“Hi H&C,  I would really like some help to stop my horse snatching the reins from me. He is worse when you ask for a contact, but still does this when you have no contact at all. Many thanks, Sarah.”

H&C expert  Jenny Rudall replies: “Hi Sarah, rein snatching can be a very common but very annoying problem, and I must firstly suggest you get your horse's back and teeth checked. Discomfort is normally the first reason for bad behaviour.

Check the bit

The bit you are using may also need to be reassessed. Horses' mouths vary hugely in shape and size and if the bit is pinching or your horse is not keen on its action, it would be worth trying a few to see if that makes a difference.

Rein contact

Horses often get into the habit of rein snatching after being unhappy with the rein contact we offer.  If you are in any way using the rein to help your own balance, a horse will after a while object to this and by snatching is expressing in his own way, 'please get off me!'.

Horses want an even and consistent rein contact; some people may recommend using elasticated reins or bungees to help with this problem, I would always look to a rider's hands first and get an instructor to help improve the core strength and balance to help maintain a steady contact. Once you are sure that you are being steady and even with your contact, while maintaining a good balance it may just be a case of resisting the snatching and holding firm with the leg on until your horse realises that snatching is pointless. 

I hope this helps and good luck. Jenny.”