CC/help with my legs!!

[AprilBlossom]

In thinking of entering G into some unaff dressage over winter, but need to get my legs sorted before I do so - they are horrendous! Look particularly worse in the boots I wore as they're too big and very 'wafty' but I'm glad I've got the pics as it highlights the weaknesses... hands and upper body I'm already working on, so don't need a critique of those thanks, but any suggestions of exercises/ways of thinking to help me improve my unstable lower leg hugely appreciated!!

In walk, probably best of the bad bunch of leg shots!

This is what I can't seem to stop doing

Or this, toe turns out if heel stays down

And cause he's a dude

 

[Andiamo]

Your horse is gorgeous!
How old, what breed etc?

Best thing, IMHO, to improve legs is to get some lunge lessons from a qualified instructor. Maybe try doing it once or twice per week. This will vastly improve your awareness of your leg / foot / ankle position, and you can then practice when you're not in a lesson. It's the fastest way to an improvement!

Good luck with your gorgeous horse!

 

[AprilBlossom]

Thanks He's a 20y/o Westphalian, ex grade A puissance horse (he won it at HOYS in 2003) Not bad for an old boy is he?!

Thanks, thought that might be best thing to do though. A couple of years of just hacking and playing about has really taken its toll!

 

[Andiamo]

20 years old!! wow!! I'd never have guessed it He looks scrummy I love him!

 

[Sol]

I could be completely wrong, but it does look like you're 'having' to use quite a lot of leg? At least in the photos you are gripping quite a lot - either because you are struggling to ride him forwards enough, or because you feel unstable. If the latter, then lunge lessons & learning to relax your leg down should help, improving your balance & core muscles so that you can move with the horse better. If it's simply that you're feeling you have to use your heels to move him though, then I'd teach him otherwise!
I am a little person, who occasionally rode far bigger horses than I would otherwise choose for myself. I found that automatically I would want to try & use more pressure to move them, which would result in awful leg positions. Once I learned that I could use the inside of my calf (and how to use/release my thighs effectively to allow the horse to move), and could let my leg drape then at least as much as possible, everything fell into place better I do still have to make a concious effort on larger horses though, as I don't ride them often. I much prefer my little horse that my legs hang around easily!

The last photo looks much better though, you look as if you are more relaxed, as is he, and so going with the movement better, no pushing or pulling. I think you will struggle though to assess parts of your body individually - your legs will have some influence over what your upper body/hands do & vice verse I think!

Lovely horse anyway, he certainly doesn't look 20! And I'm sure people will be along with better advice later, I am just in bed ill so thought I'd have some input

 

[AprilBlossom]

I think it's the latter Sol, and thanks I had a few months off being a preggo and its def affected my balance!

 

[Supanova]

I think that problems with legs often stem from the hips. If you have relaxed free moving hips then it is often easier to control your legs. When you walking round in walk, kick your feet out of the stirrups and lift both of your legsl away (outwards) from the sadddle a couple of inches - you will probably feel it in the outside of your hips but this will be quite telling - the more it hurts the tighter your hips! Keep practicing this before every ride and your hips should loosen.

I agree that it also looks like you're working too hard so perhaps try relaxing a bit more and if he needs to go forward use your whip rather than legs.

 

[Jenni_]

First of all - GET THOSE COUNTRY BOOTS OFF! Get a nice pair of long boots or jod boots and gaiters on, and then we will continue

Country books are heavy, but also loose. So to use your leg, you have to lift the heel more and move the leg back almost over exagerating it. Where as in proper tight and light riding boots, you don't need to move as much- if you get me?

- No stirrups work, on the lunge or on your own. work on keeping your leg long and loose. If your heel is slightly up here then thats the natural postiton of a loose leg and its not tight / being pulled up. work in walk trot and canter, and practice rising trot with no strirrups. This will teach you to rise up and forward using your seat, and improve your balace, allowing your legs to become independent. Work on asking for transitions/ movements by wrapping your leg round and squeezing whilst no stirrups, rather than lifting the heel.

Take back your stirrups, and when you rise think about rising from the knee upwards,leaving your lower leg soft and still. practice asking for transitions by putting a little weight into the heel and applying pressure from the calf downwards. If horse needs a bit more, think about cupping the inside of your foot towards you so the heel makes contact whilst staying level with the foot and not travelling up.

Also, before you start to ride, and periodically throughout the session - stand up in your stirrups and turn your toes in and sit down. See how your knees, calves and heels sit in relation to the side of the horse / saddle when still, and try and maintain that neutral position throughout your ride, unless asking for something.

 

[AprilBlossom]

Thanks for pointing out my already noted boot issue Jenni...I have nice boots but this was an impromptu hop on the horse! I did mention the boots in my OP.

Once I've thrown money at my problem I'll give you a shout (I should be able to ride reasonably tidily in country boots anyway, it's no excuse)

 

[Jenni_]

I didn't notice the boots in the OP sorry

I can't ride tidyly in them at all I go from reasonably tidy to an absolute monstrosity on horseback

TBH, if you'd got pictures of you in riding boots, you probably wouldn't have looked like you were bringing the heel up as much as you feel you are. Sometimes I feel like my hands are mega high and when I look back they're not really....

 

[AprilBlossom]

Reasonably tidy is all I strive for lol!

I shall try get some snaps in proper boots and see how much it changes things - prob not much lol! I just need to do some work!

 

[Jenni_]

I just strive to stay on these days... and even then sometimes I think I ask too much of myself

No stirrups! I used to cling on like a limpet, with both my legs and my hands, my old boss spent weeks with me on the lunge with no stirrups and a neckstrap. I used to think I was a good rider because I always managed to stay on the bad horses... then bosswoman came along and ripped me to shreds and put me all back together again. Think she left some nuts and bolts out but, because I'm still crap!

 

[Perfect_Pirouette]

You look like you are gripping with your thighs/knees a lot, which in turn is causing your toes to turn out.

Although echo the other poster who mentioned whether he is lazy as I find my toes stick out more if I'm riding a lazy horse.

Only thing that will improve it is no stirrup/lunge work, engage your core, this is the part of your body that should be absorbing the movement so, theoretically () your legs should be dangling loosely and relaxed.

Lovely horse

 

[dominobrown]

First of all - GET THOSE COUNTRY BOOTS OFF! Get a nice pair of long boots or jod boots and gaiters on, and then we will continue

Country books are heavy, but also loose. So to use your leg, you have to lift the heel more and move the leg back almost over exagerating it. Where as in proper tight and light riding boots, you don't need to move as much- if you get me?

- No stirrups work, on the lunge or on your own. work on keeping your leg long and loose. If your heel is slightly up here then thats the natural postiton of a loose leg and its not tight / being pulled up. work in walk trot and canter, and practice rising trot with no strirrups. This will teach you to rise up and forward using your seat, and improve your balace, allowing your legs to become independent. Work on asking for transitions/ movements by wrapping your leg round and squeezing whilst no stirrups, rather than lifting the heel.

Take back your stirrups, and when you rise think about rising from the knee upwards,leaving your lower leg soft and still. practice asking for transitions by putting a little weight into the heel and applying pressure from the calf downwards. If horse needs a bit more, think about cupping the inside of your foot towards you so the heel makes contact whilst staying level with the foot and not travelling up.

Also, before you start to ride, and periodically throughout the session - stand up in your stirrups and turn your toes in and sit down. See how your knees, calves and heels sit in relation to the side of the horse / saddle when still, and try and maintain that neutral position throughout your ride, unless asking for something.

Excellent advice, thank you