Well how do you fix this?

[The Dynamic Duo]

Well on Saturday I rode and I thought about my issue with riding. I am a dancer, mainly ballet so I am always told "Heels UP!!!" and so thats all I can hear in my head when I'm riding. I have been doing better but all of a sudden the better-ness stopped!

:

: How can I fix this problem?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Keep just the ball of your foot in the stirrup and ride a little too short to start with.

 

[CKC]

When you first get in the saddle try standing up in the stirrups, sink your heels down, slowly sit in the saddle and continue pushing your heels. When you feel yourself slipping... just stand up again.

When off your horse practice on steps putting your heels down... pushing them, as far as you can....

Eventually it will just be natural.

 

[wcr]

Being a ballet dancer, you are probably far more limber than the rest of us and putting your heals down should be easier for you. If you are riding with your heals up then you probably not sitting correctly in the saddle. I would suspect you are sitting more on your pockets than on your crotch and your legs are more bent. This puts your legs in a more forward position and thus off balance. Draw a line down from your ears through your shoulders, hips and heals. This puts the horse and rider in balance and gives you your whole leg to que from and if the horse jumps sideways you are more likely to ride it out rather than being unseated.

 

[runamuk]

OK I can answer this one

: Having been an instructor/coach to several ballet dancers who took up riding...............we found "toes up" to be the easiest way to talk to their feet

: ..............after turning blue repeating heels down I finally hollered "toes up" and low and behold it helped alot .......practicing point while in a saddle is an accident waiting to happen.....hang in there it is mostly a matter of retraining your muscles................

happy riding

 

[Sun Runner Stables]

Another thing I have always found immensly useful in students that have a hard time with their heels is backwards stirrups.

However, in order to practice this, you need to have english stirrup irons, the clunky western one will not due. Following all the excllent advice already given here, (WCR and Runamuk took the words right out of my mental mouth) give yourself about 15 min with your Heels in first in the stirrups.

(Not toe first like you would normally do, literally back your heel into the iron as if they were on normally, but now your toe is sticking out farther then it would normally.)

When you do this, if you lift your heels, your stirrup comes Right off. However if you keep your heels down, they will stay on wonderfully.

You will find that this particular way of body training will Force you to stay in a balance position with your leg well underneath your hip/shoulder, etc.

You will also find that your thighs burn tremendously after a short period of time. (Brings out beautiful definition though)

Don't push it with your legs yet, but as your build up, you can eventually go quite a time like this. I start out most of my students in this fashion and find that with in a month of 2 hour lessons a week their heels pretty much stay put, and they only need occasional reminders. Since you are blessed with your own, it should be a matter of weeks if you are diligent!! :aktion033:

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

Alyx, once you start to ride more, it will come more naturally. I remember when I was first told to keep my heels down, I had a hard time with it, and my instructor also said "It will eventually become second nature, don't worry." Well, I thought it never would, but, it did. Now, I give myself "evaluations" when I ride every so often like, "Are my heels down? Am I sitting up straight?", and things along those lines. Out of curiosity, who did you ride?

:

 

[runamuk]

Well now that is a brilliant idea.............I will tuck that into memory as I never heard that one.......and just thinking about the heel in the stirrup that would work really well............ :aktion033: :aktion033:

Another thing I have always found immensly useful in students that have a hard time with their heels is backwards stirrups.

However, in order to practice this, you need to have english stirrup irons, the clunky western one will not due. Following all the excllent advice already given here, (WCR and Runamuk took the words right out of my mental mouth) give yourself about 15 min with your Heels in first in the stirrups.

(Not toe first like you would normally do, literally back your heel into the iron as if they were on normally, but now your toe is sticking out farther then it would normally.)

When you do this, if you lift your heels, your stirrup comes Right off. However if you keep your heels down, they will stay on wonderfully.

You will find that this particular way of body training will Force you to stay in a balance position with your leg well underneath your hip/shoulder, etc.

You will also find that your thighs burn tremendously after a short period of time. (Brings out beautiful definition though)

Don't push it with your legs yet, but as your build up, you can eventually go quite a time like this. I start out most of my students in this fashion and find that with in a month of 2 hour lessons a week their heels pretty much stay put, and they only need occasional reminders. Since you are blessed with your own, it should be a matter of weeks if you are diligent!! :aktion033:

 

[whitney]

spotted pony girl, I've been riding ALOT of years and that's the FIRST time I've ever heard this.

Interesting concept, can't wait to try it. Do I have it right.....Instead of slipping your toe in from back to front, you slip your heel in from front to back?

Just goes to show you never stop learning, AND an open mind is the best tool you have.

Thanks Whit