| When teaching my beginner jump student one | | | | those riding very forward cross country, bridging |
| day, her horse was becoming a bit strong over | | | | the reins also helps riders who have the bad habit |
| fences. Though she was sufficiently capable of | | | | of opening their fingers and allowing the reins to |
| handling him, she was slightly concerned as she | | | | slip through their fingers or who are often losing |
| suffered muscle weakness in one arm from an | | | | contact for whatever reason. It helps the rider |
| old injury. That weakness sometimes prevented | | | | regain the contact without too much fuss and |
| her from maintaining consistent contact on both | | | | does not restrict the horse. It also helps riders |
| reins when she grew fatigued. | | | | consistently maintain contact when they are |
| It was then that I recalled a technique that my | | | | learning how to judge contact and when to fix it. |
| old jumper trainer had taught me when I was a | | | | Additionally, bridging the rein helps beginner riders |
| junior rider retraining an ex-racehorse--bridging my | | | | maintain awareness of where one hand is in |
| reins. Bridging my reins had then become a | | | | relation to the other; the technique assists in |
| subconscious effort whenever I was on a spooky | | | | keeping the correct spacing between hands as |
| horse or a strong mount that pulled over fences. | | | | well as keeping them from being held too high. |
| By bridging my reins, I had greater security and | | | | Riders who fuss too much with their reins can |
| consistent contact. My hands didn't grow harder, | | | | benefit from the technique as well as fussy |
| but they had a backup now. And the technique | | | | horses who are affected by inconsistent contact. |
| allowed me to maintain greater control over the | | | | Reins can also be bridged to just one hand so |
| position of the horse. | | | | that you can ride single handedly over jumps. |
| To bridge your reins, you hold them as you would | | | | Doing so helps the rider maintain her own balance |
| normally but then turn your hands slightly to face | | | | and helps keep her from leaning on the horse's |
| thumbs briefly as you adjust your reins to the | | | | neck. It also helps in exercises for building |
| bridge. As the rein passes through your thumb | | | | independent aids, such as jumping with one hand |
| and finger, it now goes across your horse's neck | | | | out to the side. To bridge the reins to the single |
| to the other hand, where it also goes through | | | | hand, hold the outside rein normally as you would, |
| your thumb and finger. Doing so on both reins | | | | then place your inside rein over the top of the |
| now allows for a bridge. Then return your hands | | | | outside. |
| to the normal position while maintaining the bridge. | | | | Bridging the reins is a good technique to try when |
| Bridging the reins gives the rider a bit more | | | | you need more security or when you need to |
| security with horses that try to pull the reins | | | | work on maintaining your hands as independent |
| from their hands. A common technique used by | | | | aids. |