Very dominant right hand makes for challenging time on left rein

[KyrieNZ]

I am very right side dominant, not helped by a bad fall 6 years ago which damaged all my left side - damaged disc in my back, and extensive bruising everywhere else.

I do Pilates to try and balance things out, but find riding on the left rein very challenging. I struggle to soften the right hand when asking for bend on the left, and am getting very frustrated with myself about it. My poor horse must be so confused! :no:

I don’t have a problem with my leg position, just my hands. I am very aware of my hands when on the left rein; my right hand is dominant, and I struggle to keep a good contact with my left.

I am going to try some different Pilates moves to strengthen my left side, but keen to hear any ideas anyone has.

[Piaffe11]

What about doing some of your ride with both reins in your left hand? That way your right hand can’t get involved and you can work on improving contact on your left rein…

This helped me when I couldn’t let go of my inside rein so it should transfer over to your problem.

Good luck!

[Boo]

The pilates will help etc but what will help you more is just doing more of your general day to day chores left handed - you basically need to build better fine motor control with it and riding an hour or so a day can’t compete with the rest of your time being right hand dominant.

E.g. brush your hair and teeth left handed, use a spoon left handed etc. Build to writing with your left hand even.

I found my riding improved dramatically when i started doing this (and i still struggle some days several years down the track). I’ve always tried to be ambidextrous but it wasn’t until i wanted to be good at horse archery sling shot courses (basically shooting both ways) that i got serious about it and it helped hugely. I’m actually more accurate left handed now but faster right handed.

[quiet_girl]

I have had some luck with students who have trouble keeping equal connection on the reins by doing the following, if you have a too strong right hand hold that rein about a foot longer than the rein you have trouble keeping connection on. This tends to make the stronger hand consistently active in the contact and the shorter rein more passive and consistently connected. I don’t suggest this if the horse has behavioral issues. I have yet to have a student who is completely ambidextrous. Boo is absolutely right about switching hands in your daily goings on. I’ve been doing that for years. Having been a professional ballet dancer in a previous career I practiced daily trying to do everything equally well on both sides in both directions. Very difficult.

[snowrider]

Kind of a weird suggestion but test the strength of your glute medius on either side. That is the muscle that stabilizes the pelvis when you balance on the opposing side. It’s also the muscle that puts your seatbone under you. If it’s weak you will not have a stable torso on one side and will hang on the rein.

Youtube how to do glute med strengthening exercises (there are standing and laying down versions) and do it on both sides and see if it feels the same or different. I pretty much guarantee it’ll be different. Hanging on one rein almost always comes from a pelvis that is more stable on one side than the other, one seatbone that is you balance over more. For me it’s actually the opposite leg than my standing balance leg. I stand on my left leg and I sit on my right seatbone but it’s all due to an uneven pelvis stabilizing structure.

[SuzieQNutter]

If bending to the left you right hand should be on the outside.

‘It is a sin to giverify your outside rein’. You soften the inside rein to prove you are in the outside rein.

I knew there was a problem in my right arm when I was having trouble circling left. Not the other way round.

[Hawks_Nest]

This is going to sound weird, but along with other suggestions try bridging your reins. You can do just a single bridge, take the rain coming out of your left hand and hold it in your right, give a bit of space so y0ur hands can be 5-6in apart and ride like that. The bridged rein will stop you from doing anything you shouldn’t with your right.

[KyrieNZ]

Many thanks for the replies.

We’re coming into daylight savings/summer in NZ so have been riding in the dark and not brave enough to ride one handed in the dark LOL. So I held the loops on my saddle blanket which helped (a) anchor my right hand and (b) stabilise my left hand.

I will look into all the suggestions above and report back, my mare thanks you!!

[goeslikestink]

try putting a whip across your thumbs so it lays across both your hands when walking and change the reins … dont drop it… this way you will be keeping both hands where they should be… if you drop it … then get of pick up and start again and mark down… owe the horse a carrot for every time you drop it…once you mastered the walk and change of reins you can try it in sitting trot, and try with and with out stirrup… your only going be a winner when you dont drop it in which case you can buy a glass of wine for self and celebrate lol and if you can do it bare back even better dont forget to start of going in a straight line 1st, oh yeah and if you drop it ten times… then one carrot neddy and you gotta pick up pooh… for a friend for an hour lol