Going with the head VS. steady hands

[Fig]

I was taught that you are to hold steady hands, in one place, in order to establish steady contact. I’ve been recently told that, while my hands are soft, that I need to “go with the horse’s head more,” at the canter. I feel as though I am pumping but my young horse just doesn’t feel like he can hold himself up enough for me to NOT do this and I feel that I’m hitting him in the mouth if I don’t. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am pressing my hands forward with each stride my horse takes, as he stretches his head out. He used to shake his head up and down particularly at the canter right when I bought him. He is so much better about this after using a loose standing martingale and developing consistent contact. Our canter needs a lot of work, especially on the right lead, as he is very stiff. Does stiffness have to do with the feeling that I have to pump in order to maintain a steady contact or is it to do with collection?

Thank you for any suggestions

[jaysjmpr]

Hands

A horses head is never completely still. At the trot it is pretty quiet but at the walk and canter they move their head and neck quite a lot. The goal is to develop a “following” hand. We use the words hands but really the focus is on the elbow and shoulder. If you have a steady contact, relax your elbow and allow, do not force, your hand to follow the horses head.

This is why a straight line from mouth to elbow is vital. You must hold the reins so they do not slip. Practice closing your eyes and feeling your horse take your elbow. Canter in 2 point, the only part of your upper body that will move is your elbow. Perhaps have someone lunge you. Just keep in mind it is the elbow that produces a soft feel.

We need to teach that a correct elbow will lead to an independent hand.

[Fig]

Thanks for the answer. I feel I am pumping my elbows to maintain a steady contact.

[jaysjmpr]

steady head

Think “follow”, allow the horse to take the motion. Much like you had a rubberband from your elbow to his bit.

[alliekat]

[QUOTE=jaysjmpr;7155763]
The goal is to develop a “following” hand. We use the words hands but really the focus is on the elbow and shoulder.[/QUOTE]
^^^This. You want to be elastic. You don’t make the motion, you don’t push the motion, you follow it.

[ParadoxFarm]

Exactly as above. You will just really notice it a lot more with the canter. Since it is new to you, it will take some practice to get used to. Your horse will be happier for it, though!

[Jeannette_formerly_ponygyrl]

You might also experiment with the amount of flexibility in your back and hips. A lot of following and allowing happens - or should happen - there.

[alternate_universe]

Steady hands are hands that follow the horse and don’t create any extra movement. Steady is often misinterpreted to mean that they stay in one exact place. As everyone’s said, think about loose elbows and maintaining a soft grip on the reins. I used to have the quiet hands/unfollowing elbows combination but now I often find myself not even feeling my hands when I ride because they’re not creating any resistance or tension.

[ideayoda]

In trot (a diagonal gait) there is no bascule/telescoping of the balancing rod (aka neck), so there is nothing to ‘follow’. In walk and canter there IS bascule (because of the footfalls of the gaits), so a steady connection necessitates that your shoulder socket/elbow joint muscles allow for this action. Pumping is an (improper) action of the seat/hips/back, following the telescoping action of the neck within the gait (w/c) is NOT. So what you are taught about a steady connection IS correct, but how to sustain it might have been misunderstood by the rider. The younger the horse, the more they need the freedom (to stay up/open/active), and if the rider does not allow a light degree of bascule you WILL been punishing the bars.

The rider should NOT press the hands forward, you simply allow with the other two joints elastically (rather like following a baby carriage forward and then allowing it to drift back), just keeping the SAME connection (thumbs up, straight line from elbow to horse’s mouth. Upper arm remains vertical/aligned with trunk in trot; in w/c the upper arms drifts forward because the shoulder socket/elbow allows, hands follow the MOUTH.). If you do not allow that movement the horse will become hyper mobile at the atlas/axis (poll), the horse will bob/peck the head up and down in order to fit into the box you are (incorrectly) creating. The entire neck should be used, the nose will stay in front of the vertical, it should not be lower (unless that is your intention). It is rather like having an automatic release over a fence BUT it is not downward because the horse is not extending the neck down but rather a little to and fro. A standing martingale really has no use on the flat (except in reschooling a horse with severe issues), because if they are too short them limit movement, and if they are too long they are useless. Stiffness in lateral flexibility has little to do with the pumping per se, but more in how the rider is asking for connection/flexion/bend.

[Fig]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and thoughts! I will update tonight after my ride this afternoon.

[Fig]

Went out to ride after watching some videos of riders I admire and saw a video the other day of someone pumping their body. I focused today on maintaining a steady upper body and realized that I’d been pumping my body all along. As soon as I realized this and stopped, my elbows synchronized perfectly and I didn’t feel like I was exaggerating anymore! Imagine that. My horse also seemed much happier and I felt as though I conserved a lot more energy.

[caughtintheact]

A steady hand is a soft, following hand.

[alterhorse]

Try this experiment…

Sit in a chair at a table.

Rest you forearms and hands on the table in a riding position.

Now let your arms, hands, elbows, fingers, wrists, shoulders all completely relax.

See how deeply you can allow your arms become relaxed.

Not try the experiment…

Slide your arms straight back while trying to keep them completely relaxed, Stop when your elbows reach your sides.

Notice what muscles you are using when you slide your arms back. Are you using any of the muscles in your arms?

Keep trying this until you can literally drag your completely relaxed arms back across the table top without using any of the muscles in your arms.

Once you’ve accomplished this, you will hopefully become aware that you are using only the muscles in you back to drag your relaxed arms back to your sides.

You should feel the tension in the muscles of your back primarily in the area of your shoulder blades.

The next time you ride, experiment with keeping you arms as relaxed as possible while creating your elastic contact from these muscles in your back.

[rockonxox]

I sometimes feel myself tensing up and then just forcing the motion of going with the horses head rather than just allowing it. If I’m relaxed it just happens, I don’t try… if I try then it feels like the arm pumping motion. Holding your hands steady is stiff, throwing them at your horse is awkward, but just naturally “going with the flow” is what works best. You can have contact while allowing yourself to move with the horses motion. Think of it like your seat at a walk. If you just relax and sit your body will naturally move your seat side to side with the horses motion. You want that same kind of natural motion in your arms/elbows while still maintaining contact with your hands. Hands and elbows = hard on the mouth! Loose hands and no elbows = good luck if you aren’t on a push button. Kind of rambling here but just trying to describe that if you relax you will be more likely to go with the flow than if you over think it and try to do what you think is expected.