I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Last night Nicole from Team Amelia stepped in to teach a super helpful session on soft hands, following elbows, and how your alignment and seat create the foundation for everything. If you have ever struggled to keep your hands steady, wondered why your elbows lock, or felt like your horse braces when you pick up the contact, this Q&A has so many clear explanations and practical tips you can take straight to the saddle.

Why soft hands start in your seat

Nicole breaks down how your alignment affects your entire arm position and shows why your hands cannot stay quiet unless your seat is absorbing the horse’s motion. She explains the difference between following elbows in walk and canter versus your elbows in the trot and how to feel the movement through your core instead of through your reins.

How to actually teach your horse to listen to lighter aids

Instead of pulling or fussing with the reins, she explains the simple sequence of fingers, wrist, elbow and how horses learn to respond to the smallest whisper when the progression is consistent. She also explains why soft hands are not loose hands and how subtlety always depends on the clarity of your seat.

Understanding the training scale

If your horse feels heavy, braced, or inconsistent in the connection, she explains how the issue rarely starts in the hands. She walks through the steps of the training scale and explains how each layer influences the feeling in your reins.

Following the motion in each gait

She uses her famous shoelace demo to show why your elbows must open and close in walk and canter and why locked elbows in canter lead to tension and loss of balance. She also shares practical tips for keeping your hands from posting with your body in the trot.

Fixing common problems

She also shared some tips for fixing some common problems many riders experience such as reins slipping, how to supple the inside rein when holding a whip, how to feel the horse’s mouth without pulling on it, how to avoid hollowing your back when you bring your shoulders back, and more useful tips!

Coming up

If this Q&A got you thinking about how much your seat influences your hands, my Independent Seat Webinar will take you even deeper, it's at 8am PT on Friday 28th November. RSVP Here! I'll cover how to ride from your core, absorb movement without collapsing, and more! I hope to see you there!

Happy riding

Amelia