Hand position in horse riding: How to achieve soft hands and nice contact?

In this video we´ll talk about hand position in horse riding, how to take up the reins and achieve a good contact and connection with the horse.
DISCLAIMER
Try all exercises I show in my videos at your own risk. I take no responsibility if something happens while doing anything I show in my videos. If you are unsure if any exercise is suitable for you, always consult your physician before trying anything.
Hello and welcome to my channel! My name is Johanna Janatuinen, I´m a physiotherapist, animal physiotherapist and riding instructor. A big passion of mine has always been training horses and also rehabilitation. This channel is all about horse and rider wellbeing, and horse and rider training and development. You will find tips to improve your riding in and out of the saddle, and especially on how to develop a better seat in the saddle, which I think all good riding eventually comes down to.
I have worked with horses and riders for more than 20 years, first training horses and teaching riding in Finland where I live and also abroad. Later I studied to become a physiotherapist and after that also specialized in animal physiotherapy. I treat and train horses and riders, my biggest focus being to develop the connection and understanding between rider and the horse.

[@DianaStoakes]

Love your training methods, very helpful!

[@johannajequestrianphysio]

@@DianaStoakes Thank you🙏

[@ucfcastillo]

I love how you explain things, thank you for making these videos

[@johannajequestrianphysio]

Thank you😊

[@mimivonflytz]

👍

[@lmtrainshorses4650]

I have a lot of questions 😅 What do people mean when they say "contact with the bit", what are people really looking for (the horse's nose in?)? What is the purpose?

[@johannajequestrianphysio]

Well, I guess different people might be looking for different things🙃 What I'm looking for is connection! I want the horse to seek the contact, it should never be forced. I want the horse to come through the back and topline, and reach softly for the contact, and of course not leaning on the bit either. I wouldn't necessarily say nose in but instead nose out with a nice, long and round neck and the dorsal line activated. I know there are a lot of those who just want the nose in but if we really want the horse to use himself correctly we need to look at the whole horse. I hope this makes any sense!😅

[@Christine-qv6hi]

Great video. So it's seat leg and a little jiggle with the reign to make the horse come from behind and be more round...? Is it your calf you are using or calf and heal?

[@johannajequestrianphysio]

Thank you! Yes, the most important thing is to not pull back from the reins. And yes, I might use my fingers to soften the horse and "talk" to the horse, with the support from seat and legs. And I´m at least trying to use my calf and not the heel.

[@Christine-qv6hi]

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I think I've been pulling too much on the reign, thereby relying on the reign to get him round. I will concentrate more on using my seat and legs and see how it goes. X

[@juliefranck8510]

Another helpful video thank you!

[@johannajequestrianphysio]

Thank you❤