Help with leg position

[fresian]

Hi. When riding on riding school horses (who need a lot of encouragement!) I find that after a while of strong squeezing to trot /canter the horse stops listening, I don't really like to use the crop. If i try to squeeze harder I find I try to dig my heels in which raises them up?

I am thinking that maybe I don't have my legs in the best position so my question is, how much turn out of the thigh do you have i.e should the back or side of the calf be against the horses side? Finally do you squeeze with just the calf or the whole leg?

Any tips or even pics would be really helpful, thanks in advance.

 

[cutiecat]

I am interested in this too. Especially when turning.

 

[xloopylozzax]

the crop isnt a bad thing, you shouldnt rely on it, but you shouldnt fear it either

for trot, i take it you are doing rising trot, so squeeze with your lower leg when you sit to keep the horse moving, back up occasionally (when you feel him ignoring) with your stick, just behind your leg.
the side of your calf should be resting against the horse (imagine a wet cloth draping over the horse, thats what your legs should do)

it is hard, so if you've only just started riding or dont ride that often then you will ache!

 

[Bay Mare]

Try smacking your boot with your whip, the noise is often better than touching them with the whip anyway. So squeeze with the leg and if they ignore your aids squeeze and tap your boot. If they respond then praise them/give them a scritch.

You should use your calf to squeeze, it's an inwards and forwards rolling movement, never back and up

It can be difficult with some RS horses/ponies but once you've given the aid and they've responded you shouldn't keep applying the aid otherwise they will stop listening. You only apply the aid again if they come out of the rhythm or you want to ask them to do something else. A story that HM tells sums it up nicely, if you're having dinner and ask someone to pass the salt you wouldn't keep on saying 'pass the salt please', 'pass the salt please' once they'd passed it to you

 

[fresian]

Thanks for the info, I have been riding for a while now (although after a break), I find that on a friends horse (irish sport horse) I don't really come across this problem as a little squeeze and he is off. However on my riding school lessons I am having this problem so just wonder if I am using the wrong motion.?

(riding school just tells me to kick but I don't like that idea and I don't remember ever being taught that when I was kid) plus if i do then that is a back and up motion as you said bay mare.

You should use your calf to squeeze, it's an inwards and forwards rolling movement, never back and up

QUOTE]

Is it the side of the calf (ie down from the side of the knee) - (what I do ) or should the knee be more turned out so I can squeeze with the back of the calf (i.e down from the back of the knee)

- hope that makes sense!

 

[starrynight]

sounds like you are doing the right thing its just that this horse doesn't respond to sqeezing. I where i ride they have horses of different "levels" the ones that are seen as lazy (like the one you are riding at atm) then there are the ones that respond to just a squeeze or using my seat etc then there are the ones at various level inbetween. I'll be honest that with the lazy ones i nudge (my idea of a light kick/bit harder than a squeeze) and if i don't get a response then i kick, still no response then i kick and tap with the stick. I don't like using the stick but i feel its better than constantly "pony-club" kicking the horse round the school. I find myself clicking my tounge a lot if i'm encouraging a horse to keep going, with RS horses you generally do have to keep at them to keep them going, squeeze/nudge/kick if you feel their pace drop slightly. Its difficult sometimes, i had an RI who always put me on the same "lazy" horse to "get my legs working" but i did learn a lot from it. (we took him out for a gallop one day and he definately didn't need telling twice!)