How should you hold your reins when riding a horse? Earn the Horseback Riding badge! 1. How should you hold your reins when riding a horse?with your thumb and index finger pointed toward the horsetight enough so the horse cannot put its head below your hiplike little birdsloosely to avoid hurting the horse's mouth Loading... Share this:ShareFacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedIn Related Related posts: When riding a horse, breathe from your what? In horseback riding, what happens if you hold your breath? What are The Four Basics of riding a horse? When riding a horse what is NOT recommended?