How to Develop Soft Elbows - Seven Tips for Horseback Riders
/I'd like to start this post with quotes from Nuno Oliveira, as I believe he says it best:
"In the trot, the hip has to trot, not the hand."
"One has to have an immobile hand with mobile fingers."
"Every rein aid must be preceded by an action of the torso. Otherwise you only address the horse's head."
"The hand should be a filter, not a plug or an open faucet."
-(Vol 3. 1998. "Notizen zum Unterricht von Nuno Oliveira"- a compilation of notes that several of his students took after lessons and conversations with him.)
For more about Nuno Oliveria, CLICK HERE.
I believe the most important element of having a soft connection between your hand and the horse's mouth is the elbows. The rider's hands should be soft, the forearms relaxed, and the elbows bent and moving forward and backward in a fluid motion.
Common Faults:
- Moving the hands up and down instead of receiving the energy back into the elbow.
- Pulling the hands towards the belly and rounding the upper back.
- Holding the forearm muscles tightly with clenched hands.
Any of the common faults listed above will create resistance in the horse's mouth. All of these habits reveal an inefficiency in the use of the elbows. If you brace, the horse will brace. If you break the connection to the elbow, the horse will break his connection and come above or behind the vertical. I also find that the hands coming towards the belly creates a mental and physical block where, instead of keeping their seat moving within the horse's center of balance, the rider ends up pulling the seat towards the back of the saddle.
A simple solution is to practice riding with the hands approximately hip-width apart and keeping the elbows bent. This opens up a space for the seat to "go through" your hands and keep a correct position. Sometimes just changing your mind and imagining that the horse's top-line is a channel will help keep your hands in the correct position ("mind over matter").
Sandra Beaulieu and Rovandio showing a Second Level Musical Freestyle.
Photo taken by Spotted Vision Photography.
I know how hard it is to have soft hands! For years I wanted to keep a tight, steady contact on the horse's mouth. I would finish riding and my arms would be tired and sore from holding them tense throughout my ride. It has taken over a decade of riding to develop softness and the feeling of lightness in my hands. Mentally I was trying too hard and the tension came from frustration. When I became more confident and relaxed in my riding I was able to feel softness in my reins. Our arms will also reveal a lot about our security and confidence as a rider. If you are tight on the reins that typically means that there is some insecurity or fear related to being out of control. Other times it just has to do with a lack of balance, and the arms will bounce or tighten up as a result. Quiet hands will come from a quiet seat, quiet mind and relaxed elbows.
7 Tips to improve your elbows:
- Have a friend hold your rein so you can practice gently pulling and giving, focusing on the bend in your elbows.
- Take a lunge lesson so you can ride without holding the reins. Practice keeping your elbows bent and mimic the actions of the reins, pulling and giving, keeping the motion smooth and relaxed.
- Keep space between your hands, generally hip-width works the best. This will help keep your elbows by your side.
- Have someone place a hand on the back of your elbow so you can practice pushing back against them. This will help if you tend to lock your elbows.
- Record your ride and review photos and/or video, focusing on the use of your arms. Watch for negative habits and tension. Try different arm positions in the video so you can make a connection between what you feel and what you see.
- Imagine your elbows weigh 100 pounds but your hands are light, this will help them to stay bent correctly.
- Gently wrap an elastic band around your elbows behind your back. One of the fitness bands you would use at the gym works really well. When your elbows drift too far away from your body you will feel the resistance.
I hope this information helps bring more awareness to your riding and improves the connection you have with your horse. If you would like to work with me to improve your riding join my new coaching group online.
