can only get weight into right heel

S

silkrider

Member
Joined
18 October 2011
Messages
18
Visit site
My legs hips have major imbalance. And even standing i have to do alot of contorting like getting my left hip way forward to try to find the weight in my left heel. On the horse straddling his barrel with feet in stirrups its all but impossibe. And when I can find it i'm stretched to the limit and have no strength at that range of motion and my lower leg bounces around like a rag doll.

Anybody ever seen such a thing and what did you/they do?

Somebody suggested riding in just the left stirrup, but my left leg is too weak to post i think. Its really pittiful. So hard to even practice that.
 
silkrider said:
My legs hips have major imbalance. And even standing i have to do alot of contorting like getting my left hip way forward to try to find the weight in my left heel. On the horse straddling his barrel with feet in stirrups its all but impossibe. And when I can find it i'm stretched to the limit and have no strength at that range of motion and my lower leg bounces around like a rag doll.

Anybody ever seen such a thing and what did you/they do?

Somebody suggested riding in just the left stirrup, but my left leg is too weak to post i think. Its really pittiful. So hard to even practice that.
Click to expand...

I have a similar issue, I twist my spine and it affects my one leg/heel etc (old riding accident). I manage it successfully with the following:

Physio
Regular massage -sports is best, but failing that something like a hot rock massage that gets right into loosen things up
Don't ride with one stirrup, ride with none, you will be forced to balance yourself out, do some good old leg exercises, and stretch your legs.
At the end of every ride, take your stirrups away and stretch your legs out whilst your horse is cooling down in walk
Do a few stretches after you dismount to help elongate those muscles
Get a back brace, ride in it, and pop it on for driving, work etc, not to tight to begin with, just enough so you can feel it, it will help keep your back in line, but be warned, you will feel opposing muscles in random areas like your shoulder complaining... As they will have been affected by your dodgy posture.
Pilates for strengthening your core.

I now do the massage, brace and no stirrup & stretches, it's helped me so much.
 
I have a rotated pelvis and my right leg sits more forward, has less mobility and is much weaker than left. I always ride in a back brave, without it I get shoulder pain like Queenbee said.
 
Not sure if it will work but worth a try.

Have you tried balancing yourself in the saddle - the easiest way I can explain it is to pull both legs up like a jockey and take note of your seat bones, then slowly put legs back down and keep seat bones where they are.

I found I need to this each time I rode untill it became muscle memory but it puts you in good balance and makes you more effective.

Now Im not sure if it will work in your situation but it is an option.
 
You definitely need some thing to help you if you are out of alignment. I have the same problem due to a bad fall a few years ago and a stressful job. I use a combination of a great osteopath (who also treats my horse when needed), deep tissue massage (ouch!) and I've recently started working with Teresa Dixon who is a Biomechanics coach. She's had great success with Sophie Wells (Gold medal Para rider).
 
I can't really advise on whatever physical issue I am guessing you have with your hips. But from a riding pov what about just riding without stirrups? I've no idea what level you are at, obviously if you are competing you need a solution with stirrups. But if not just try spending 6mnths or more without stirrups at all. Even if you have a non fixable problem physically, riding without stirrups will improve your core muscles & position, including your lower leg. And stronger supporting muscles will help anything that can't physically be changed in itself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top