Has anyone used these gloves? Is it a gimmick or a useful way to get help with hand position and contact? I’m curious about these for myself and my riding level is pretty solidily intermediate (3’3" jumps, first/second level dressage, happy to work without stirrups, that sort of thing). TIA!
I think these are misconceived. Your hand position comes from where your elbows are. Plus “steady hands” doesn’t mean locked in equitation class posture. Your hands become steady when you understand how you need to use the reins, and also when your horse is educated enough to take up contact. A merely motionless hand that is doing nothing is a useless hand, not a steady hand.
Plus a lot of riders have trouble with a following hand at the walk because their hips aren’t following the swing of the stride.
If you are having trouble maintaining contact I would suggest looking at your riding as a whole. Generally when people are at intermediate (or higher) with specific issues in their overall position, it’s because they have found something functional for themselves and the horse in their persistence position flaws. It may not be the most effective solution but it feels functional and intuitively right.
So rather than say “bad me” about a position flaw, think “what do I gain from this flaw?” and then get some coaching help on how to get the same result or feeling more correctly.
Good dressage lessons will also help. Jumpers sometimes just learn to hang on, or throw away the reins, or do crest release, very pragmatic in the moment but not much use of reins to find tune.
If you are jumping 3 foot 3 but only riding First Level dressage, your jumping skills are way ahead of your dressage skills!
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If only they made gloves that connects the pinky to the rest of the fingers – I’d be one board! 
I always have my pinky finger sticking out. Ugh.
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In an eventing context are both of those roughly Training level?
Though I guess if you look at First level relative to Training or even Intro versus 3’3” (meter jumpers, low AO hunters, many adult medals) relative to relative to 2’ (short/long stirrup) the gap seems larger.
I have zero opinion on the gloves themselves though I’m not particularly down with any device that attaches body parts to other body parts, even with velcro or something else that is supposed to release. A friend had a horrible accident that effectively ended her riding career that was exacerbated by a device that was supposed to keep your arms steady.
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I think eventing progresses faster in jumping than it does in dressage
In straight dressage, First Level is the level just about any horse can do, it’s before real.collection or flying changes or significant lateral work. It’s before any issues with contact, carriage, etc start holding you back. It’s also the level a lot of ammies with OK horses and crap coaches stall out at.
In hunters or jumpers, 3 foot 3 is ambitious, and needs a whole other horse than the two foot six and two nine. Which again is where lots of ammies and juniors stall out.
So despite how eventing sorts things, I’d say 3 foot 3 jumping is more advanced for jumping than first level is for dressage.
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I have the gloves and found them helpful. My horse loved it when I wore them.
Yes, contact comes from the elbows/shoulder yada yada, but sometimes, after riding green horses, you need reminders of what is correct. They did that for me and I found them helpful.
I used them for 4-5 rides and haven’t needed them since. You could also use a stick under your thumbs for a less expensive option, but I found the elastic just made a lightbulb go off in my head on the feel.
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I have a pair and I like them. They help me keep my hands quiet. Your hands are not locked in position, they’re pretty elastic and will separate when needed. They remind me of using an Equicube without the 4 pound weight. The gloves themselves are well made, and you can get replacement elastic if they get too stretched out. I use them whenever I need a tune-up for quiet hands.
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I hated them sadly. The way they are made, with the strap over the top, not only didn’t steady my hands, but actually created piano hands. I really wanted them to work, and tried multiple times and tried adjusting them but they ended up in the trash.
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You can put the strap under to encourage the opposite of piano hands, that’s how my trainer put them on me. I found them helpful.
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I school Third Level movements, but I have only competed at First Level. I was just being brutally honest about what I perceive my dressage “Level” to be since I correlated it with what I’ve competed at. (I don’t even compete at dressage currently, strictly H/J.)
I find stuff like holding a crop level with both hands to be a useful “tool” in checking in are my hands balanced. Putting a crop behind my elbows to check in whether they’re staying close to my sides. Switching to driving reins to check in on following. My question about the gloves was with this sort of thing in mind, not to find a crutch to mask problems or make me think I’m better than I am.
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My trainer did this as well.
I have a habit of raising my right hand, particularly to the left. Yes, the root cause is my right hip/seat bone dropping, and my shoulder coming up. But it’s become it’s own habit and my proprioception has gotten messed up.
I find these useful when strapped below as mombc24 said. They are easy to use and disconnect no problem. It’s similar to a whip under your thumb, a little less visual but also easier on your own to navigate.
I dont agree with this assessment of 1st level at all. Have you seen 1st 3? If you don’t have contact or connection at 1st you’re gonna score mid 50s at best. Sure, theres no collection but without those two things you’re out of luck. Even at Training contact and connection are expected. The horse must be on the bit.
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Yes I’ve shown First Level on a horse that knew a lot more. I agree you need connection to do that well. But I don’t think you get connection from using strap gloves. You get connection as you and the horse discover how it is functional. Hands locked in place does not automatically equal connection.
My.comments about the levels were based on observing that around here most ammie dressage riders don’t compete past first and most junior or ammie riders don’t get above 2 foot 6 or 2 foot 9 (judging from show entries). If you are jumping a meter/ 3 foot 3, you’re well above that.
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That I agree with.
I took a horse from the 1.0m (3’3") jumpers into first level dressage, and I think it was the appropriate level. While he schooled movements above that level and obviously had his changes, jumper flatwork is generally not as precise as dressage and I don’t think we would have been successful at second level without further emphasis on dressage.
Bridging the reins is a good exercise for me that might achieve what these are aiming for without it being such a PITA. I don’t think I want anything with straps on my hands.
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