Anyone else got terrible lower leg position?

You are very obviously gripping with your knees. You need to work on dropping your weight through your leg to your heels- when you achieve this, it feels like your legs have grown 6". you should see daylight between the saddle and your knee.

I know it is difficult on a welshy (I am assuming Welsh D) I have one myself- you do end up tensing through frustration (or fear!) but you do need to relax, and do less! He should flow underneath you- not stomp up to you!
 
I am really bad at doing that (lifting heel to give an aid, and tip forward too). If find that if I think knees down, rather than heels down or toes up, this seems to help a bit. I also have the issue that my pelvis struggles with the width of my horse, and that, for example, if I don't slide my heel up or back, my (tiny) spurs make no contact whatsoever with the sides of my horse.

I think' knees down' helps because it minimises potential tension in the calf, allowing them to 'flop' and therefore giving some flexibilty to the legs to 'wrap' around the barrel of the horse. Exercises I have been given to help involve the awful 'legs off' you describe, which is absolute agony, to no stirrup work with legs tucked right up, then hanging right down and trying to wrap under the horse (imagining you are trying to touch your own toes on the other side), and 'walking' my legs along with the horse. When I do these regularly I do find that my legs become longer and more flexible..

Oh, I have also been told that if I can't apply a leg aid properly without lifting my heels up/back, that I am better to stick my toes out slightly. Another instructor told me to get longer spurs that actually make contact with the hrose, but with my dodgy legs I think that is the last thing I should do!
 
Looking at new pics i'll stick by what I said earlier, its the saddle that is your biggest hurdle. But the longer you leave it the more of a habit your faults will become. What about a 2nd hand dressage saddle? Or native pony co?
 
Kat said:
Saddle looks pretty awful for your position, it looks as though it is trying to put you in a nasty chair seat, and the tipping/leg gripping is a result of that. I have ridden in one of these saddles and it was horrible, felt awful..... I bet that is part of the reason that you ride better on other horses.

I'd still suggest pilates, but i suspect that until you get a saddle with better alignment you will continue to struggle. Maybe PM Sbloom on here, she specialises in fitting rotund natives......
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SBloom is my saddle fitter and that is a Native Pony Saddle!!
 
Tinsel Trouble said:
Are your hips properly soft? I had massive groin strain after slipping and doing the splits at 16, continued riding, and it had pulled my hips out of allignment. The long muscle that goes from your hip bone over your hip joint was stiff as a board and would keep me up at night in agony.

I see an osteopath very regularly for my back and hips and now my hips can soften and I stopped gripping with my knees and inner thigh! Also- Lots of bare back hacking and cantering!! (use a neckstrap for balance!)
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No my hips are incredibly stiff and inflexible. I have dislocated my left kneecap approx 7 times and have problems with my hip and pelvis as a result of compensation for my knees. My knees will never improve (right one not as badly affected as left but has same issues) - I need at least one knee replacement at some point and I think the improvement I will get in my hips is going to be limited but I have regular treatment and it is better than it was.

I think therein lies my problem really - my hips and knees just won't do what they should which is why all the usual exercises for improving lower leg aren't really working as I am biomechanically knackered. Boo! But I know that some improvement is possible- it just is unlikely to ever be totally right as my knee joints are not properly formed.

Fortunately my main discipline is endurance (with odd bit of unaf eventng and hunting) where it does not matter what I look like in the saddle ;) we do a bit of unaff dressage to help our schooling but have no dressage ambitions beyond unaff novice as it bores us rigid.
 
Hi, Personally I think you are being very harsh on yourself. Although its not perfect I have seen people with far worse leg positions than you. I can particularly appreciate how difficult it is when riding a forward horse as I have had similar problems. I started having lessons with a ride with your mind instructor and it changed my riding completely. I would highly recommend it to any one who is struggling with any issues. Try looking on www.thedressagesecret.com
 
I'm going to throw a curve ball now! I don't think your stirrups need to be longer - if you lengthen them, your leg will be less secure, and your leg position will be worse for it. My pet hate is people who try and ride too long, when they are not yet established enough in their seat to drop the stirrups. The longer your stirrups are, the more you will reach for them and the more unstable your leg will become.

The saddle is probably the culprit - but it works for your horse, so I'd stick with it. One thing you can do (and it's a massive cheat!!) is to unbuckle your leathers, put the buckle end through the stirrup leather keeper and do it up again. I do this if I have a saddle that's impossible to maintain a decent leg position in. It's naughty, but think of it as holding your leg in the right place while you develop the muscles that will enable you to maintain a better position in the long term!
 
Shame ur a long way away from me :(

Have a look for your nearest enlightened equitation teacher on that link I posted and just have one lesson with them preferably on a vogue saddle and see the difference trust me Ud be amazed at the improvement!
 
MissSBird said:
Was thinking about this post last night...

OP, where does it hurt when you do no stirrup work?
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At the time I'm doing it - in my hips/groin (left side mainly) and in trot work my lower back/glutes (she has a big trot for a small pony and I struggle to absorb the movement on her).

Afterwards it is my inner thighs, hips and lower back/glutes although the lower back/glutes is really improving as that is caused by my pelvis tilting and is what my chiro is working on - its actually much less painful than it was month by month.

To illustrate how bad my pelvis was - for about 6 months I lost right canter, couldn't get the right leg for love nor money. Had saddle checked, vet, chiro for horse, teeth etc - no issue found with pony. Went hunting for first time and ended up in agony afterwards, went to chiro myself (yes I should have gone before!) and discovered I was very wonky indeed and the days hunting had shown all the weakness up. After one session on my pelvis I got right canter back! Have been wonky for years so is going to take some time to correct I think :(
 
Oh just wanted to add, I really do appreciate all the responses on here, thank you to everyone for taking the time to offer advice - am going to show thread to RI too and work up a plan of attack for the summer using all the ideas :)
 
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