The Hand of the Rider

Dressage in the 21st Century

In answer to questions from my students regarding what is meant by the good hand of the rider I would like to explain the following:

Many authors have written hundreds of pages on this subject. For that reason I will try to be succinct, concise and to the point.

The hand of the rider is without doubt one of the parts of our body with the most highly developed tactile sensitivity, and through the action of the hand we are in direct contact

           with the area of the horse with the greatest sensitivity – the 

           mouth.

The hand is both a receptor and a transmitter and at the same time a corrector. It should be stable and micro dynamic. In other words, it is a meeting point. When you actively close the hand it corrects loss of balance and should open when balance is restored. It vibrates to destroy resistance or loss of physical or mental concentration. It is raised or lowered to facilitate collection or elongation. The hand supports the contact and keeps it stable and

elastic. And by totally releasing the contact (descente de main) can be used to check the real quality of the energy and impulsion coming from the hindquarters of the horse.

And then again it recovers that contact without loss of rhythm, balance, impulsion, concentration and communication. And finally it is the hand that with a little caress says thank you to the horse.

In summary, the hand of the rider is the reflection of the rider’s position, quietness, correctness of aides, technique, knowledge, experience, sensitivity and capacity to interpret,listen to and feel the horse. In other words, the good hand defines without doubt the equestrian sensitivity of the rider.

Ricardo Reis

2016-11-20, Arlanda Airport, Stockholm, Sweden