correct hands

[kp]

I am looking for some pointers. i am looking for some tips to give my son to hold his hands still please when trotting. Thanks

[belmont]

Is his hands moving up and down or slipping thro the reins?

Maybe try the coloured reins so he holds a certain colour and if you pop a neck strap around the pony neck and encourage him to keep his hands near the neck strap when he rises.

Also either leading or on the lunge, take is reins off him and encourage him where to carrry his hands without the reins and explain whatever is hands do on the reins will do the same with the bit in the pony mouth - so for example if his hands move up and down so will the bit in pony mouth so when he can keep his hands still without reins he can hold the reins again?

[kp]

thank you for your advice. His hands are moving up and down - i will put your advice into practice. thank you again. Kirsty

[domane]

Or tie a short piece of baler twine to the D-ring on the saddle by the stirrup leathers and get him to hold it (not a loop though!)?

[jeanslater]

A little thin strap or something similar across the D rings is great , ask you little boy to put his little finger under it, this will give him help in keeping his hands still

[kayleigh]

Another trip I'd to unfasten the Velcro keeper straps on the saddlecloth/Numnah (the ones that fasten to the girth straps if you know what I mean) and get him to hold these in his hand along with the reins, stops hands being able to go upwards x.

[Mum, skivvy, groom, driver]

similar thought- does anybody have any ideas how to make a child keep hold of his reins, no matter what we do, my son has no contact at all!!!
i heard there is some sort of gadget u can put on reins so they hold them in right place

[nici]

All our reins have knots in, to show the kids where they should be holding them. They know that it varies depending on what work / pace they're doing, however it's a good guide for them while they're still so young (8 & 9).

[Mum, skivvy, groom, driver]

for some reason this doesnt work, the knots seem to move further down the reins!!!

[jeanslater]

May 10, 2012 17:02:00 GMT nici said:

All our reins have knots in, to show the kids where they should be holding them. They know that it varies depending on what work / pace they're doing, however it's a good guide for them while they're still so young (8 & 9).

lol, we had two knots in each rein, a walk knot and a trot knot , mind you need real fine reins, but it does help - the velcro idea is a good one also also but you could find him holding his hands out.

[bow1607]

I remember when I was younger I was on the lunge with no reins, a cup in each hand half filled with water.
Didn't take me long to keep my hands still lol

[catkin]

How old is the child?

[Kaseyleigh]

Try a whip under his thumbs and see how that goes if you put the whip horizontal under his thumbs.

[GinaGeo]

May 24, 2012 14:42:38 GMT Kaseyleigh said:

Try a whip under his thumbs and see how that goes if you put the whip horizontal under his thumbs.

^This

I went through a stage when my hands simply did as they pleased, no matter how hard I tried. We decided in the end it was down to a growth spurt and the fact that my co-ordination (which isn't the best in the first place!) abandoned me temporarily. I was older than your son though, probably about 14. But the same could well be happening for him.

I found a whip a little too long and chunky, but we located a stick from a tree, about 30cm long that did the job beautifully. We fondly named it the magic twig - I've still got it somewhere! ;D

[watchbank]

I used to have a coloured reins and just schooled by my mother on my riding pony sit up hands down.. still rings through my brain now lol!!