Fine-tune your rein aids

Do you tend to grip the reins too tightly? Or maybe you are the kind of rider that always rides with your fingers open? Perhaps you have had an injury to your hands or fingers and they don't work as well now. Do you find it hard to use each finger individually in order to give your horse a more subtle rein signal? Here's a quick tip to improve your communication with your horse.

Next time you ride notice what you do with your hands. Are your hands balled into tight fists so that your rein aids are like clubs on the horse's mouth? Or do you tend to pinch the reins with only your thumb and forefinger while leaving the other fingers wide open. Neither of these positions is ideal. In order to have good communication with your horse you need to be able to 'finger' the reins like a musician playing an instrument. Giving your horse a subtle vibration with all your fingers or maybe only your ring finger.

In order to give your horse a good signal you need to be able to use both hands equally well. If the fingers of only one hand can vibrate the rein then your horse will hear a quiet message on that side of his mouth while the other side will be hard and stiff.

In order to develop good use of your hands I recommend the Gripmaster(r). Originally designed for musicians the Gripmaster helps you develop independent movement of each of your fingers without the other fingers acting. In addition it can help you develop hand strength if you are rehabilitating from an injury or simply have weak muscles in your hands. While you don't want to crush the reins, a certain amount of hand strength is necessary to hold onto the reins so that they don't slide, incase your horse decides to try and pull you out of the saddle or if he stumbles.

Obviously this Murdoch Minute uses a piece of equipment, the Gripmaster in order to practice the skills. Perhaps however you have an old trumpet sitting around in your closet or you can come up with something similar on your own. The key is to develop equal strength and differentiation in both of your hands so that your horse receives the same message on both sides of his mouth.

If you have a Gripmaster or something similar, start by noticing if you can press each key down separately without letting your other fingers lift from the keys. Make sure your finger joints are bent (not flattened down on the key). Press each key separately, slowly one at a time without letting your other fingers press their key down. You might find that this is difficult in the beginning. Your fingers seem to have a mind of their own and fly off the keys. Continue to use the Gripmaster until you can keep all your fingers on the keys and press each one individually without excess tension.

Change hands and find out if this is harder or easier with your other hand. Then begin to sequentially press each key individually slowly pressing and releasing the key. Once you have experimented with the Gripmaster off the horse, carry it in your pocket when you are riding (Keep the zipper closed so it doesn't fall out.)

After warming up, take the Gripmaster out and while walking your horse see if you can again press each key individually. Spend a minute or two working on this, and then return the Gripmaster to your pocket. Now ride again and feel the difference between your two hands. Repeat the process with the Gripmaster in your other hand.

Gripmaster come in three different strengths. I find the Extra Light good for children and women with very weak hands. The Light Gripmaster is suitable for average women and men. You can find Gripmaster in a variety of tack shops or on my website: www.murdochmethod.com.

Use this Murdoch Minute to improve your communication to your horse through the reins. Closing all your fingers at once will improve your overall grip on the reins to prevent slippage. Exercising each finger individually will develop fine motor control for more subtle reins aids.

Wendy Murdoch resides in Washington, VA and is an international riding instructor/clinician. She travels worldwide teaching riders of all levels and disciplines how to improve the horse's performance by improving their body position. Her book, Simplify Your Riding and DVDs Simplify Your Riding - Ride Like A Natural Part 1 -3 are available at www.murdochmethod.com.