Our demo horses included two mares usually ridden in the curb, one educated in academic equitation and the other a competitive western reiner. This enabled a really interesting comparison between the two approaches to one-handed riding especially (both horses directed by the shoulders, one trained to prioritize bending, the other not) and how the different ways a horse responds in its body can be clearly felt by the rider’s hand. 

 

One thing emphasized at the start of our meeting was--once we begin to pinpoint, target and define the information the horse telegraphs through our hand (and seat) about how it’s connected under us, to us, and within its own body, new insight and depth in our training comprehension is revealed and new doors into ‘feel’ begin to open . Exciting stuff for sure! 

 

Some of the things discussed included:

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ABOUT THE HAND

• While the rider’s seat communicates with the horse, the rider’s hand is the conduit that reminds the horse that we wish to unify with it. Therefore the hand upon the rein is a secondary aid, its use is to correct the horse when the seat aid is ignored.

• What we feel in our hand gives us information about how our horse is unified (or not) with us. Therefore, what we 'feel' in the hand has already passed, giving us insight into the result of our riding. 

• The hand influences the head of the horse through use of the caveson (skull) or bit (jaw to the skull), rotating the skull into the spine, the rotation continuing to the hip and causing it to move forward and down. Therefore, our hand feels when the connection to the hindquarters is correct, and also perceives the lack of connection (combined with the seat).

• We can cultivate feeling in the hand in the groundwork. On the ground, we can better view reactions to the things we ask of the horse, allowing us to define the response we’re feeling upon the rein and to our hand.

• The use of the hand is greatly reduced the more educated the horse becomes to the primary aid of the seat.

• We discussed work at the halt as an exercise to educate and help us define things we feel in the hand--the ‘cockpit’ check of the horse at halt, shaping the horse laterally and shifts of balance through the seat, finding the degrees of halt and the school halt and discussing the feel of resistance versus the feel of ‘through-ness’, the feel of the correct stellning/bending into the spine and the difference when the connection is absent.

 

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THE ACADEMIC BRIDLE

• We discussed the academic bridle and our use of it, i.e., direct lateral use/forward-down or elevation of the head/stellning through the caveson rein(s); keeping the good upperline and forward-down tendancy in the curb in collection or forward-up; we demonstrated rein holds to enable easy shortening and fixing of the the reins to accommodate stellning; two reins in two hands or four reins in one hand when in the caveson/curb bridle; and lastly, one hand on the single curb rein riding in the curb alone. 

• Discussion of the ‘through-ness’ we want to feel in response to the hand upon the bit; how a horse can be sensitive to the construction of the bit and how the correct choice of tool promotes positive reaction and the best opportunity for success. 

• A reminder that the bit in itself teaches the horse nothing. The horse must be taught the correct reaction to the bit so that education defines its response, not impulsiveness, evasion, or force by the rider. 

 

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RIDING MASTERS OF THE PAST

• Riding Masters of the past sought to ride with a hand that was soft, steady, light. The basic use of the hand is that lifting gives the halt and reinback; lowering is the giving hand; the rein upon the shoulders indicates left to right . The stellning of the skull is given and the turn is made with the shoulders, the shoulders being led between the reins.

• In the art of riding, leading the horse through the shoulders is basic knowledge. It was unknown, in the past, to turn the horse with the mouth in advanced riding. Modern dressage leads from the mouth; classical European leads from the shoulders with the stellning; western riding leads the shoulders.

• Discussion of the prevailing use of heavier contact in the bridle in modern dressage, and the absence of instruction or knowledge by the average instructor about the leading of the shoulders. 

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SOME THINGS WE FEEL IN THE HAND

• The test of lightness in our hand is the ease of turnability of the shoulders, for the lowered hindquarters give lift to the forehand, moving the shoulders directed by the hand. Lightness originates in the bending of the haunches and is felt in the hand.

• The action of the hand upon the inside rein (directly through caveson or snaffle; indirectly through the curb) allows the bit to mirror the position of the horse’s hips; this positioning can be felt in the rider’s hand.

• Always remember that weight in our hand is weight upon the shoulders. Closing our fingers and feeling resistance indicates the hind foot is pushing more than it is carrying; no resistance felt in our hand is the hind leg stepping ‘through’. 

• Beware the neck that is over-bent or compressed and understand the signs and feel of false lightness (discussed).

• A heavy 'holding' hand compresses the spine and pushes the hind legs backwards; the horse will take weight on its shoulders and block the schwung coming from the forward swinging hind. Cultivate the 'giving' hand always, and especially remember this at the halt.

• Reactions to the 'giving' hand occur as, responding to the seat aid: the horse stretching to the forward-down with forward-swinging hind legs when the rider's stomach is taken forward with the giving hand; the neutral-position seat with the giving hand that fosters basic lightness; the descente des mains or relaxation/removal of the hand influence invites the horse to move in complete self-carriage and collection with no interference from the rider.

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DEMOS

• General demonstration of the use of the academic bridle, including purpose of the caveson and curb, ways to hold the reins (2:2, 4:1, 3:1), desired reaction to the use of the caveson and curb, the action of correcting the horse with the hand.

• In the groundwork, teaching the reaction to forward-down with the hand, following and searching for the hand. In handwork, on the ground with the bridled horse, exercises in reaction to the hand, i.e, searching towards it, taking the action of the bit through the body.

• An overview of riding one-handed on the curb, position of the hand upon the rein, the action of the rein leading the shoulders. This continued with: 

• Feeling when the horse is connected and unified in its body through what is felt in the hand. Both of the demo horses are typically ridden one-handed in the curb by their owners, directed by the neck rein. This was demonstrated, and showed the western horse was responsive to the rein applied to the neck, but offered little bend in its body or instead gave bend with a tilted head when ridden on a large circle at walk and struggled with falling out with haunches or shoulders on the smaller circle. The academic horse was responsive to the rein applied to the neck, assuming the stellning/bending in its body, and adapting the bend to the circle ridden smaller, nearly equal suppleness both directions with a clearly-seen inside hind leg stepping forward under the point of weight. All of the Study Group participants rode both horses in the walk on the circle, leading them in and out through the neck rein, remarking aloud the things they felt through their hand upon the rein. This work was less about technique and more about zeroing in on what is felt or perceived by the rider during the exercise and what was felt after change or correction was made.

 

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In today's study group, the importance of the 'giving' hand was underscored for each of us thanks to the excellent visuals presented in the demos. Time and again, it was clear how important this ‘giving’ hand was in so many circumstances when most riders felt inclined to ‘hold’ or become stronger in the hand. Also appreciated was the concept of the hand providing information and the defining of things we feel with it while riding. It was clear that refinement of this perceptiveness should be practiced constantly and seriously. Our participants who are competitive dressage riders were also inspired by the lightness and response of directing the horse through the shoulders as opposed to the mouth, and are eager to learn more.

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Overall, it was a fun and informative meeting and fabulous that participants felt they’d uncovered something valuable with the experience--it’s always a good motivator to continue study. :)