I don't hold double reins like most of you do!

[Cheltenham]

This topic comes up now and then and I’m still perplexed how fads for way of holding the doble reins have come and gone.

I don’t know why…but I was taught in late 70’s early 80’s to hold curb rein under my pinky. My early trainer was a student of Richard Waetjen and also a old school fox hunter, had a successful career in jumpers back in the day before she pursued dressage.

For me, curb on the pinky was about having direct control of it…you can move your pinky tiny bit and have it move the curb tiny bit. For me—as I was taught, we were to have total isolation of bradoon and curb…had to know what you were doing with each separately, apply them well and distinctly separately. Curb strictly to ask for greater degree of flexion down onto hind legs/joints. That little bit extra --strictly the final “spice” to something collected.

Eurodressage article awhile ago said the curb on your pinky style fell out of style after 70’s?

Recenty I noticed Charlotte DuJardin holds her reins as I do. http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Charlotte+Dujardin+Valegro+Olympics+Day+11+nkNAjGRDRhzl.jpg

She started out showing UK hacks/hunters I think. Kinda similar to my early memories/where I started out…old style hunters in full bridles…not American “hunt jump”.

Anyway—what is up with this? Do people really know why they hold the doubles the way they do? I like it on my pinky—I always know where it is, isolated and I can move it with little movement of my pinky and not change my hands/contact on the bradoon.

I also can’t hold them like Phillipe Karl does, over and under…that just feels to out of touch with the snaffle for me—I loose my feel of it.

I’ve trained with classical/ european dressage trainers in the past. When I say–do you mind, this is how I hold them? They always said no, it’s perfectly fine to hold that way. Only one American said—well blah blah you are more likely to make mistakes unsteady with the curb like that. My answer was…If my hands and control were that unsteady I wouldn’t be riding in a double to begin with.

I’m curious? What do people think the deal is? Was it just a fashion…fad out of favor? Did Charlotte and me weirdly have the same first instructor as wee ones (joking we did not)? Surely this style of holding the double reins hasn’t died out completely?

I’m not dissing if someone has learned to hold them crossed, clearly we learn, we get comfortable, changing that makes more trouble than improvements.

[SuzieQNutter]

I was taught with the curb on my pinky as well.

[JustTheTicket]

I hold double reins the same way, but I also started out riding saddleseat and that’s the way they teach it. Snaffle goes between middle and ring and curb goes under pinky.

[joiedevie99]

That is how I ride as well. I rode eventers cross-country for years as a kid/teen with double reins and I found this was the easiest way to make sure I never caught the horse with the rein that had leverage on it.

Now it’s just second nature, and I’ve never seen the point in re-training myself.

[RedmondDressage]

Me three. I particularly hate the crossed curb rein style. Not sure what it is but I inevitably work the curb rein up and too short with that style. Much like you, I prefer the freedom the pinky hold offers.

[RockstarPony]

I swear I originally learned to hold the curb rein around the pinky, but then got taught to cross them when I was a WS. Always thought I must’ve just been mistaken when I was a kid! I guess it just depends on the trainer’s background? I feel like the biggest difference for me is that having the curb on top does make it a bit easier to adjust that rein.

[Cheltenham]

oh yay! I have been around only crossed rein people for a number of years…was really starting to wonder what the heck planet I came from??? LOL

With Charlotte on top of the world I started to feel vindicated! see !It’s a good way to hold the reins–she does it too!

[FEIwannabe]

Double bridle novice here.
But I’ve been told pick which method you feel most comfortable since there are many ways to hold them. I’ve been using the crossed method.
http://www.equestrianlife.com.au/images/general/Kyra-Kyrkland-how-to-hold-the-reins?size=4

[J-Lu]

Huh. Not me!

[Twigster]

I learned as you did OP, but I didn’t ride dressage then, that is how everyone in the ASB world held the double bridle reins. I never changed since I was already comfortable that way, even after switching to dressage and then eventing.

One dressage trainer I rode with said that she liked to adapt the hold to the horse she was on. If some needed more or less curb, for example, she might change the way she held the reins to help her get the ride she wanted. I have nowhere near the skill or experience to be able to figure out how one would go about that though.

[Beentheredonethat]

I cross them, curb between my long and ring finger. This way I’m riding mostly off of the snaffle and maintaining a contact. If I need the curb, I can bring it into play.

I’m sure your horse, the size of your hands, as well as your own anatomy indicate what works best.

[Foxtail]

I use the Fillis hold. I like to keep the snaffle aids and the curb aids as far apart as possible.

[RPM]

They’re not exactly fads; if you look at pictures over the centuries you will see a variety of ways to hold double reins –

Snaffle outside the curb rein and under your little finger

Both curb reins in one hand, both snaffle reins in the other

Curb under your little finger (seems to me you’d get more fine-tuning with the curb that way, but I have ridden in a double bridle so seldom that I’ll just take your word for it, OP!)

Other ways

I wonder how the curb rein under the little finger works with a pelham?

[Foxtail]

[QUOTE=RPM;8946572]
They’re not exactly fads; if you look at pictures over the centuries you will see a variety of ways to hold double reins –

Snaffle outside the curb rein and under your little finger

Both curb reins in one hand, both snaffle reins in the other

Curb under your little finger (seems to me you’d get more fine-tuning with the curb that way, but I have ridden in a double bridle so seldom that I’ll just take your word for it, OP!)

Other ways

I wonder how the curb rein under the little finger works with a pelham?[/QUOTE]

I don’t usually ride with pelhams, but I did once for a test ride. I got the sense that I wasn’t really gaining anything by separating the reins so much. I figured that was because there weren’t two bits for me to influence separately. Can’t truly separate the direct action from the leverage without two bits.

[MyssMyst]

I also vary my hold based on what I’m doing and the horse I’m on. Pelham reins? I use the snaffle rein like a normal snaffle bridle, and the curb rein between middle and ring fingers. For a dressage double, I prefer to the same way, although I’ve also used them with the bradoon under the pinky. I usually prefer to cross my reins, but I have gone without crossing and Fillis style as well. For saddleseat, bradoon rein under my pinky, curb between ring and middle fingers, although I’ll occasionally use a slightly different hold. I try to play around and be comfortable with a variety, because I never know what I’ll want on a particular day for a given goal, or the horse I have that day.

[Cheltenham]

[QUOTE=Foxtail;8946565]
I use the Fillis hold. I like to keep the snaffle aids and the curb aids as far apart as possible.[/QUOTE]

Yeah me too. This is what curb on the pinky does for me. I’ve never gotten the feel for Fillis, the bradoon feels to OMG wheres my feel gone? with it up over that way.

But—yeah this is exactly what I don’t get about crossed…it muddies the two…the curb is only going to be moved by changing height or angle of your hand.

On my pinky—I have finite movement on it.

But I’m also ambidextrous with very large hands/long fingers. Ladies glove 8.

I just don’t get crossed— I really don’t think the average rider today in a double has any idea when or how they are in engaging the curb. Not intended to be a snark, but really? How many people genuinely ride and think clearly when they engage the curb and know how much they are moving the shanks and port?

I don’t know— this was drilled into me early on as something you really must know and not muddle together to make riding in a double have any purpose whatsoever…otherwise, you might’s well use a pelham or kimberwick with one of those cheater loops with one rein.

[Cheltenham]

[QUOTE=Foxtail;8946585]
I don’t usually ride with pelhams, but I did once for a test ride. I got the sense that I wasn’t really gaining anything by separating the reins so much. I figured that was because there weren’t two bits for me to influence separately. Can’t truly separate the direct action from the leverage without two bits.[/QUOTE]

no you can get separate action from it. If you are just applying contact on the snaffle/rein/ring it does not engage the curb chain. Engage the curb rein, move the shank back, engage the curb chain.

[SmartAlex]

I study old horsemanship books (old as in 1850-1940) and there are many many ways that were commonly taught for holding both two reins and four reins. It was common for a lady riding aside to hold four reins in her left hand only leaving her right hand free to operate her whip (also used for opening gates).

When I was first taught, it was cross the reins and use the pinky only. I settled with not crossing and using two fingers between but there was one show horse my trainer always had me ride with the curb through my palm and the snaffle between thumb and index finger.

[JenEM]

[QUOTE=RPM;8946572]

I wonder how the curb rein under the little finger works with a pelham?[/QUOTE]

I can’t speak to a double, but I do use a pelham for jumping, and get grief from my equitation coach for holding my reins crossed, but with the curb rein between pinky and ring, and the snaffle between ring and middle, though apparently it’s good enough for Kyra Kyrkland.

[QUOTE=FEIwannabe;8946505]
http://www.equestrianlife.com.au/images/general/Kyra-Kyrkland-how-to-hold-the-reins?size=4[/QUOTE]

Apparently the Equitation-correct way of holding pelham/double reins is crossed, with curb under pinky and snaffle rein in the usual position between pinky and ring. I just personally feel like I end up wiggling the curb too much holding them this way, and keep things stiller and more controlled the way I hold them. I’ve been told by (hunter/eq) judges that the way I hold them would be counted off in an eq class, but I so rarely do eq on the flat (which is the only place you’d be going at a speed the judge could notice them) that I haven’t bothered trying to adapt. Unless I’m doing a lesson with the hunter/eq judge

[awesomenessity]

[QUOTE=Foxtail;8946585]
I don’t usually ride with pelhams, but I did once for a test ride. I got the sense that I wasn’t really gaining anything by separating the reins so much. I figured that was because there weren’t two bits for me to influence separately. Can’t truly separate the direct action from the leverage without two bits.[/QUOTE]

I’m a jumper rider (hello from the other side… lol) just chiming in to say I hold my Pelham/elevator/etc etc reins crossed, only with the “curb” rein between my top two fingers and my snaffle through all four fingers. Like you said, because it’s one bit it’s hard to separate out the two actions, so my curb/gag rein is basically just used as brakes when I need it. That’s why I keep them between my top fingers, because a horse pulling like a freight train to a jump is just going to rip your pinky off :lol: