Conference noted::equitation

2+2 methods

  1. Old French Academic method 
        left Snaffle between Thumb & Index finger of left hand
        left Curb outside Pinky of left hand
        right Snaffle between Thumb & Index finger of right hand
        right Curb outside Pinky of right hand
  2. Modern French Academic method
        left Snaffle between Thumb & Index finger of left hand
        left Curb outside Pinky of left hand
	right Snaffle between Middle and Ring fingers of right hand
        right Curb between Ring finger & Pinky of right hand

	The offset position of the reins in this method is said to
	allow you to combine the reins into one hand more easily if you 
	want the curb reins in the lower part of the hand and the
	snaffle reins in the top part of the hand. See the French Academic 
	methods described in the 4+0 section. For example, with French 
	Academic #2, one could simply take the right hand reins and put 
	them into the same spot in the left hand!

  3. Neoclassic method # 1
        left Snaffle between Index & Middle fingers of left hand
        left Curb between Ring finger & Pinky of left hand
        right Snaffle between Index & Middle fingers of right hand
        right Curb between Ring finger & Pinky of right hand
  4. Neoclassic method # 2
        left Snaffle outside Pinky of left hand
        left Curb between Ring finger & Pinky of left hand
        right Snaffle outside Pinky of right hand
        right Curb between Ring finger & Pinky of right hand
  5. Neoclassic method # 3
        left Snaffle between Ring finger & Pinky of left hand
        left Curb outside Pinky of left hand
        right Snaffle between Ring finger & Pinky of right hand
	right Curb outside Pinky of right hand
  6. Neoclassic method # 4
        left Snaffle between Ring finger & Pinky of left hand
	left Curb between Middle and Ring fingers of left hand
        right Snaffle between Ring finger & Pinky of right hand
        right Curb between Middle and Ring fingers of right hand

3+1 methods

  1. European Military method(Still in use esp at Spanish Riding School)
        left Snaffle outside Pinky of left hand
        left Curb between Ring finger & Pinky of left hand
        right Curb between Middle & Ring fingers of *left* hand 
        right Snaffle between Middle & Ring fingers of right hand(i.e. the 
	      same way you would hold the right rein of a snaffle bridle

4+0 methods
  1. Military method(U.S. and European)
        left Snaffle outside Pinky of left hand
        left Curb between Ring finger & Pinky of left hand
        right Curb between Middle & Ring fingers of *left* hand
        right Snaffle between Index & Middle fingers of *left* hand
        This is simply the 3+1 method with the the right snaffle moved 
	into the left hand at the only empty spot between fingers!
  2. French Academic method #1
        left AND right Snaffles between Thumb & Index of left hand
        left Curb outside Pinky of left hand
        right Curb between Middle & Ring fingers of left hand
  3. French Academic method #2
	left Snaffle between Thumb & Index of left hand
	right Snaffle between Index & Middle fingers of left hand
        right Curb between Middle & Ring fingers of left hand
        left Curb outside Pinky of left hand

    I got so confused reading all the different finger positions, that I
    just had to double my phone cord and pick it up like a set of reins
    to remember how I hold them!  (sad, very sad)  Anyway, the way 
    saddleseat riders hold 4 reins is l&r snaffle rein outside pinky,
    l&r curb rein between pinky and ring finger, both across palm and
    held between thumb and index finger.
    

    Gwen,
    
    Re "I got so confused" :-) Think how confused I got proof-reading it! ;-)
    
    I thought most saddleseat riders held their reins that way. However, I
    wasn't sure which way was "standard" because I know a saddleseat rider 
    who switches the reins around for some horses: curb outside pinky and 
    snaffle between pinky and ring finger.
    
    

I was recently asked why I thought the classical "3-in-1" manner of
holding the reins of a double bridle was a better choice for dressage.
The person who asked also wanted me to describe the method. Here's what
I said:

There are several practical reasons why I feel that both curb reins are
best held in the left hand for dressage. I'll list them and then quote 
a couple paragraphs from Alois Podhajsky's "The Riding Teacher" because 
it has a good description of the technique. Podhajsky is *very* pedantic 
about the "3-in-1" method so take his comments with that in mind. 

My own teacher also insisted on this method when I started working my 
horse in a double bridle. So, I confess that I only even tried riding with 
divided reins 6-7 years ago. Now, I occassionally ride with divided 
reins when I take my horse out for a hack on the trails. She loves hacking
and sometimes gets quite strong if I take her out in just a snaffle. Divided
reins work well there. In the arena, I prefer the "3-in-1" method.

Practical reasons to use "3-in-1":
	1. It's easier to get the same tension in both curb reins that way.
	   Even green horses go better when the snaffle reins are held in 
	   one hand. Why? Because it's about the only way we humans can get
	   the tension in each rein exactly even. 
	2. With both curb reins in the left hand, the rider's hands will
	   usually be in lighter contact with the horse's mouth. In general, 
           horses go better with lighter contact. Far too many people ride 
           their horses "front to back" due to heavy contact(e.g. Carole 
           Lavell said in an interview that she didn't learn to ride Gifted 
           "back to front" until she spent the season in Germany)
	3. Curbs have a tendency to twist in the mouth if the are used two
           handed. This is why people consider jointed Pelhams and Tom Thumb
	   "snaffles" to be severe bits especially when they are used 
	   2 handed. 
	4. Because the curb is a leverage bit and usually unjointed, it is 
           difficult to use a curb to give one sided aids so I see no 
	   advantage to dividing the reins for dressage work.
	5. It's *easy* to go from 3-in-1 to riding with all 4 reins in
           one hand which will make your advanced Kurs that much more 
           impressive! ;-)

Podhajsky's comments in "The Riding Teacher"(pp. 132-134):

"When changing from the snaffle to the double bridle, the pupil must adapt 
himself to guiding his horse with four reins - curb reins and snaffle reins.
It is to the student's advantage to at least explain to him the classical way 
of holding the reins, today often called "three in one." The right hand
holds one rein and the left, three. When mounting, the curb rein is left 
lying on the horse's neck and the rider mounts, using the snaffle rein as was
explained on pages 40-41. When in the saddle, he takes both curb reins in his 
left hand, separating them by the third finger[my comment: usually the right 
curb rein is between the 2nd & 3rd fingers & left curb between 3rd and 
little fingers], and shortens them with his right hand until contact is 
established. The left snaffle rein is taken into the same hand, separated 
from the curb rein by the little finger. The right snaffle rein is passed 
between the little finger and third finger of the right hand(as when riding 
in a snaffle alone) and applied. The left hand is formed into a fist and 
carried with a rounded wrist in front of the middle of the body just above 
the pommel of the sadlle. The right hand is held near the left one, the ends 
of the reins hanging freely between the right snaffle rein and the right 
side of the horse's neck. It is important that all four reins be evenly 
applied; therefore, the rider must correct the length of reins with his 
right hand in the course of his lesson. When riding with a double bridle, 
the rider is to wear spurs and always hold the whip in his right hand.

For the action of the left [snaffle] rein or a left turn, the left hand with
the 3 reins is turned to the right in such a way that the little finger 
points toward the right hip of the rider. Meanwhile, the right hand gives the
right snaffle rein by a slight turn to the front. The action of the right
rein is obtained by a turn of the left hand to the left, the little finger 
moving away from the rider's body. At the asme time, the right hand is turned
toward the rider's lef thip.

For some time since the F.E.I. declared the way of holding the reins 
"optional," the inventiveness of riders has created a number of different 
ways to guide a riding horse, mostly consisting of separating the curb reins 
and holding them together with the snaffle reins, that is, left curb and left 
snaffle reins in the left hand and right curb and right snaffle in the right 
hand. This kind of guidance causes the horse to take a much stronger contact
with the bit, especially when the rider separates his hands, holding them at
a distance from each other. As a consequence, the horse loses the suppleness
in his reactions to the rein aids which the rider can no longer apply in
delicate nuances. Furthermore, it becomes a problem to guide the horse with
one hand, though this should be one of the main objects in riding, the 
distant goal, as it were, of the schooling of the riding horse. It is the
clasical way of holding the reins - three in one - that permits the rider
to guide the horse delicately with one hand. In fact, in the past century this
technique was obligatory in most European cavalry schools.[my comment: that's
an irrelevant comment because, obviously, cavalry troops hand practical 
reasons for riding with one hand...namely they had to use weapons with the 
other!]

The effect of the double bridle being so much more severe, it demands an 
especially light hand and much sensitiveness and tact on the part of the rider.
For this reason, the riding teacher should allow the use of the curb bit only
upon mature consideration to those pupils who are particularly talented and 
working toward a higher goal, and only when preparing themselves for a 
competition. After the show, the snaffle should be used again and it[i.e. the
snaffle] should by all means be given preference for the daily work."

Hope that is clear. 

John