How to Hold the Reins

The communication between rider and horse can be complicated at times. Learn how to hold the reins properly to communicate with your horse from a horseback riding instructor in this equestrian video.

[@vedagrace483]

This is explained really well This has helped me a lot

[@joycelawrence1396]

Very clear explanation. I like the idea of holding two ice cream cones. You helped me a lot. Thank you.

[@_fire_in_the_sky_7360]

'Baby Finger' XD lol it's called a pinkie...

[@gabbsis]

Lol you dont understand it tho. Everyone migth call them difrently like grandma can be called granny, Gran, gram, grana and others. This stuff iš not important

[@chloe__eq347]

People can call it different ways dude. Grow up

[@horseridingbuckaroo]

i have been riding western and am now starting enlish pleasure and hunter .... thanks for the info!

[@horseloveremily123]

this has really helped me thanks

[@Msemilydepp]

thank you this has been very helpful to me. as a beginer in english

[@samararg4507]

Thank you so much! Hope you’re okay!

[@Qashqariancollections]

great job

[@GinaTriana14]

I went to a horse riding camp for some time. It turned out to be the worst place I have ever been. The people where rude ( mostly to beginners) and would yell really loud at you if you did not get something right. I was a beginner during to time so it was pretty harsh on me. The first horse I ridden in my whole life was a dark brown horse named Kiwi. She was naughty and would always try to bite me. I did not really like her so I moved to different horse names Radon. He was a massive brown stallion. I fell in love with him and I got a lot of good riding with him. Sadly I could not use him for a while ( idk why ) so I had to stop riding him. The next horse was named Cloudy. He was a white pony. When I was walking to the pasture to go lead him to the tack up station, her yanked the lead rope out of my hands and gave me a large cut. He ran away and cut loose some sprinklers. Obviously I could not ride him so they let me ride a different horse named Peppa. She was a great horse! She was really calm and let me tack her up. When I trotted with her she did it perfectly like she was suppose to. Sadly someone leased her so the next couple of times I could not ride her. Before I rode Cloudy I rode a horse named legend. He was big but not as big as Radon. When I got on him galloped before I told him to walk. Another horse ( I forgot the name ) was good except that Christmas I got new horse riding pants. I loved them. When I was going to put away and feed the horse it bumped me to the ground and gave me a cut on the leg. It also gave a hole inside my pants. I cried and never wanted to ride a horse again. A few weeks later I tried again. I was about to ride a horse ( this time it was about the workers ) and I did not really know how to put a bridle on. The lady yelled “ YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION” I got upset and before I got on the horse I said “ I have a stomach ace” and ran away. From that time I never ridden a horse. I am starting a camp that has really nice people and are understanding. And if you want to know the bad place I went to it was called Equine Unlimited.

[@dimpeltjies]

@myhorseismylife97 this is called 'on the bit' it is supposed to be like that, it is much much easier to handle the horse, it is better for the horses' back, and it is simply him 'accepting' the bit in his mouth, rather that resisting it... and to have no control! =]

[@hallaf3140]

Short and clear explanation😍😍

[@bluetheperson]

I never knew it was so complicated to hold reins....lmao

[@lalitgupta8840]

Taylor's Art I want to be your horse

[@user-ec6ue8jy7p]

Lalit Gupta o.o

[@zeebradaisy]

Great video I know this will help lots of people. and haha strange, my instructor always talked about how ur pinky should be. But, this is good 2.

[@ChantellyVanessa]

omg i love ur horse cutee

[@Pseudoubt]

hey! great hrose vid bigfan -the team:)

[@kay3963]

My friend holds them sideways .... 😶

[@user-ec6ue8jy7p]

Oh no-

[@devinbriann12]

I ride a six year old, and I can't hold my reins this close together. I have to spread them apart about my shoulders width apart, to keep in a good responsive headset and a tidy appearance. Do you think as he learns more that I will be able to keep my hands in this postition they show in th video?

[@martysmosaic]

rein has a twist in it. I am English and ridden for many many years in England. we don't 'post', we rise to the trot.

[@_fire_in_the_sky_7360]

+luvhorses Posting and Rising to the trot are the same things...just saying!

[@realfade8391]

Lol i was gonna say that too. Ive grew up in jentucky all my life and came across this vid because my friend wants to learn to ride and i sold him a horse and saddle etc and he watched it and sent me a link and asked if this is correct and i told him to stop watching the vids and come to my house and ill teach him everything.

[@FreefallerXX]

luvhorses can you grammar? If you actually have ridden for that many years, you'd know posting and rising trot are the same thing

[@mukakzaffarshaikh5417]

luvhorses jgv

[@Mojustinlove]

Thx

[@palomaheller]

Why does the rein go between the pinky and ring finger?

[@dimpeltjies]

@myhorseismylife97 :) im glad!!

[@laylaparis8647]

i love this video thanks know i can ride a horse

[@taleev1829]

Layla Paris lol trust me it's not that simple

[@lalitgupta8840]

I want to be your horse

[@brooke2771]

@xena307 nvm my email starts like that so I got confused

[@RTJ3DCosplay]

im british male and prefer to hold the reins more western style by haveing the reins with the loop underneth my hands instead of over like shown in the vid i find it much easier for me to control the reins and movement of the horse using all of my hand (not threaded threw fingers) and use my forarm for addition strength if required i.e. horse on a rampage or somthing like that, but the way i was taught was as u show and is for galuping and beginers....

[@brooke2771]

@xena397 that's what I'm saying!!

[@ilovedogs333221]

if you pull the rains on the left will the horse turn left???

[@eneawolf3633]

Fiona Staunton not really pull norr like squeese a little of they dont turn then you can pull but not to much

[@abbybecker4056]

You have to have your reins tight to have contact with the horse when trotting or cantering and jumping it's not going to ripe their mouth open I've been riding english for 10 years trust me

[@eneawolf3633]

Abby Becker yeah where i ride at if i dont havetight reins i gt yelled at

[@JoeBarnes95]

@MrMethadrine i like horses, because im household cavalry lad

[@dimpeltjies]

i just want to say! to all of the people concerned about the horse and his mouth... it is called being 'on the bit', it is simply the horse accepting the bit in his mouth, and slightly 'bending' with his neck, this in fact is much easier for the horse to carry the weight on top of him, it is better for his back and muscles! and i dont see anywhere where this girl 'pulls' him in his mouth... and if the horse gets 'on the bit'.... he is softer in his mouth! and then u are softer with ur hands!

[@pratikkar6578]

what is bits exactly

[@FreefallerXX]

Everyone is saying how she's holding the reins tight but like, there's a little loop in the reins half the time?

[@jennacampagni2454]

Idk how I got here but gg on the relativity

[@Nightswerve]

to put it simply you should have light contact with the horses mouth but nothing to tight that you are pulling on the horses head

[@epona202]

@jessicajines13 they arent tight at all!

[@ShowJumperXD]

yeah i agree i ride english too but the horse is obviously agitated by the bit not that it's wrong but she need's to loosen her reins just a little bit...

[@DolphinTrainer2B]

Is It me or is the horse dozing off to wanting to sleep at: 0:11? LOL :P

[@XawesomeXusernameX]

I know how to ride, and the reins are not too short.. believe me, the horse will get annoyed if your reins are way too long.. you should keep an even contact (not loose) and keep your arms as steady and gentle as they can be.. the horse will be in full control then

[@charmed6057]

Right, I know never to even try to pull back, even the slightest bit, or else I get it, badly.

[@Miarije]

I had to laugh when you said harmony between horse and rider is important, while that rider was pulling on the reins and keeping them tight, nearly IN the horses neck, for no god damn reason.... also there are many ways to hold the reins. you can't just say how to hold them, I ride western and hold them different.

[@eneawolf3633]

Miarije evrybody hds them diffrent i ride dressage you ride westren you have looser reins and if i have tight reins i get yelled at.

[@AG-sp9zt]

Miarjie English and western riders hold the reins differently. In English, our reins are also a lot shorter than a western loose rein. In english, we have a lot of contact through the reins. The rider also was trying to keep the horse still because the horse kept getting antsy and trying to walk off.

[@paigepresnell5795]

That tight rein actually has a slight bit of slack if you look close and is called contact it's very important for alot of different styles of riding while yes there are different ways this is the proper way to direct rein no matter your riding style

[@rocmcg]

she's riding English... the reins have to be tight like that to keep the straight line between the rider's arm through to the horse's mouth. It's always important that the horse feels the rider on the bit in English-style riding.

[@Nightswerve]

@xena307 no no no you will have a hard mouthed horse if you have your reins that tight all the time and then you will have probms controlling the animal do you know about colloecting the horse up and shortening their strides and outlines because if you try achieving an outline like this say good bye to your bit and say hello to a bit less bridle or a new "stronger" bit because you will need one if this is how you ride

[@dimpeltjies]

@knicholson1993 not true!

[@coolhailey0503]

pause at 0:07 lolz!

[@lilimolloy]

the reins are waaaaaay to tight

[@holly.eq78]

Lilly Molloy there not

[@carolinahernandez8587]

im Taking horse back riding

[@depressedlynx8402]

Carolina Hernández *horse riding

[@aiyanakayyylin3793]

I already take horse back riding

[@depressedlynx8402]

Aiyana Kayyylin *horse riding

[@noisemarine1432]

@@depressedlynx8402 yeah

[@emmymct]

Her reins are uneven. Her reins are too tight. the reins should never touch the horses cheek.

[@eneawolf3633]

Emmy Mcthompson i ride dressage and have to have my reins tight or get yelled at.

[@evimarioli3039]

Why I don"t hold the reins like that,realises I don"t even ride

[@brooke2771]

Daretofly the reins may not be short the rider is making the reins tight and short just look how that horse is acting with the reins like that!

[@eneawolf3633]

Emily Brooke you ride diffrent.Cause if i dont have tight reins i gt yelled at.

[@knicholson1993]

In english your suppose to keep a close contact but you shouldn't have your reins tight that your horses head is cocked up in the air. You can see that she's constenlly pulling on his mouth.. This horse is ridden all off mouth. and it should be all off leg and your saddle seat

[@mia5102]

yes, but you must have a contact with a horse

[@lalitgupta8840]

Antonia Borosak I want to be your horse

[@kennethwall5353]

Poor animal last vid the horse was acting like it wanted the CRUSH the rider

[@toontown1111]

i have noticed that all her videos ahave something majorly wrong like this one tight grip....... loosin it a bit when you canter or trot it may fell uncomfertable.... its either the teacher doesnt know how to ride or the student is doing evey thing wrong and the teacher doesnt know

[@eneawolf3633]

olivia rose no,she is riding enflish she has to have them like that.

[@thatsASHLEYallstar]

0:35 weird face

[@Nenasos]

I am eight years old and l am going to learn how to ride a hores

[@SeriouslySeriousGrim]

How are you doing now? It's been 6 years since you wrote this.

[@Anastasia2048]

Sorry but I find it funny that she said Game Boy. Haha, non gamers think everything is called a gameboy.

[@jjcraft7947]

Riens are way to tight he could barely lift his head

[@HBananz]

FFFAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLL

[@brooke2771]

THAT POOR HORSE!!!!! Your holding th reins too tight! You're making me really mad, that horse was jerking hi head, this clearly is miscommunication between horse and rider. You COULDN'T EVEN hold the horse STILL!!!!!!

[@daretofly1999]

The reins weren't too short.

[@brooke2771]

daretofly1999 I dont ride like that. Maybe its because we may do different horse sports, but everyone who say this agreed with me

[@daretofly1999]

Its called contact, and you never know what that specific horse needs. ;)

[@britneyholt329]

I agree with you, I have always been taught that when you are standing still or walking the reins must be loose. If the horse tends to want to go fast then keep the reins a little tight but not pulling on the mouth. At the trot and canter the reins are supposed to be tight but with a little bit a slack so it's not pulling on the mouth, same with jumping. My friend told a story that her friend was riding and she pulled too hard on the horses mouth while jumping and it cut the horses lips an inch deep.

[@erika6768]

I agree. The horse is probably feeling uncomfortable

[@23xiii]

those reins were being held to tight. i bet the at horses mouth was sore.

[@eneawolf3633]

23xiii no, she is riding english she has to have them like that.

[@MrMethadrine]

why chicks like horses?

[@jessicajines13]

the reins are way to tight!

[@eneawolf3633]

Jess Jones for me no cause i have to have them like that.

[@JustCallMeHorse]

Lol no bridging of the reins... Not good for horse's mouth or control as hands be all over the place.

[@gracelui6944]

Im cringing at the way she says half halt

[@purdeythedog]

STOP HOLDING THE REINS SO TIGHT! She does it every time and the tearcher lady isn't even correcting it.

[@eneawolf3633]

asinglestep its not tight you probably ride westren cause in english riding you HAVE TO HAVE THE REINS TIGHT TO KEEP A CONTACT BEETWEEN THE RIDER AND THE HORSES MOUTH

[@10mdawn]

Hmm...it should be titled How NOT to Hold the Reins..

[@eneawolf3633]

Miranda no, its the dressage way of holding them cause i have to hild them like that and allot of people too.

[@crazyformisty123]

this wont help western riders.