Carry Your Hands, Carry Your Hands, Carry Your Hands

Over the weekend I had another opportunity to work with an amazing teacher, Dawn Ruthven, a Level 4 Centered Riding Instructor . What did I learn from this clinic you ask? You got it! When was the last time you had to think about carrying your hands? Well, frankly, when there is a horse’s head at the end of those hands! But, it turns out when you use your elbows flexed at about 90 degrees heavy enough to “dig post holes” you don’t have to worry about it. Your hands should be floating, with a light quality, light enough to write your name. The elbows support while the hand gives the aid that you need.


Does your horse always feel light in your hands?-well, maybe for a short time and then for awhile he may ask you to hold him up. Your job is to support your horse, to give him something to balance on. So, raise the outside rein until he feels weightless in your hands, hands that should be like a sponge, elastic and playful. Keep the thumbs tented to allow flexion at the wrist. Your pinky fingers should be closer that the index fingers. You should be able to look into your hands.

When the elbows are NOT doing their job, the hands become heavier. Anytime you feel weight in your hands-remind your elbows to take up the weight, which lightens your hand. And, when there is activity behind, the hands will lighten, so keep the engagement of the hindquarters with a lower leg long and shaping the horse’s body. If you keep the connection in the elbow, your horse will develop greater SELF CARRIAGE, as he strengthens his hindquarters.

This all must start from a quiet, relaxed attitude from the moment you begin your ride. We must get organized and comfortable and “find our elbows”. Don’t forget to explore your position and contact. You are responsible for the quality of your horse’s pace, so remain steady on the outside rein for support while using the inside rein to flex and lower the head and ask your horse to step forward. It is the anatomy of the horse’s muscles in the neck that allow the horse to drop his head when it is flexed to the inside.

It all becomes a balancing act between support in the front and energy from behind. Imagine going through a stream on slippery stones and instead of getting a steady arm from your friend to keep you from losing your balance and falling, you instead find shaky and inconsistent contact with what should be a supportive hand. It would be distressing and that’s exactly what your horse experiences every time you drop your hands. Give the support he needs and he will use himself with energy. Impulsion comes from the hindquarters, so remember to not let the horse start off from his front end. That seems contrary, but try it by kneeling and “walking” on all fours and then pulling yourself with your “front legs” (hands). It leaves the “back legs” dragging behind and feels very awkward. Instead, initiate the forward movement with your BACK LEGS. Don’t drive the front end away but energize the hind end. It is the ENGINE that drives the horse and it is in his hindquarters!

When your horse is balanced, tracking up with his nose just in front of the vertical, there should be no tension in your back or his. Tension will lock the muscles. Keep equal weight in both stirrups and as you post, don’t push off the stirrups. Come up at the post, centered over your horse, and imagine “dropping the ball” from between your knees-this will lower your center of gravity to keep the weight over your horse’s center. Falling forward will only put you and your horse off balance as the posting gets faster and faster, followed by your horse increasing his pace to keep up with you.

This all became very clear to my students this week, when, fresh from my own learning experience, I presented this information to them. I really like the image of helping a friend or spouse (two of my students happen to be a married couple) through a stream of slippery rocks. I took them to my favorite park and had them go up and down hills, all the while, maintaining contact with the horse's head flexed at poll (which means the back is up,the hindquarters are taking the weight) with soft, quiet and controlled pace. The more unbalanced a horse is, the more they need our help "crossing the slippery rocks."

It was a fantastic clinic and I am looking forward to going back in May for another opportunity to work with Dawn and show her how well I can CARRY MY HANDS!
MOST OF ALL: HAVE FUN and ENJOY YOUR HORSE EACH AND EVERY DAY!


4/5/2010: Dawn wrote me after reading the YHM newsletter and this blog and said, "Thank you for your very kind remarks ,really happy that you got such a
good feel.just keep reminding yourself that the elbow is the natural
buttress,the hand the communication center,through the communication the
hand becomes a love affair".cheers Dawn