Help with lower leg!

michellev123

michellev123

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Hi
I am buzzing I had my first lesson in a very long time today!! I have had 12 years riding experiance but most of this has been hacking and you know how lazy you get and the bad habbits you pick up!

I have helped with the backing of 4 youngsters but only the initial backing and hacking never any serious schooling. Now I have my little 2 and half year old who I am backing on my own (when he is 4) and have decided to have lessons to improve my riding (also intend to have weekly lessons with him when he is back so we can work together!)

Anyways the main thing I was picked up on in todays lesson was my lower leg security. I am after any and all advice on how to help keep a secure lower leg please!!! :)

She said it isnt terrible just could do with some extra stability!! (prob means its terrible but she was being nice!!!)

Anyways any help, videos, images etc very appreciated!!

I just wanna say I am not a novice and have many experianced friend around to help me back him so please no comments about me backing him myself!!! :)

Thanks
 
My daughters riding instructor spent some time in Holland with one of the Dutch Grand prix riders. He said her lower leg wasn't very secure so gave her an excercise to do. Don't have any pics but can try and describe it to you. Stand up in your stirrups with your leg in line with the girth and your toes pointing forward. Then move your pelvis forward so you're over the pommel of the saddle. Your back should still be straight and shoulders back. This can be done in walk, trot and canter. If possible get a friend to help you at the other end of a lunge line as its important to have very little contact on the reins. At first you will find yourself balancing on them. You should build up the time spent doing this gradually as its an absolute killer. You will know your doing it right at first when the outside of your lower leg is dead and you no longer have control over your ankles! My daughter has been doing it and her balance and lower leg are much stronger. They do this excercise when they warm up thier horses in Holland. As her instructor has found, if you can get your lower leg to be really strong, no matter what your horse does, you won't come off!! Good luck with the youngster :)
 
jaijai said:
My daughters riding instructor spent some time in Holland with one of the Dutch Grand prix riders. He said her lower leg wasn't very secure so gave her an excercise to do. Don't have any pics but can try and describe it to you. Stand up in your stirrups with your leg in line with the girth and your toes pointing forward. Then move your pelvis forward so you're over the pommel of the saddle. Your back should still be straight and shoulders back. This can be done in walk, trot and canter. If possible get a friend to help you at the other end of a lunge line as its important to have very little contact on the reins. At first you will find yourself balancing on them. You should build up the time spent doing this gradually as its an absolute killer. You will know your doing it right at first when the outside of your lower leg is dead and you no longer have control over your ankles! My daughter has been doing it and her balance and lower leg are much stronger. They do this excercise when they warm up thier horses in Holland. As her instructor has found, if you can get your lower leg to be really strong, no matter what your horse does, you won't come off!! Good luck with the youngster :)
Click to expand...

This!:D
 
jaijai said:
My daughters riding instructor spent some time in Holland with one of the Dutch Grand prix riders. He said her lower leg wasn't very secure so gave her an excercise to do. Don't have any pics but can try and describe it to you. Stand up in your stirrups with your leg in line with the girth and your toes pointing forward. Then move your pelvis forward so you're over the pommel of the saddle. Your back should still be straight and shoulders back. This can be done in walk, trot and canter. If possible get a friend to help you at the other end of a lunge line as its important to have very little contact on the reins. At first you will find yourself balancing on them. You should build up the time spent doing this gradually as its an absolute killer. You will know your doing it right at first when the outside of your lower leg is dead and you no longer have control over your ankles! My daughter has been doing it and her balance and lower leg are much stronger. They do this excercise when they warm up thier horses in Holland. As her instructor has found, if you can get your lower leg to be really strong, no matter what your horse does, you won't come off!! Good luck with the youngster :)
Click to expand...

I can definitely recommend this as I'm her daughter thats been doing the excercise! :D
 
Similar to the above in a way, but practising jumping position in walk, trot and canter might help you.

Also, did she say when your lower leg was insecure? Because if it's more insecure in rising trot then it might be that you are pushing from your stirrups a bit too much. The impetus for rising should come from the movement of your horse's back, with the stirrups just used to control the action.

In sitting trot and canter, make sure you are absorbing the movement of the pace, and not bracing with your feet to maintain your position.

I hope that helps :)
 
This is very old fashioned, but it works, alternate the standing up at walk, trot and canter, with rising trot without stirrups (knee crunching but it works!) A lot of riding schools don't do this any more, because of H&S and insurance. The key is to rise from the lower leg, rather than gripping with the knee. If you have a horse that is sharp from the leg, you soon learn lower leg stability if doing this exercise! :D
 
YorksG said:
This is very old fashioned, but it works, alternate the standing up at walk, trot and canter, with rising trot without stirrups (knee crunching but it works!) A lot of riding schools don't do this any more, because of H&S and insurance. The key is to rise from the lower leg, rather than gripping with the knee. If you have a horse that is sharp from the leg, you soon learn lower leg stability if doing this exercise! :D
Click to expand...

Ohhh I remember doing LOTS of this as a teenager!
 
Give or take a few hacks, I returned to riding after fifteen years last year. My lower leg was like a pendulum, which is something I never battled with as a teenager. An unstable lower leg usually comes from tight hips (in my case, I do lots of running, kickboxing etc.). Try taking some yoga classes. You will learn to switch off any knee-gripping, relax your hip flexors, lengthen down and use your core. I knew what I was doing wrong, but I had to readjust my muscles before I could rectify the problem. These days, my lower leg is infinitely more stable.
 
jaijai said:
My daughters riding instructor spent some time in Holland with one of the Dutch Grand prix riders. He said her lower leg wasn't very secure so gave her an excercise to do. Don't have any pics but can try and describe it to you. Stand up in your stirrups with your leg in line with the girth and your toes pointing forward. Then move your pelvis forward so you're over the pommel of the saddle. Your back should still be straight and shoulders back. This can be done in walk, trot and canter. If possible get a friend to help you at the other end of a lunge line as its important to have very little contact on the reins. At first you will find yourself balancing on them. You should build up the time spent doing this gradually as its an absolute killer. You will know your doing it right at first when the outside of your lower leg is dead and you no longer have control over your ankles! My daughter has been doing it and her balance and lower leg are much stronger. They do this excercise when they warm up thier horses in Holland. As her instructor has found, if you can get your lower leg to be really strong, no matter what your horse does, you won't come off!! Good luck with the youngster :)
Click to expand...

Definately this exercise.

Also make sure that in rising trot you are rising from your knees and not from your feet. Rising from the feet makes the feet flick backwards and forwards. Think of lifting your body up and forwards in a smooth arc from opening your knees and hips.
 
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