OPTIHAND "basis" - Learning aid for beginners

For stabilization and as a handhold during first lunge lessons. This tool shows significant advantages in comparison to the traditional method of beginners holding onto the saddle strap.

Materials: wood, stainless steel snap-hook, webbing
Weight (without straps): 163 g

Application in the first lunge lessons:

• Optihand Basis offers a very good support due to being fastened to the saddle on both sides and due to the very robust construction.
• Upright hands, angled elbows and straight back are learned from the very beginning.
• No more hands facing downwards, outstretched arms and rounded backs that can often be seen when holding onto the saddle strap.
• When practicing riding freehand the tool can simply be laid down on the horse´s neck.

Application for riders beginning to ride with the reins in hand:

• During first attempts to ride with reins in hand prevents the rider from pulling on the reins and thus hurting the horse´s sensitive mouth when losing his balance.
• Helps the rider to stabilize himself when he has lost his balanced seat.
• The straps connecting the handle to the saddle can be lengthened until they have become superfluous.
• This way, the rider can learn by and by to move without fear on and with the horse without needing to hold on – the basis for a balanced seat independent of the rein.

Mistakes that riders become accustomed to in their basic training will impede progress in later stages of learning and are very difficult to correct. Therefore, it is of the essence to learn a correct seat and hand position from the very beginning!

Major difference between Optihand Basis and Optihand Evolution:

• Optihand Basis is fixed to the saddle by means of two adjustable straps with hooks. Therefore, this tool offers a great vertical and horizontal stability to the novice rider.
• Optihand Basis does not have rotatable handles, since in the very beginning of the learning process these are not needed.
• Optihand Basis is not suitable for advanced riders, as at more advanced stage of training the rider needs a more flexible hand. Therefore, Optihand Evolution should be used in such cases to convey the right feeling for the rein aids.
• Optihand Evolution consists of a U-shaped construction made of stainless steel with soft padded handles; Optihand Basis is a sturdy wooden handle.

Detailed Information about both Optihand Tools:

Optihand Evolution can be delivered in two different sizes, e.g. for adults/children or if a somewhat wider distance between the hands holding the reins is desired.

Optihand Basis helps beginners to internalize the correct position of the hands right from the start. Since novice riders need to hold onto something during their first lunge lessons, they are often told to take the saddle strap. But this necessarily results in a downward facing position of the hands. The low position of the saddle strap also promotes an undesirable rounded back and a tendency towards a chair seat. When using Optihand, the rider has something to hold onto and simultaneously learns to hold and position his hands correctly. This positioning also promotes an upright, balanced seat.

Later, during lunge or riding lessons, when starting to ride with reins in hand, inexperienced riders can easily lose their balance and unknowingly start pulling on the reins, hurting the horse´s sensitive mouth. This can be avoided by using Optihand. The straps fastened to the saddle with hooks enable the rider to stabilize himself quickly and regain his balance. They can be lengthened throughout the course of the learning process until Optihand is no longer needed.

Advanced students who have developed bad habits in the hand position and in the use of the reins (such as pulling rhythmically from left to right and vice versa, hands facing downwards etc.) can also benefit from using Optihand. The handles rotate so that the student can specifically train the giving and taking of the reins by twisting the handles in an upright position and with relaxed wrists. The soft, rubbery padding can convey even more subtle rein aids by gently pressing the hands. Very often, riders do not notice how much they bother their horses with hand movements that are too strong, unilateral or otherwise incorrect. In such cases Optihand can give valuable impulses if used for demonstration or correction purposes for short intervals during riding lessons and lessons schooling the rider´s seat. In most cases it is much more effective to feel the correct motion pattern than to get a mere verbal correction.