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?loosely to avoid hurting the horse's mouthwith your thumb and index finger pointed toward the horselike little birdstight enough so the horse cannot put its head below your hip 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?