| When riding your dressage horse, it's important to keep | | | | where the rein meets your hand, the action of the rein |
| your hands in what I call the "work area". | | | | stops there. That is, the action of the rein can't travel |
| The "work area" is just in front of the saddle above | | | | through your arm and down your back so it can affect |
| the horse's withers. Put your hands in that position and | | | | your horse's back. It also can't travel through the |
| draw an imaginary box around them. That box is your | | | | horse's body and affect the hind leg on the same side. |
| work area. | | | | Generally, many dressage riders tend to pull back by |
| No matter what rein aids you're giving, keep your | | | | drawing their hands toward their bodies and behind |
| hands in the work area. If you bring your hands closer | | | | their horse's withers. If you tend to do that, here's a |
| to your body, you steal power from the hind legs. If | | | | simple tip to remind you to keep your hands |
| you put your outside hand forward, for example, you | | | | FORWARD in the work area. Imagine there's a |
| lose control of the outside shoulder. | | | | basketball in front of your stomach. Keep your hands |
| If you raise or lower your hands, you break the straight | | | | in front of the basketball. No matter how hard you try, |
| line from the bit through your hand to your elbow. | | | | you can't draw your hands closer to your body |
| When you break that straight line, and there's an angle | | | | because the basketball is in the way! |