Keeping heels down! - Help!

[char_f94]

Hi all,

Had a really good lesson the other day but my instructor noticed my left stirrup is slipping a lot compared to my right. She says I don't keep my left heel down as much as my right and I notice this especially in my canter transition and often flail my left leg around as I'm still tensing a bit when I go into the transition.

Does anyone have any good tips for keeping heels down and not tensing in the transition? I've been stretching my left calf on the bottom step (reminds me of my ballet days) so hoping that will help.

TIA!

 

[paddi22]

it might be worth getting an osteo to have a look at you, as it mightnt be your calf at all, you might be crooked somewhere in your hips etc either and it's maiing you unbalanced.

i found yoga brilliant for getting an even stretch in both heels. apart from that you might be tensing and gripping with your knees in the transitions, so it might be useful to get some lunge lessons to help combat that.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

There are angled stirrup treads on the market designed to keep your heels down. there are these stirrups too.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zilco-Bal...hash=item3f43aeb5e4:m:mNjRXFfYN_n-SsBHEdvx22g

 

[Shay]

Think of it more as allowing the weight to drop down through the leg rather than about pushing your heels down. If you push your heels down you will also push your leg forward. Rather open up from the hip and allow the weight to drop naturally.

A good ridden exercise is to stand upright in your stirrups at walk - and later at trot. Properly upright, not in 2 point. You can't balance unless your leg is straight and secure beneath you. Make sure you have a neck strap though so you don't jerk the horse in the mouth if you loose balance.

 

[HunkyDory]

One of my instructors who is eagle eyed noticed I was sitting ever so slightly more to the right. My hips are imbalanced. She suggested I shift my weight to the left, which puts me in the centre. What often helps lengthen your leg reach is doing no stirrup work which gets you sitting deeper by opening up your hips. One instructor also had me bend each leg up behind me and bring my foot up to the horses haunches. This opened up my hips and helped with my left leg length.

Another idea is check your stirrup leathers. RS often cobble tack together and you can end up with odd stirrup leathers so the holes are spaced differently and they are never level, no matter what.

 

[HeresHoping]

No stirrup work and ensuring you aren't gripping anywhere. Your legs should wrap around the horse like wet rags. When learning, especially going into canter because it's quite difficult to get the pelvic roll right, we tend to grip with our legs and we all have one leg slightly stronger than the other. If you think of your canter as rolling up the pommel, and concentrate on not tightening your calves or thighs, you should be able to then focus on keeping your heels down. And as Shay says, think of it as pushing your weight into your heels rather than pushing your heels down. Only don't push too hard - a well trained horse will think you are asking for a halt.

 

[benz]

As above lots of work without stirrups to make sure you're not gripping with the knees and are well balanced. Another little tip is to make sure you're not squeezing your toes together - even simply opening/stretching your toes will naturally put the heel down without forcing it down

 

[peanut]

I've overheard instructors say to think of toes up rather than heels down.

 

[char_f94]

Thanks for all the advice! I've got lots to think about now for my next lesson

HunkyDory - the tack did cross my mind, one of the stirrups (think it might actually have been the left) didn't go as short as the right so had to wrap it round the stirrup so perhaps my stirrups weren't both quite the same length this week.

I'm better at keeping my heels down in trot and once I've cantered a couple of strides, it's just when I sit and prepare for canter and getting into it, I think I concentrate so much on getting into canter that I let my core go and fall into it. I'm normally relatively secure in sitting trot, I've done a lot of work out of stirrups recently it's just as soon as I go to canter I tense up and start bouncing around the saddle like mad!

 

[lamlyn2012]

I've overheard instructors say to think of toes up rather than heels down.

This.

 

[HunkyDory]

The joys of a RSs, I'm afraid but they do their best. Not sure if your instructor has suggested at which point you sit and prepare in the arena. I found it good to sit halfway between the letters. For instance, between E and K on a the left hand reign (using the circle and triangle shapes as markers is useful), then ask at K. Outside leg behind the girth, at the same time inside leg kick on. Head up and look around the corner to where you are travelling. Your natural body inclination will be to drop your inside shoulder slightly as you look to where you want to travel. This helps your pony begin its canter on the correct leg. You aren't a horse with a rider plonked on top. You are joined and have to work as one being. As soon as you feel that change, roll you hips and not your hands. Hands forward, lower legs hugging your pony's belly, always looking to where you are travelling because this helps your pony balance and helps you not lose your balance. Kick on using your heels in a short flicking action instead of your lower legs leaving your pony's side to kick which affects you balance and seat. This is how I got used to it. Not saying it's the same for everyone but it worked for me. I hope you crack it.

 

[char_f94]

The joys of a RSs, I'm afraid but they do their best. Not sure if your instructor has suggested at which point you sit and prepare in the arena. I found it good to sit halfway between the letters. For instance, between E and K on a the left hand reign (using the circle and triangle shapes as markers is useful), then ask at K. Outside leg behind the girth, at the same time inside leg kick on. Head up and look around the corner to where you are travelling. Your natural body inclination will be to drop your inside shoulder slightly as you look to where you want to travel. This helps your pony begin its canter on the correct leg. You aren't a horse with a rider plonked on top. You are joined and have to work as one being. As soon as you feel that change, roll you hips and not your hands. Hands forward, lower legs hugging your pony's belly, always looking to where you are travelling because this helps your pony balance and helps you not lose your balance. Kick on using your heels in a short flicking action instead of your lower legs leaving your pony's side to kick which affects you balance and seat. This is how I got used to it. Not saying it's the same for everyone but it worked for me. I hope you crack it.

Thank you! I definitely was trying to kick on with my whole leg rather than just heels, got my lesson this afternoon so will definitely try that!