horse riding elbows
Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

You might need to work on your elbows for a very long time. Elbows are often not something that we worry about, but when it comes down to it, there are many factors that go into having still upper arms but flexible elbows. Good control of your elbows play a key role in developing and then keeping a supple yet effective connection with the horse's mouth.

Quite a lot of flexibility is required from the joint; the opening and closing of the elbow, in relation to your horse's movement is something that can only be achieved through enough practice to develop muscle memory. Of course, different disciplines have somewhat different requirements. For example, jumping requires a reaching forward of the arm in order to give the horse's neck plenty of room to extend over a jump. In dressage, the elbows need to stay fairly stationary and supple without coming off the body.

We'll focus on dressage elbows here. Put simply, your upper arm should hang vertically along your torso. In theory, it shouldn't be ahead of the body, nor behind the body. Here's the tough part: it should stay there. 

When done correctly, it looks like nothing. But there are a lot of factors involved in keeping vertical, supple elbows. If you squeeze your elbows too tightly, your arms become rigid and the hands end up being too wide. If you turn your wrists down, your elbows come off the body ("chicken elbows"). 🙂

If you reach too far forward, your elbows straighten too much and your balance is compromised. If you hold your elbows sideways off your body, they move with the horse's gait and the hands "bounce".

The elbows are easy to forget about because after you've developed some muscle memory, they will feel like they are vertical when in fact, they aren't. It helps to have a ground person describe what your elbows are doing while the horse is moving, so you can learn to feel them and know when you need to change something. 




You'll have to ride with awareness, noticing your forearm and hand positions, and then relate them to the elbows. Feel for the elbows on your sides, notice how tight or loose they are and focus on opening and closing them as needed in the movement of the horse. Use these specific tips and get feedback when you can!

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions. 

This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.

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Horse Listening Book 4
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Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
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From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book
"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.
Riding gives us the place to just be.
Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.
But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."
And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.
This book is geared toward the rider:
- the rider's motivations
- the essential skills for the rider
- some specific strategies
- solutions to common problems
- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience
Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!
Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available as an eBook or paperback.