# How to hold the lines?



## disneyhorse (Jun 26, 2012)

Is there a "proper" way or is anything okay? We are having an argument here.... I'd like more education...


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## disneyhorse (Jun 26, 2012)

I know this has been discussed a long while ago but can't find any old threads... :/


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## Sandee (Jun 26, 2012)

You're going to get several different yet correct answers. It depends on the way or who instructed you. Most people bring the lines into the hand from the bottom, up thru and out the top with the little finger resting either on the line or the line resting between the little finger and the third finger so you can put small amounts of pressure on the line just by crooking a finger. The lines go out the top of the hand and held in place by the tumb resting on the middle of the first finger. Arms bent at the elbow with a line from the elbow to the horse's mouth (not so easy on some minis). Elbows close to the body (Not stiff). Wrists straight not bent. If you've ever been taught to ride English, this is the way most/many English riders hold their reins for riding.


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## disneyhorse (Jun 26, 2012)

This is how I'm familiar with.

Most people I'm coming across at the moment are holding them with the bit end coming between the forefinger and thumb and then the bight down through the hand. I don't understand this. There is no finesse in the hand (just pulling from the shoulder?) and how do you gather your lines up or additionally hold a whip (the whips are in the sockets)? They just say "it's comfortable" but I am not seeing a benefit.


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## Jill (Jun 26, 2012)

Not through your fist! Which I see so often especially with minis... IMO, the correct way to hold lines is threaded through between your ring and pinky fingers and out the "top" of your hand between thumb and pointing finger....

This might be the thread you remembered? http://www.miniature...opic=67801&st=0

I cannot imagine "soft" or "quiet" hands the way I see many, if not most, people driving minis. Mine go on such a light touch, barely a twitch is needed to cue and how could hands be soft when the reins are fisted? Anyway... maybe I'm wrong but I apparently felt the same way back in 2006 on the prior thread


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## Sandee (Jun 26, 2012)

Just hanging onto the reins as you've described, disney, is the way they might have seen in movie or maybe they've had no training at all. Another pet peeve I have is people slapping the horse with the reins to get them to move. Have they never been taught that those reins are the driver's "words" to the horse and that hitting them with them would be like screaming at your friend and then expecting a polite reply!


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## disneyhorse (Jun 26, 2012)

Ah yes you guys... Thanks!!! I am a pretty picky person and I don't think everyone is as meticulous as I am...


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## brasstackminis (Jun 27, 2012)

Oh...one thing I have found, and still not sure why. My driving trainers (most drive primarily not minis) do NOT put the reins between the pinky and the ring finger. They still hold the reins like riding English, but they don't put the reins between the fingers...not sure why. The trainers do lots of CDE and Pleasure driving...multiple hitches as well...not sure if it is related to any of that or not...


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## Cricket8 (Jun 27, 2012)

I always thought it would be the way you would ride a horse that doesn't neck rein or riding English. Between the pinky and the ring finger. That's the way I drive and that's the way I see most of the people driving out here besides for the racehorses where you have handholds.


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## Minimor (Jun 29, 2012)

I was originally taught to hold the lines so that they come down from the top of my hand and out the bottom of my hand...many people had them under the first finger and then down through the hand. In Morgans I don't recall seeing anyone hold their driving lines the same way they would hold the reins when riding hunt seat. Many people did use hand holds, but those that didn't held the lines with the free end coming out the bottom of the hand. It works. (Of course if you drive one handed then the position of the lines through the hand is different again.)

When I started driving the Minis, I found that I preferred to hold the lines the same way I held my snaffle reins--under the ring finger & up through the hand--a very familiar position, more secure grip and a lighter feel of the horse's mouth. In actual fact you can have as light a feel of the mouth with the reins the other way--for me it was mostly the more familiar position since I rode hunt seat/dressage so much for so many years.


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## Performancemini (Jun 29, 2012)

Like practically everyone's said; I prefer the reins "english riding" style-through the pinky & ring finger and up and over the top of the hand with the thumb securing the rein. I took some lessons at a exellent Morgan show farm and they, as stated, used the down through the index and middle finger method. I got used to it; but ended up going back to the above as I , too, find there is more lightness and finesse doing it that way. I feel the horse responds much better; especially a good light mouthed horse.


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## Farina (Jun 30, 2012)

I prefer the Achenbach style like to be used at CDE's (at least here in Europe). It was developed especially for safe driving.


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## Flying minis (Jun 30, 2012)

Jill said:


> Not through your fist! Which I see so often especially with minis... IMO, the correct way to hold lines is threaded through between your ring and pinky fingers and out the "top" of your hand between thumb and pointing finger....
> 
> This might be the thread you remembered? http://www.miniature...opic=67801&st=0
> 
> I cannot imagine "soft" or "quiet" hands the way I see many, if not most, people driving minis. Mine go on such a light touch, barely a twitch is needed to cue and how could hands be soft when the reins are fisted? Anyway... maybe I'm wrong but I apparently felt the same way back in 2006 on the prior thread


I drive both ways. However, I will argue it is very easy to have a soft hand when driving with a fist - you can have a harder or softer closed fist quite easily. Want an example? Go grab a sponge, put it in your fist, and squeeze it to varying degrees. THAT is the type of pressure used when driving with a fist - not pulling. Either way is acceptable, and to me it just depends what you are comfortable with. Having said that, once you start with multiples, you'll generally want to use the "english riding" method, especially once you move past a team. . .


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