For all you horse lovers- What does "give" with your hands mean?

Question

I am learning to ride and I was reading a book andthat phrase came up! Please help!

Answer 1

you'll hear things like "give him his head" and 'hold your reins with a little give" constantly in the horseworld. when you hear/read 'give' think 'slack' or 'loosen.' When you give with the reins, you are usually lowering your hands and/or letting a little rein slide towards his head, giving the horse more rein between the bit and your hands.

You can also 'give' with your leg pressure on either side of the horse. when you are riding a horse that communicates through leg pressure as well as through his head and neck, the leg you are not pressing on him is 'giving' space for him to move into, while the other leg is pressing him to shift his weight away.

ultimately, when you 'give' with any part of your body, you are giving the horse more control over his motion and, with a well-broke horse, giving him room to settle into his steps more easliy than if you were to sit there in his mouth, directing every breath he takes.

-and when you 'give,' it's universal. i'm a barrel racer, my best friend is a hunter/jumper, and i ride with dressage girls who stall at my barn. everybody gives. hope i helped a little

Answer 2

give the horse the bit more, by loosening the reins. soft hands.

Answer 3

to give a bit more reins to the horse or to let the horse use its head more.