SymmFit

13/03/2026

Most riders think the whole hand controls the rein.

But in reality, the ring finger is the finger that stabilises the contact.

What often happens instead is that the middle finger - or even the index finger - starts gripping the rein.

When that happens the contact becomes inconsistent without the rider realising why.

The first step is simply seeing what each finger is doing individually.

The Insight glove lines help make this visible, so you can clearly see which fingers are actually hooked around the rein and which ones are not.

Once you can see it, you can start to fix it!

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk

10/03/2026

👊 Many riders hold the reins in a tight fist grip without realising it.

When the hand closes tightly, the fingers grip strongly and the wrist often moves into extension. This naturally increases forearm tension and the hand can start to feel more fixed than elastic.

In contrast, a hook grip allows the rein to sit more in the fingers. The wrist can stay closer to neutral and the rider can make small adjustments with the fingers rather than gripping through the whole hand.

Something else that’s interesting is how wrist position changes what the body naturally recruits.

Certain wrist positions make it easier for the body to produce a strong grip (extension), while others (flexion) help riders feel and control the movement of the fingers more clearly.

In this exercise we change the wrist position to help riders:
• reduce the tendency to grip through the whole hand
• develop better awareness of finger movement
• improve wrist stability

As control improves, riders can start working on opening and closing the fingers in a more neutral wrist position with control, rather than holding a tight fist.

Developing controlled finger movement with a stable wrist helps create a softer, more adjustable rein contact for both horse and rider.

This is all part of the Riding Ready Movements we focus on. Riding requires you to be able to perform certain movements or activate and isolate specific body parts. If you can’t do this off the horse, it becomes much harder to do it in the saddle.

08/03/2026

Many riders end up riding with their wrists too close together and extended, often without realising it. This position can make the hands less stable and the rein contact less consistent as this changes the alignment from elbow to bit when looking from the front/above.

The aim is a more neutral wrist position - where the wrist, hand, and rein sit in a more natural alignment. This helps the rider maintain a steadier contact and clearer communication.

That’s where the lines and colours on the Insight gloves can really help.

The design gives riders clear visual indicators so they can quickly see when the wrists start moving into extension or when the hands come too close together. The lines act as guides, helping riders bring their hands back towards a more neutral and balanced position.

Instead of guessing what your hands are doing, the colours and lines make it easier to notice small changes and correct them sooner.

Sometimes improving your hand position isn’t just about being told what to do - it’s about being able to see it clearly.

I love how the Insight gloves help riders spot these details and understand how small adjustments can make a big difference to their riding.

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk

07/03/2026

📐The line from elbow to bit is about neutral wrist position

When we talk about the line from the elbow to the bit, we are really talking about allowing the wrist to stay in a neutral position.

If the wrist turns outwards, that straight line is broken. When that happens, the mechanics of the hand change. The muscles and tendons in the fingers and forearm no longer work in their strongest and most coordinated position.

This matters because the hand is not working in isolation. Rein contact, feel, and subtle adjustments all depend on the way the fingers and wrist can move.

The angle from the elbow to the bit will look different on different riders. A wider rider will naturally have their hands positioned wider than a narrower rider.

Problems often arise when riders are told to keep a fixed distance between the hands, such as a set number of inches apart/ears or bit distance apart , without understanding how that affects the wrist and forearm for the individual.

If the hands are forced too narrow, many riders will have to rotate the wrist inwards (pronation) or push them out (extension) to hold the reins - breaking the elbow to bit alignment and reducing effective hand function.

This is not about riding with wide hands. It is about riding with the correct width for your own anatomy, so the wrist can remain neutral and the hand can work properly.

When the wrist is neutral, the fingers can close, release, and communicate with the horse much more effectively 🙌.

It’s why I designed the SymmFit Insight gloves- to help give riders visual feedback about what their hands are doing.

07/03/2026

Gloves that help show you where your hands need to be? Yes please!

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk

27/02/2026

20/02/2026

The Core training top and Align Jods help you see your position in the saddle from all angles… when you see it, you can fix it 🙌

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk

03/02/2026

The lines on the sleeves make asymmetry much easier to see and often explain differences in rein contact.

Once you can see it… you can start to fix it 🙌

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk

02/02/2026

Thumb position is so important for how the hands work when riding.

A thumb twisted out or sitting off the rein means the small hand muscles have a much harder job stabilising the hand when the fingers need to give that elastic control.

The colours and lines on the Insight gloves help you see when the thumb is twisting or deviating to the side. The reinforced patch and touchscreen pad also make it easier to see which part of the thumb should be resting on the index finger.

Available in these colours, plus pink and blue – with a limited-edition winter version also available (leather with fleece lining!).

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk

29/01/2026

See it. Fit it!

The Insight gloves are great when looking down or in the mirror to see what your hands are doing 🙌

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk

26/01/2026

Designed to give real visual feedback on rider position – not just look good.

The Core top helps coaches and riders spot alignment and asymmetries more clearly, making corrections easier and more accurate.

Available in long and short sleeves 🙌

🔗www.symmfit.co.uk