leg position

[Judith]

Hi! Can anyone help? I'm doing OK but my instructor keeps yelling at me to keep my leg further back. It's too far forward. I really want to get it right because, as she says, it's important for balance for me and the horse to get that heel under me parallel with my shoulder and elbow. But I really find it hard to do that in any way that feels natural and find I'm in danger if my body tilting forward if I do, to compensate.

any tips? It's a silly thing but it's really bugging me!

Thanks.

 

[Speedy]

Stand up in the stirrups - don't hang onto the reins though - rest on the neck if necessary. If your leg is too far forwards (or back) then you will tip backwards (or forwards!) and not be able to balance. Adjust your lower leg until you can stay balanced. Do this at halt first, then walk and finally trot - it will become so natural to keep your leg in this position that you won't have to think about it anymore.

 

[Piaffe]

It sounds like your instructor should take time out to make sure you are sitting correctly and that your stirrups are the right length - and offer to give you lunge lessons to improve your position - instead of yelling!!


If you are sitting correctly and in the right place in the saddle, you will find that your leg automatically corrects itself into the right position. You can practice sitting on a chair (without arms is best) to see if you can keep your legs in position. Try rising trot! It makes your legs ache, but it is impossible to have your legs in the wrong position - coz you fall over!!

Hope this helps!

 

[muzzy]

I am notoriously crap at this!! My legs are either too far foward or back....but never in the right place!! I confuse myself because my legs are never in the same place, as in they are never always fowards or always backwards but just well all over the place!....but I have just tried the arm-less chair thing and I see what you mean about falling over, ouch!! I feel very silly now.. but it did indeed work! Thank you!!
Lol muzzy

 

[Wally]

You may find the saddle might be to blame, it may be pulling your leg forwards.

 

[lleeaannee]

Or your stirrups may be too short. You're leg automatically goes forwards if they are too short. Try sitting in the saddle without stirrups to see what sort of position your leg is in naturally and work from there.

Ideally you should be just able to touch the top of the stirrup strap with the stirrup under your armpit.

 

[qwerty]

When you sit in the saddle, lift up your leg so your knee comes up to you chin. Do this for the other leg too. This will relax and stretch the muscles of you leg so they will lay right. Drop your legs and adust you stirrup so it supports your leg in that position.

 

[Betty]

I FIND THAT RIDING WITHOUT THE SADDLE,WILL NOT ONLY BUILD UP YOUR LEG MUSCLES BUT IT WILL HELP YOU MORE IN THE POSITIONING OF YOUR LEGS. ALSO WARMING UP YOUR LEGS AND ARMS BEFORE YOU RIDE OR EVEN WHILE YOUR ON YOUR HORSE DO SOME EXERCISES, THIS WILL HELP YOU TREMENDOUSLY.

 

[Elfin]

I don't have a problem with my leg position, maybe the fact that I have very long legs might help a little bit, but probably not!! Erm, well, I have to try the rising trot in a chair!

 

[ros]

Following on from what Wally said, a common problem with saddles is stirrup bars that are set too far forward so that they pull your lower leg forward with them.

Haha! Kay Humphries showed us a trick to help combat this. If you think it could be part of your problem, get yourself a couple of small but thickish rubber rings (use your imagination), take the stirrups off the saddle, and push the rubber rings onto the stirrup bars; then put your stirrup leathers back on. The rubber rings will hold the stirrups a little further back, and you can see if it makes any difference. (If you think you need to you could wrap the rings round once or twice, depending how thick they are.)

If you're sneaky you might even be able to do this without your instructor noticing - though I suppose it wouldn't be good if you got found out!

 

[Lancashire Lass]

Heh.....

Heh,..Ros...what a good tip, thanks for that!! - I'm going to get some of those rubber rings they use to ring and tail newborn lambs, they should do the trick!!

I'm going to give them to my pal to try on her Ideal GP, it's a lovely, comfy saddle, but as most saddle designs at the moment, the bars are too far forward, although this particular saddle is not as bad as some I've sat on!!!

Oohhh, can't wait to feel the difference!!

 

[qwerty]

I was told my legs were too far back today! I think that was because my leathers were too long.