How to stop your toes pointing outwards when riding?

Sabrina&Stardust

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 August 2012
Messages
76
Visit site
Title says it all? Just wondering because I've seen in photos of my that my toes really stick right out:eek: . I've seen sloping stirrup treads which seem to do the trick- any reviews? I've got safety stirrups but wanted to check that your feet couldn't get stuck easier with the sloping treads and cause you to be dragged when you fell off? You don't get marked down for them in showing at all?- judges can be so fussy:rolleyes: Thanks! xx
 

lachlanandmarcus

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 November 2007
Messages
5,762
Location
Cairngorms!
Visit site
Partly it helps to have your stirrups long enough. Then train yourself to keep your heels well down and the stirrup not too far back on your sole. Finally train yourself to keep the toes in.

Dont try and keep them in until the other things are in place, its very hard!

If stirrups need to be shorter they can be, but only once you have the toes in habit.

At least thats how I got better at it....:)
 

cheeryplatypus

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 December 2006
Messages
1,065
Location
scotland
Visit site
Get your upper leg on properly. I pull out the muscle/fat so it's behind, this gets the knee closer and lets the toe point forward ;)
Eta the judge probably won't notice your toes much, they will be looking at how your horse is going. Your horse will go better if your leg is on correctly though :)
 
Last edited:

Jumpingpony1

Member
Joined
9 April 2012
Messages
27
Visit site
I had the same problem! I tried to think of so many solutions and this may sound really basic but what helped me was to make my pony have more impulsion! I always found that I was pointing my toes outwards in order to dig in more with my heels to keep my pony going, especially in trot and canter.

So I started riding her with a schooling whip and whenever she wasn't responding from my leg I tapped her behind my leg a couple of times. I don't know how your pony is with a schooling whip but if you are unsure you can just use a normal sized whip but just tap twice behind your leg to get him/her moving more. After doing this I found she was more responsive and my toes automatically started pointing forwards instead of outwards :) Hope this helps!
 

Sabrina&Stardust

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 August 2012
Messages
76
Visit site
Thankyou for the quick replies! My instructor said that my heels are good (compared to what they used to be when she first started teaching me last year :eek: )and along with the fact that the stirrups are on the balls of my toes, it was probably the most amount of praise she's given me for ages!:D but of course she had to add an improvement in there too..;) yep, she told me that my toes stick out like indicators and to look at some photos of myself to see what she means. So I did that, and :eek: she was right!:p
Jumpingpony1 , thanks so much for your post, that is exactly what's happening! I rode my beasty today & my friend told me that they only stick out when I'm trying to get him to go forward more! I'll definitely try my Dad's schooling whip tomorrow and hope that he doesn't shoot forwards too much!:p
 

Celestica

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 April 2011
Messages
249
Location
Dublin
Visit site
When riding imagine keeping all your weight on your baby toe, this creates the correct bend in the foot and naturally puts weight onto your heels. Sounds very crazy but works wonders!
 

Pearlsasinger

Up in the clouds
Joined
20 February 2009
Messages
48,425
Location
W. Yorks
Visit site
I've seen sloping stirrup treads which seem to do the trick- any reviews? I've got safety stirrups but wanted to check that your feet couldn't get stuck easier with the sloping treads and cause you to be dragged when you fell off? You don't get marked down for them in showing at all?- judges can be so fussy:rolleyes: Thanks! xx

Judges are judging your horse, its conformation, its way of going and suitability for the job ie, hunter/riding horse etc or your riding in an equitation class. They will only judge your tack in a tack & turnout class, although they will expect you to stick to the rules e.g. a whip of less than 30" in a WHP class. You will be able to find out all the expectations either in the appropriate rule book or from the show secretary, judges are not 'fussy', they simply have to stick to the rules, otherwise competitors would, rightly, complain.

As to your toes, I suggest some more lessons.
 

Jumpingpony1

Member
Joined
9 April 2012
Messages
27
Visit site
Jumpingpony1 , thanks so much for your post, that is exactly what's happening! I rode my beasty today & my friend told me that they only stick out when I'm trying to get him to go forward more! I'll definitely try my Dad's schooling whip tomorrow and hope that he doesn't shoot forwards too much!:p

No problem :) Keep me updated how he goes with the schooling whip!
 

Sabrina&Stardust

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 August 2012
Messages
76
Visit site
Jumpingpony1, I rode Star today & at first we had a bronco up the long side until he realized the whip wasn't going to disappear! ;) After that he kept moving forwards nicely and my toes were pointing out a lot less according to my friend. Thankyou for that helpful tip!:)
 
Top