How to use a grab strap correctly?

[lorami]

Hi everybody,

I do not write on COTH forums a lot, but I read them regularly. Although I do not ride dressage (hunter-jumpers actually), I am constantly working on improving my position and aids (within my limited abilities, of course), and the forums help a lot with their useful tips.

Well, recently, I bought a used cross country saddle and inherited a grab strap with it. I read that it could be used to teach my hands to stay stable, as they tend to fidget especially during the trot-canter transitions and before any maneuver that requires some mental effort from me. So, my question is, how to use the grab strap? Shall I just hook my thumbs through it? The strap seems to be placed right over the withers, and at that position the rains seem to be too long to me. Is that how it should be? I ride on a simple snaffle bit with single rains.

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

Thank you

[neVar]

As per cindy ishoy this weekend (who told 2-3 people to go put one on- as their horse was deciding to do thei 'i don’t want to work ’ head flip) you want to grab it with your outside rein- the grab straps should be long enough that this allows you to have your hand several inches ahead/above the saddle- but just steadies it. By using your outside hand on the grab strap it allows you to keep that hand STEady and connected so that your inside leg can then establish inside leg to outside rein connection

K

[SmartAlex]

Do you just loop your thumb through them?

[Rhiannonjk]

I loop my pinky. It is hard to get used to at first - it really feels like you are giving up control to not be using your hands like you may be used to, but it is a GREAT tool when you are trying to steady your hands.

Not to be a smart-alek, but if it feels like your reins are too long in that position, then perhaps your reins are too long?

[thatmoody]

I’ve been doing this regularly lately to get my greenie over a bit of a hump we’ve been having with contact, and it’s been very helpful. I loop my pinkie on my outside hand there, as directed, and yes, if my rein is too long (that’s my part of the problem that contributes to HIS problem) I can really tell. I leave my inside rein hand out but close to the outside hand, and either do walk trot transitions or a bit of trotting to loosen up. If I do this at the beginning of the ride and concentrate on some flexion exercises, he gets better and I can feel the difference in his float.

[slc2]

I’d say the correct use is to grab it BEFORE you fall off. I wouldn’t actually use it routinely while just riding or training, except briefly to get thru a problem.

[_Freedom]

@slc2;3573609

I’d say the correct use is to grab it BEFORE you fall off. I wouldn’t actually use it routinely while just riding or training, except briefly to get thru a problem.

Now this is a topic I would have expected a book long post from you on your expertise on grab straps.

[neVar]

Personally i think the ability to grab it to stay on is going to be limited… god knows I probably wouldn’t grab there (though i do grab mane easily from my jumper days!)

and yes- most were grabbing it with their pinky- one lady had quite a long one and could get a couple fingers around it- hand was still able to stay upright

[_Freedom]

@neVar;3573732

most were grabbing it with their pinky- one lady had quite a long one…was still able to stay upright

Oh I can’t help it but the picture in my less than clean mind thinking of a male version getting hooked on one of those straps. :lol::lol::lol:

[neVar]

well and when you edit out half the sentence that way L :LOL: :LOL:

[thatmoody]

I can never remember to grab the strap till after the event is over, so it doesn’t really do me much good in the traditional sense! And I used to ride western, so you’d think I’d be used to grabbing horn, but I had a roping saddle, and you can’t really get your hand around that type of horn.

[lorami]

Thanks everyone for your advice! Being a female, I lack other hookable parts of the body ;-), so I tried it by just hooking lightly with my pinkies. It did stop my hands from lifting up or moving around, and the feeling was sort of foreign, most likely because my hands were now stable :-). To accomodate that stability I had no choice but to shift my shoulders back and down and sit straigter in the saddle.

I do not want to use the strap every time by any means. I understand very well that my problem originates from my shoulders, not the hands per se. I lift my shoulders up, and the hands pop up. And when I fidget, it is because I fall forward a little, instead of sitting tall through the transition. But the grab strap gave me some sort of an idea what it should feel like.

As for falling, I am afraid I wouldn’t remember to grab the strap (or any other piece of equipment for that matter) anyways.

[LD1129]

Through a “moment” I hook my thumbs through it. I have a four year old and he can get strong and head toss at shows I usually just hook my thumb until he has stopped. I have done this at rec. shows and never had a judge comment. You can barely see if someones fingers are hooked through the strap.

[jodyb]

I use the grab strap to stablize my hands with a horse that pulls. First I bridge my reins and then hook my thumb, ussually on the outside hand. The horse is pulling against the grab strap not me and I avoid pulling back which could create a tug of war. This ussually resoves the matter quickly and we go back to hands off the grab strap and normal reins.

[oldenmare]

LOL at thought of using a grab strap to stay on - also grew up riding western, but cutting and reining horses. We were NEVER allowed to use horn - always rode from seat.

Discovered that by trying to hold on to the horn, that actually would put you more off balance than just riding out the episode. Have noticed same by people who try to use the grab strap rather than their seat during an episode - usually ending with them coming off or staying on most ungracefully.

I have grab strap but only use it to hook pinkies through when in longe lesson - makes finding a deeper seat a little easier when riding big extended trot…

Although I did like the suggestion of using it with outside hand - as lately, that wants to be more independent of where I want it to be, anyway!

[CatOnLap]

Being a female, I lack other hookable parts of the body ;-),

morning giggle

I think there are better ways to stabilize your hand position than using a saddle strap. But if you are going to use the strap, don’t hook your thumbs or a single pinkie through it. Any sudden move by the horse can end up wrenching your thumb or finger and you can get a bad sprain or even a dislocation. Hurts like h377!

I have a hard time taking the advice by Ishoy seriously. I’ve watched her and Neil ride and they don’t use the technique they are advising…But I can understand they don’t want to lose any of their students overboard.

If you want to steady your hand position, one thing you can try is a neck strap, one made from soft, thick material, like a polo wrap or a cotton lead. You don’t want anything that is going to strangle the horse by being too hard and the idea is not to keep you on, so a little stretch is OK. Adjust it to the right length so it becomes taut when your hands are in the correct position. Then use it alongside your reins. Hold it in both hands like a second set of reins. It will force you to ride from your seat, weight and legs. Its actually fun when you try because if you are a “hand rider” you will laugh yourself silly trying to control your horse and still keep your hands on the strap at first.

Please don’t ask me how I know these things. Linda Tellington Jones taught me the neck strap trick decades ago…

[neVar]

cat on lap- what’s with the Cindy bash??? this has nothing to do wtih her. Just mentioning that she advised using it when a horse was tossing his head… it was making it quite hard for the rider to keep a steady connection. she commented that by using a strap we can make it easier forourselves to ride through these times… (Tossing resistant horse) It was the first i’d ever had a trainer mention using one… around me (no wasn’t mentioned ot me i was watching)

As to neck straps- yes we use them LOTS when teaching- beginners etc- especially for jumping. However it pts you in the wrong position for riding into the outside rein on a head tossing horse- or when trying to sit trot. As to using a longer one my only concern would be that one has to reach forward to get it nad bring it back. No different then using a SOS strap.

The band behind the back also works wonders at stabalizing the arm/shoulder and giving the rider a feeling of an independant hand that is stabalised by the body. Lots of thigns one can do. bu the specific use of this thread was how to use the GRAB strap correctly

[Velvet]

Never heard it called a “grab” strap before. I’ve only heard the old term of “boarding” strap, or “balancing” strap (and it’s only used for beginners when doing longe line work–and then it’s not a short strap, it’s the longer one that attaches to more than just the simple hooks on the front of the saddle so it won’t pull free).

With that said, I wouldn’t hook a pinky to it, but rather feel the pinky maintain a contact with it. That should help show you how unsteady your hands are, and whether or not you need to work on your body and balance to fix the problem.

[Ambrey]

velvet, that’s funny- I’ve always heard them called “bucking strap.”

[thatmoody]

[QUOTE=Ambrey;3581016]
velvet, that’s funny- I’ve always heard them called “bucking strap.”[/QUOTE]

We call them “oh shoot” (not shoot) straps.