What is the proper way to hold the reins when riding western style on a horse?

Question

What is the proper way to hold the reins when riding western style on a horse?

Answer 1

It all depends on what your doing riding young horses ?

a older dude horse ?

a well trained reining horse?

Just for pleasure ? or show ?

Please edit more as there is so many different ways

the guy above me is right for young horses ?and or reiners !

But the first is wrong,,some ropers will ride with a cross rein some reins are split some are not ! some guys are left handed and rope with the right vis versa

Answer 2

I do it the best to suit the horse since I have only one arm

plus My good one is gone

Just do what your trainer says Not a back yard neighbor But some one that really knows

Better yet go to a couple of shows, roping's, watch at your local boarding stable's and watch and learn

never so tight that the horse throws his head or rears ok thats a must

Answer 3

Which hand doesn't matter.

The proper way to hold western reins is... this will sound like I'm teaching 3 year olds, but I did teach 3 year olds for 2 years, so don't be offended...

Hold your hand up like you're making a gun.  Your pointer finger should be extended, pointing away from you, your thumb sticking straight up, and your 3 fingers closed into sort of a fist.  Both of your reins should go through your 3 closed fingers... the reins closest to the horse's mouth are on top, the excess rein goes through your fingers and hangs out the bottom.  Close your pointer finger so it's in between the 2 reins.  Then close your thumb down on the top.

Then your hand should stay like that while you ride...  your thumb should always stay on top.

Answer 4

When riding western the reins should be relaxed and slack and should come into your hand "over" the index finger and exit the bottom of your hand at the little finger (the opposite of riding English). And excess reins should hang on your right if the reins are held with the right hand, and should hang on your left if the reins are held with your left hand.

Edit note: kmnmiamisax's answer is absolutely 100% correct. I failed to state that the index finger should split the reins.

Answer 5

Depends on what the task at hand would be really; traditionally, for right handed folks,  the reins would be held in the left hand so that the right hand would be free to rope. But since most western riders aren't working on cattle ranches, it's mostly left up to which hand is dominant.