fingers closed and having a more elastic arm but mostly to sit up and push him into my hand with my legs and seat and make him sit back. I’m not going to be showing in eq anytime soon but I want to get rid of bad habits! The grabbing mane is really the biggest help I think. I also tend to not close my hip angle enough. I despise ducking as a habit, but I was unfortunately taught as a teen to “lean forward” over a jump. So getting into the habit of keeping my lower leg under my body and “squatting backwards” (what I tell myself to counteract the lean forward muscle memory) is also something I’m working on too. If I have just my right index finger wrapped around a bit of mane I do better, but I hate doing it because then I feel like I don’t have as much control if that makes sense. Because I grab the mane a few strides out to avoid scrambling at takeoff. Sigh. Lots to work on but I have a FABULOUS instructor who is very patient! Thanks everyone!
Something like this? (watch the line closest to the camera…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lwweEtvEko
As other posters have said, I’d rather slip the reins than catch my horse in the mouth. I tend to be overly soft with my hands - I had a trainer who actually forbid me riding in gloves in the hopes that the inevitable blisters would teach me to close my fingers. That helped a bit, but it’s a hard habit to break. Grabbing mane and carrying a quarter around in each hand also help - especially if you have to forfeit the quarter to your trainer every time you drop one. 
Slipping the reins is a lost art!!! But so is grabbing mane.
I got in this habit with my first horse who loved the long spot. And I mean loved. We tried using placing poles before the jump but she always jumped over the pole and the jump as an oxer. It’s gotten to the point that I’ve noticed another girl at the barn doing it and someone commented that she rides just like me. My bad.
My coach has never mentioned it during lessons/shows and I’ve always managed to collect my reins within two strides after. Out of a full show season, I’ve only slipped the reins once on course in the last year. Lessons and schooling are another matter entirely.
