Softer hands? Put your hands higher!

 

So a couple of days ago, when I was riding Miss G, I tried a new thing. 

If you have read one of my latest post, you would know that Miss G is so stiff, when riding. I cannot bend her at all. So I did what I had been told to do, and seen what other people do. You would put your hands down. But the thing is, I don't really think it was good for her. Yes I know that you naturally want a horse to put it's head down, and alot of people then widen and lower their hands and try to make the horse puts it's head down and make it soft in that way. 

But... I've very resently learned that, that isen't a good idea. Well to soften the horse atleast. If you think about it, how can your horse be soft, if you're not soft? When you put your hands down and widen them, then your arms and hands gets really hard and your arms lock. So there isen't very much movement in you arms/hands, which makes them very hard of course. You know in riding, we want soft hands. So we are actually making the problem worser, by putting our hands down. 

So the other Day, when I was riding Miss G, one of the other girls at the stable, was riding her horse too. You know I did my best, with what I had. Her horse is a beautiful warmblood and when they ride, it looks amazing! So when I was nearly done, she asked med, if I wanted some tips. I think she knew I was struggling with Miss G! 

I said I would very much like to have some tips. So she asked me, why I was riding with my hands like that. I told her, that's what other people said I should do. Then she said to me "why don't you try to do the opposite?" So she told me if I would hold my hands higher, then my contact with the bit, would be the much softer. I have never really thought about like that. If we hold our hands higher, then our hands would be much softer and the contact would be much softer too. 

So I tried it with Miss G, after I got home from work and you know what?! It actually worked! She was so much softer in the hand and tried to give her head to me, if you know what I mean? I felt her leaned into my hands, but not in a way, were she would be really heavy.  This was such a wild feeling, since I have never really felt it. Well not like this! She wanted to give me her head. I know I'm not that great at explaining it, but it just felt so crazy! She was also much  easier "to bend". Yes she's not really round, but I can move her head and neck more, like this. 

So yes if you want a soft contact, then lift your hands up. If you follow a youtuber called Matt Harnecke on youtube, then you would see, that on one of his horses, he would hold his hands higher than normal. That's really just what I'm doing with Miss G now! Anyway that was just a little kind of update on our training and I can't wait for our next ride together! 

Love Maggie ❤