Western Hand Posistion

So just a random question...
It seems to be a new thing (maybe because I've been hanging around AQHA riders) but what's with the whole "Hold each split rein in a hand and then wiggle my hands way up by my boobs" style of riding?

Similar to this:
All the girls at the barn I was riding at did it and would ride around with their hands way up in the air like that. I was taught to never let my hands move very far above the pommel...

I don't get that either. That just looks a little silly to me. I was always told that you hold your reins in one hand and keep it at a lower level closer to the horses neck. Or, if I was riding a young horse that didn't neck rein, drape the reins across the neck each way and hold them where they crossed with both hands at the same level. That just looks ridiculous and IMHO, seems like very poor horsemanship.

Yeah..... that's definitely NOT how I was taught to ride western. Hah

Never seen the reins held like that either... weird.

I have never held my reins like that. I hold mine in one hand near the horse's neck/pommel of my saddle.

In fact, this is straight from the AQHA Handbook of Rules and Regulations:

"A rider must show his horse with only one hand on the reins, unless the horse is 5 years old or younger and is being shown in a snaffle bit or hackamore (bosal)."

Sorry for the double post. I also found this:

"The following will result in a score of 0:

(2) Use of two hands (exception in Junior, Snaffle Bit, or
Hackamore classes designated for two hands) or changing hands."

It says this a plethora of times for nearly every western discipline. So I don't think your hanging out with "AQHA people" has anything to do with it. It's poor horsemanship. Lol.

Looks unstable. How in the heck would you do an emergency stop with reins that long?

I'm not entirely sure how one gives any kind of effective cue with reins that long, Joshie.

You can't show holding or using your reins like that, but I have been known to do very similar things when training. Usually my reins are shorter, but I am working on positioning the horses body as I want it, and it can make it easier.

In some parts of that video, the horse looks rather confused as to what the rider wants him/her to do... at some points she's direct reining, and others she is neck reining. Or it looks that way anyways.

Huh. That's weird. I've never seen that before/