Independent upper and lower leg

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dressage_diva

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One of my dressage trainers has observed that I seem to struggle with isolating my upper and lower legs and that this is something I need to work on in order to improve before we move up to the higher levels of dressage as I'm going to struggle with the harder lateral movements and find it difficult to really sit to my horse's big trot.

My legs are very strong from years of rowing so it's not an issue with needing to strengthen the muscles, but that I seem to struggle to use my lower leg independently without my upper leg becoming involved (and this also causes my knees to grip when they shouldn't).

Does anyone have any suggestions of exercises I can do off the horse to help with this? I'm going to have regular lunge lessons to also help with this but I can't afford these every week on top of my other lessons on my own horse. I already do pilates, but can't think of any exercises that specifically help with this (everything I know is more about isolating the hips from the body).
 
I would find a good sports minded physio perhaps start by looking at ACPAT trained physio's in your area because at least they will have some insight into riding and what your trying to achieve.
Yoga might help your awareness .

Do you do the bringing your knees away from the saddle exercise ?
Where you open your hips and move the whole leg off.
If your really tight in your knee I have seen lunge lessons make this worse.
Do you jump as well ?
 
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Goldenstar said:
I would find a good sports minded physio perhaps start by looking at ACPAT trained physio's in your area because at least they will have some insight into riding and what your trying to achieve.
Yoga might help your awareness .

Do you do the bringing your knees away from the saddle exercise ?
Where you open your hips and move the whole leg off.
If your really tight in your knee I have seen lunge lessons make this worse.
Do you jump as well ?
Click to expand...

Thanks have tried physios/sports massages in the past but tbh not found anyone local to me that's any good (used to have a great one but she quit and never found anyone as good as her).

Yeah I do the exercise where I lift knees/legs away when I ride my old boy (but not my young WB as he's not safe enough!) and also did it in lunge lesson the other day. I don't jump but I do canter in a forward seat out hacking (admittedly in a dressage saddle). Would prefer not to jump as I had a brain haemorrhage a few years ago and try to limit the dangers I put myself in!
 
Do you do much without stirrups? You kind of need someone on the ground shouting "relax" and "long legs" or it's tempting to grip with the knees. I think this might actually stem from tightness higher up rather than knees. Can you do the yoga pose 'supta baddha konasana' easily? (Google it lol) And then once you feel the muscles you need to relax, translate it to riding?
 
I second no stirrups work. Also, I try to think about activating the muscles on the outside/back of my thigh and using my calf muscles to move my lower leg rather than my knee, iyswim?
 
Will try that yoga pose and see how I get on. Think I probably can do it though as I'm very flexible!

Can't do no stirrups on my WB as he's too unpredictable at his age, and my old boy doesn't really leave walk anymore so am limited practising it on my own horses, so generally I only practice when I go for lunge lessons. I don't think doing more without stirrups would help as I actually ride without stirrups better than I ride with stirrups!

My dressage trainer is very experienced and I trust her when she says that what I need to work on is getting my lower and upper legs working independently rather than anything else. The problem at the moment is that when I use my lower leg say, I grip with the thigh as well which obviously impacts the horses way of going. It's not because I struggle with balancing but rather I can't isolate the movement! My general position is good but it's just that I struggle when I go to apply an aid that I can't isolate what my calf is doing from what my thigh is doing! The only suggestion for off the horse I've had is to try drawing imaginary letters with my lower leg whilst keeping my upper legs still (and I do find that difficult so I think it confirms the issue!).
 
Riding without stirrups will not IMO help this problem at all .
You need to learn to isolate with muscles you are using if you automatically tighten the upper leg when using the calf the first thing to is get the knee away from the saddle .
Do using things like sprenger bow balance stirrups help at all ?
 
Goldenstar said:
Riding without stirrups will not IMO help this problem at all .
You need to learn to isolate with muscles you are using if you automatically tighten the upper leg when using the calf the first thing to is get the knee away from the saddle .
Do using things like sprenger bow balance stirrups help at all ?
Click to expand...

Thanks GS. I haven't tried those stirrups - at the moment I'm using Jins but I've previously use jointed irons
 
perhaps thinking of rotating the lower leg and pointing your toes out a bit when you use your calf muscle would help?
 
Perhaps instead of Kegel exercises�� when you're sat or stood anywhere you can focus on your different leg muscles and practice tensing and relaxing them individually? really focusing on keeping ALL the others completely relaxed as you tense the selected muscle. That might increase your awareness and control?
 
Go and see Andy Thomas in Leics - not too far if you are Oxon based and worth every minute driving! He is great at rider assessments; will put you on the dummy rider and sort out what you're doing/not doing as case may be. Not sure how available he is now eventing season under way, but that is where I would start.
 
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