A monkey grip, also known as a neck strap or neck grab, refers to a rider holding the mane, neck strap, or a strap attached to the saddle with one or both hands during jumping or a difficult moment on horseback. While the term can carry a slightly dismissive connotation among experienced riders, using a neck strap or taking mane is a legitimate and valuable technique — one used at every level of equestrian sport to maintain balance without inadvertently catching the horse in the mouth.
What Is a Monkey Grip?
The term monkey grip most often refers to gripping the mane or a neck strap as a balancing aid, particularly over fences or during unexpected movements such as a buck, spook, or stumble. The instinct when unbalanced is to grab at the reins — but this punishes the horse through the bit at the worst possible moment. Grabbing mane or a neck strap instead stabilises the rider without interfering with the horse’s head and neck, which it needs free to jump and balance effectively.
See also: neck strap and jumping position.
Neck Straps in Jumping and Cross-Country
Many professional event riders, showjumpers, and instructors actively advocate the use of a neck strap, particularly for novice riders and young horses. Trainers such as William Funnell, Pippa Funnell, and many BHS Accredited Coaches teach riders to use a neck strap as a first resort rather than the reins when balance is lost over a fence. The reasoning is simple: it protects the horse’s mouth, allows the head and neck to stretch forward freely on landing, and prevents the rider from being pivoted forward over the pommel.
Even at advanced levels, reaching for mane over a difficult fence is considered correct riding, not a failure. A horse’s mane is attached, unbreakable, and gives without punishment — it is arguably the ideal emergency handle in equestrian sport.
Teaching Balance Without Gripping
The monkey grip becomes problematic when it replaces the development of an independent seat, rather than supplementing it temporarily. A rider who habitually grabs for the neck strap on every fence is masking a balance issue that needs addressing through flat work, lunge lessons, and work without stirrups. The goal is to develop a secure, balanced position over fences so that the neck strap is available but rarely needed. See also: independent seat.
The British Horse Society provides guidance on progressive jumping training: www.bhs.org.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it bad form to use a monkey grip?
No — using mane or a neck strap at the right moment is correct horsemanship. What matters is whether you are working toward an independent, balanced position over fences. Grabbing mane over a spooky fence or in a moment of lost balance is far better than catching the horse in the mouth. Professional riders take mane regularly and are not embarrassed by it.
Should I use a neck strap or grab mane?
Either is appropriate. A neck strap offers a consistent, reliable grip and is particularly useful for young or nervous riders because it does not depend on the horse having a long enough mane. Grabbing mane is quick and instinctive. Many instructors put a neck strap on every novice jumping horse as standard practice, regardless of the rider’s level.
Can pulling mane hurt the horse?
Grabbing mane for balance during a fence or a strong moment is unlikely to hurt the horse — horses have thick manes with robust attachment at the crest and tolerate the odd firm grab well. It is not the same as sustained pulling or mane pulling for grooming purposes. The horse is far more likely to appreciate the mane grab than an inadvertent jab in the mouth from unsteady hands.