A well-ridden give and retake of the reins reveals that your horse is able to sustaining self-carriage and steadiness with out relying in your arms to carry them up. It additionally assessments the rider’s reliance on their arms for management, emphasising the significance of an unbiased seat and legs.
Consider the motion as a diagnostic device for judges. A horse on the forehand will stumble or lose its steadiness when the reins are given. This reveals a reliance on the rider’s arms.
Whereas, a horse that struggles to simply accept the contact would possibly react by turning into tense or shortening its stride. Moreover, if a horse isn’t spherical over its again, the give and retake may cause it to hole and lift its head.
The give and retake of the reins is launched from the earliest ranges and continues to be seen in dressage assessments as much as superior medium. Nevertheless, it’s a motion riders typically wrestle to carry out nicely, with feedback like “no give and retake proven” blotting check sheets up and down the nation.
What are the judges searching for?
The British Dressage (BD) members’ handbook states that judges are searching for riders to push their arms ahead in the direction of the bit, clearly releasing the contact “via exhibiting a loop within the rein from the hand to the bit” earlier than retaking the contact.
It provides that the motion of the arms have to be “steady and achieved over two or three strides” and that the horse should “keep in steadiness, holding the identical rhythm, stage of engagement, suppleness of the again.”
Give and retake is usually misinterpreted as permitting the horse to stretch down, however that’s not the case. Moderately, the choose desires to see every little thing stay the identical for 2 to 3 strides when you launch the contact.
A great give-and-retake needs to be clean and never rushed.
To trip an excellent give and retake, the horse needs to be in steadiness. This implies making certain the horse is taking their weight on the hindlegs as a lot as attainable, earlier than driving the motion.
“It’s the steadiness which you’ll trip them into it that dictates the standard of the motion,” explains Gareth Hughes. “Think about the start of each motion because the strategy to a showjumping fence – you need to set the horse as much as carry out it accurately.”
After exhibiting the give, your horse ought to look snug while you retake the reins, with nothing altering of their method of going.
What to not do
Keep away from letting your physique tip ahead an excessive amount of. Doing so will push your horse onto their forehand and lead to them dropping their head or speeding ahead. When releasing the contact, don’t let your reins get an excessive amount of longer and don’t thrust them forwards.
As an alternative, give your hand forwards consistent with the bit. For most individuals, straightening your arms is sufficient to obtain a noticeable loop. Nevertheless, riders with shorter arms would possibly wrestle to point out a transparent loop with out leaning ahead barely.
Additionally, attempt to not elevate your arms up through the launch. This isn’t a launch; all it does is change the angle of the contact.
Take care to not trip the give half for too lengthy. Using it for too many strides will increase the probabilities the horse will turn into disconnected and lose steadiness. The most effective give and retakes are brief and candy – however not rushed.
A useful tip is to interrupt the motion down into elements, over 4 or 5 strides. For instance, in stride one you’ll be giving the rein, shifting the hand ahead. Depend out strides two and three – or 4 for the bold – within the give. Then on the final stride of your sequence, easily retake.
Apply, observe, observe…
The give-and-retake isn’t just a check motion, additionally it is a useful coaching train.
“In case your horse is in self-carriage you must have the ability to give and retake the reins with out him shedding steadiness, however how many individuals ever really do that at house?” asks Carl Hester.
“Incorporating it at house even for 3 strides at a time will enable you see the place you’re together with your coaching. It additionally permits your horse to loosen up in his mouth, serving to encourage him to chew the bit and turn into softer.”
German dressage legend, Christoph Hess agrees. “We need to at all times open via the throatlash, so the horse is at all times searching for the bit and takes a gentle contact,” he explains. “Particularly in tense horses – don’t be afraid to present that rein. When the horse will get increasingly open within the neck and the body, they’ll begin to swing extra over the again.”
For notably tense horses, Micheal Eilberg recommends driving a sq. and giving and retaking the reins within the corners.
“Don’t give and retake except you’re feeling you could have the horse collected,” he says. “This offers him the chance to run away with you and reveals him he can. If while you give the reins the horse places his head up or runs off, attempt simply giving the within rein quietly, holding the skin rein to half-halt.”
You might also be fascinated about…
Credit score: Rose Lewis Images
Credit score: Mike Jackson
Laura Tomlinson shares her prime novice coaching suggestions
Gareth Hughes and Basic Briolinca within the grand prix on the World Dressage Championships.
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Future
Horse & Hound journal, out each Thursday, is filled with all the most recent information and reviews, in addition to interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and coaching recommendation. Discover how one can benefit from the journal delivered to your door each week, plus choices to improve your subscription to entry our on-line service that brings you breaking information and reviews in addition to different advantages.
H&H dressage and sport horse editor
Oscar graduated from York St John College with a grasp’s diploma in Literature in 2021 and joined Horse & Hound in October 2023. Oscar labored for prime dressage rider Emile Faurie for 4 years after ending an equine administration course at school. Underneath Emile’s tutelage, Oscar competed on the 2015 Nationwide Dressage Championships and travelled with Emile’s horses to CDIs at Aachen, Vidauban, Saumur and Achlieiten. Oscar continues to compete in dressage, alongside his day job.
