Calf raises or other exercises to improve lower leg strength for rising trot?

[jkitten]

I was just wondering if anyone has any exercises which would target this, either body weight or otherwise? At the moment I am doing calf raises while holding dumbbells, but would like mix it up a bit.

(Please no suggestions of 'ride more' or Pilates. I generally agree with them, but at the moment I am unable to ride more than an hour a week, and already do Pilates twice a week. I am specifically looking for exercises to build strength in the lower legs and ankles.)

 

[Cutgrass]

I sometimes stand on the bottom step of the stairs, heels hanging off the edge, and do raises or just hold. Seems to help with strength and stability in my knees and ankles.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I'm sorry but rising trot is so much more about core strength than lower leg strength, in my experience. And even then I'd say it's more about technique and balance than simple strength. It's possible to do a rising trot without stirrups at all.

How about getting a gym ball to sit on wherever you do most of your sitting down? You can even practice trotting on it!

No harm in your calf raises etc though. Just don't think it'll help with the rising trot as much as you might hope.

 

[View]

What are you experiencing as the problem? Is it your lower leg swinging around?

 

[jkitten]

PF: Ah that's interesting! TBH I'm not quite sure what's going on with my legs. I recently started riding again after a 20 year gap. At first my stirrups were at hacking/jumping length (simply because that's how I always used to put them) and I had no trouble doing a nice strong riding trot with a stable lower leg. In canter, however, one stirrup would inevitably slip back along my foot due to me gripping and not sitting deep enough. After a couple of times, my instructor lengthened my stirrups to flatwork length, which fixed the canter problem immediately. At that length, though, the rising trot feels weak/like I am splaying my legs out on every rise, so that at the top my legs are in a total V, like a tent over the saddle.

I realise that all this is going to be due to my noviceness and bad form, but I was hoping some additional strength would give me a little more power and control at least.

 

[jkitten]

What are you experiencing as the problem? Is it your lower leg swinging around?

Not exactly swinging in the sense of being loose, but it splays out in order to support my weight, so I end up with my legs in a V at the top of every rise.

 

[PapaverFollis]

In the rising trot you actually need to incline your shoulders forward slightly during the sit phase. As you rise all you are doing is allowing the bounce of the horse to push your hips up and forward in a little arc so that at the top of the rise they are underneath your shoulders and you are upright. The strength you need is in your core and muscles at the top of your thighs to control your movement back into the saddle so you sit softly just in time for the horse to pop you back up again. Done properly there's actually very little effort involved.

If you are watching from the side your hips make a little quarter circle arc up from the saddle seat towards the pommel and back down again. The movement need only be small.

It sounds like you are trying to rise too high and with too much effort which is why your legs are pushing out to the side.

 

[View]

Hmm, hard to know without seeing you in person.

But I’d be suggesting lunge lessons so that I could control the horse’s pace. Don’t think about rising up - think more hips to hands, and possibly not so high. Rising trot is about not bouncing on the horse, so as long as you are in time you are fine.

Also, sounds like the saddle is not idea for you. What happens if you pop the stirrups up one hole?

 

[jkitten]

Thank you both!

PF, that's really interesting and I think you may be onto something, as the splaying is very much the same as what happens to my ankles when I try to go to the very top in calf raises (hence why I thought more strength would fix them). I will try to apply what you said in my lesson next week.

View, your comment about 'hips to hands' is really helping me visualise this, thank you! If I'm still struggling I will try raising the stirrups one hole, but my instructor feels that this is the right length for me, and for everything else he seems to be right. I'll discuss with him next week though.

Thanks again!

 

[View]

As your core strength improves and your muscle memory builds, the length of your stirrups will change.

See what happens with hips to hands, and if that doesn’t improve things, ask your instructor - who has the benefit of seeing you - if going up one hole in trot would help.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

I'd ask for some lunge lessons with no stirrups (???) so you can develop a much smaller rise - it shouldn't feel like standing up in your stirrups. I feel like rising trot is all thighs and core, and all the lower leg really needs to do is keep still.

 

[jkitten]

Thanks NSBA! Fortunately I really like working without stirrups for some bizarre reason. Have only done sitting trot since coming back but will ask to include rising next week!

My instructor isn't too keen on lunging unless really necessary (I normally just go round the school as usual), is that required?

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Thanks NSBA! Fortunately I really like working without stirrups for some bizarre reason. Have only done sitting trot since coming back but will ask to include rising next week!

My instructor isn't too keen on lunging unless really necessary (I normally just go round the school as usual), is that required?

Only if you're wobbly enough to need your hands for grabbing on! If you're competent without stirrups anyway then you'd be fine off the lunge.