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Elbows 
It's 10 o'clock; do you know where your elbows are?

Elbows are a really interesting thing.  In some ways, they're very simple.  In other ways, they're very misunderstood.

To begin with, do you know whether your elbow is attached to your forearm or your upper arm?  If you don't know right off the bat, it only takes a moment or so to sort this out.  Grab hold of the bony part of your elbow.  If you feel up your arm and down your arm, you can find where the bones go.  The bone attached to your elbow, the ulna, is the one you want on the bottom.  Even during riding.  

footnote: Netter has done some fabulous work!  I actually own these cards; they are fabulous!  but I lifted this pic off the internet.

Where do you put your elbows when you're riding?

Most folks are initially taught to put their hands at the wither.  This is because it's a place on the horse that often maintains the same distance from the horse's mouth.  (Because a lot of horses have been schooled with side reins  attached near there and have learned to keep their mouths stationary at the end of the side reins.)  

It also assumes that the rider has the correct torso:arm length ratio for making this functional.

It's also a place where new riders can steady themselves, with the idea it's better to put weight on the hands on the withers when learning to ride.  

You'll notice there's a lot of 'ifs.'

One of things which often happens when a rider puts their hands 'on the wither' is that the elbows are now in front of the body.  This is not good.  

Check it out.

Put your elbows ahead of your body with your hands out in front of you like you're putting a tray on a counter.  Now hold this.  Hold it some more.  How's your lower back doing?  How're your upper shoulders doing?  Where does your weight go?  Into your seat or up into your chest? Are you starting to tip at all?  (notice this the next time you're on a horse!)

Now line your elbows up with the seams on your shirt and hold your hands in front of you a little higher than your elbows.  Now hold this.  Hold it some more.   How's your lower back doing?  How're your upper shoulders doing?  Where does your weight go?  Into your seat or up into your chest?  Are you starting to tip at all?  (notice this the next time you're on a horse!)  Are you more secure?

Next question: are your elbows moving?

Now, what do you do with your elbows?  This is a joint!  Joints move.  Do your elbows move when you ride?  Do they open and close?

This is what a lot of elbows do:

These elbows aren't bending, and what happens is the hand goes up and down.  Usually not at all in sync with the horse's mouth.

This shows the hand lifting as the elbow oscillates behind the plumb line and dropping as the elbow oscillates in front of the plumb line.  This is a little exaggerated for illustrative purposes; however, next time you're on the horse, notice if the movements, which are smaller, are similar to this.  This is also more indicative of a walk on a loose rein where the horse has its head down.  This is where you'll get the most movement and you can practice finding your joints.

Where you put your hand depends upon where your horse's mouth is.  

On a high level horse, the hands will rest parallel to the ground and move up. 

Ideally there is a straight line between the elbow and the horse's mouth at all times.

What's the benefit of this?

When you allow your shoulders and elbows to move, you communicate to the horse that they are expected to be moving their shoulders and elbows.  Goodness.
When you stiffen your elbows and shoulders, you communicate to the horse that they are expected to stiffen their elbows and shoulders.  Badness.

An Approach

One of the concepts I find the most beneficial comes from swimming the crawl properly.   When you're pulling your arm out of the water, the movement is led with the elbow.  When you stretch your arm forward, the movement is led with your hand.  This alternating reach - elbow to the back, hand to the mouth, guides the arm as well.

Another concept is dueling rubber bands.  One is connected from the elbow to the tail and the  other is connected from the hand to the mouth.   They take turns pulling the forearm.  The trick to this is to allow the image to move your arm.

There are a bunch of other concepts, too, and there's a lot more to how to hold the hand, how to free the shoulder, how to do all kinds of things!

Interested?  Call or email or pm and and set up a lesson!  This is what I teach.  Let me share with you how to use these concepts for greater  understanding and harmony with your horse.  The fabulous rides follow.

Lynn 
Centered Riding Instructor & Level III Clinician 

Books: Amazon Assoc. / Old Favs

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