Put your hands higher part 2

Soooo.. I wrote a post about holding your hands higher, if you wanted to have a horse to get  much softer. In a facebook group, I shared the post and people commented on in. It was great. But the thing is... 

I felt like some people maybe didn't really understand what I meant in that blogpost?! So showed the person whom I got the advice from, my post and the comments. She is a really good rider and really great at understanding the biomechanics of both the horse and a human and how they all should work together (which I think most of us don't really know, even though they say they do..). She knows a lot, have tried a lot of horses and figured out some systems... can I call them that?..  yeah let's call them systems, which really works with horses. Of course you can always change it up a bit, so it fits to each horse, cause not all horses are the same and therefore you have to fit it, to each horse., so they benefit from it in the best way. 

On the post I shared, people commented on the high hands thing. I just want to say, that I didn't mean, that you should hold your hands really high, like holding up to the sky! This is the thing, I think most people did not understand! Maybe I wasen't clear enough, but no, you should not hold your hands really high up, so they almost touch your chin. The thing I meant was, and I do believe I wrote this in the post, You do NOT want to hold your hands really low and by the horse's side. I was adviced to do this by someone, who teached me a couple of times. Do I regret following her advice? YES!Yes I really do!! Dummest advice ever!! 

I also want to say, that I'm only speaking of me and my horse's behalf. I can't speak on others and how you do so. Only on what works for me and Miss G alright? If it works, then why not pas it on, so other people maybe can benefit from it? I believe that in the horseworld, we should be good to each other. Sadly I dont see that! I think a lot of people critizize others, so they themselves feel better. I know we all want to feel better about our selves, but I dont think it's a great way if you put other people down, so you feel better. 

Like I said in the other post, when I tried the advice, Miss G felt so much better! You want a horse to give their head to you, if you know what I mean? You want a horse to be supple and soft in the mouth and body. But you won't get that, if your hands and body is really hard and stiff and there's no movement in it at all! Like if you have your hands really low, because then you lock your arms, shoulders, back, yeah EVERYTHIING! But to get that suppleness and softness, your body must be the same. Yes you can get a horse "on the bit" with being stiff, but if you really want to get a horse to work with you, and for you. Like I said, you must be moveable too! 

Just a simple streching has helped me a lot! I felt like I could get more "down and around the horse" if that makes sense? You have to work from the seat, but how can you do that, if you can't really move your seat? "Then I have a strong core to help me!" you might say, but the thing is.. You can forget all about your core! You core is strong enough, if you can hold yourself upright without any help. Yes you may not have a sixpack and that's okay!  All it's really about, is to be moveable and NOT STIFF! If your back is stiff, then your hands will probably be the same! Do we want stiff and hard hands/body? No... Not really.  

So the thing to have a horse on the bit, is only really great, if you can use your seat in a proper way. Can you move front to back, but also side to side = following the horse's movement, without your seat is stopping the horse, because you are locked. Just like the person said, who I got the advice from. Yes our hands maybe a help to use when on the horse and riding it, but in reality we should be able to ride the horse without any hands. But if you have a green horse ( like Miss G) then you may use your hands, to help you and your horse. The horse should want to go on the bit. It should want to put it's head down - if you know what I mean? (I got a feeling, that someone might misunderstand this too.. ). You can't force it - if you do, then try something else! Like holding your hands higher ( not up the the sky!) than holding them really low and down the horses side, because this is forcing it, to put it's head down. This was what I meant by the first post!

I can't show you any pictures of what I mean ( I would rather use my self as a dummy, then using others, because I feel like people would critize them, and that's not fair!). If you follow my blog, then you now, that right now I have a very stiff hand. To those of you who don't know, I broke my wrist sunday evening and now I have to wear a cast for the next 4 weeks.. So no riding for me.. 

I hope this made sense and people now understand what I mean, instead of going all balistic. So talk to you later

Love Maggie ❤