keeping my heels down ? help

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mariond

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Any suggestions/tips on how I can get myself to keep my heels down. Canter is my worst pace and my left leg (the weaker one) is really bad ! I start off trying to keep them down but as the lesson/schooling progresses and I have to remember other things up they come. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks
 
Try standing up in your stirrups every now and then and putting the weight into your heels. I have the same problem with looking down - I remeber at the beginning when I'm thinking about it, but before long I'm staring at the floor!

Just keep correcting yourself and eventually you'll keep them down. Also, if you have some lessons it might help, as there maybe something else with your position that is effecting your heels, if you know what I mean?
 
You could be gripping with your knees. Have a think about where your centre of gravity is and if your weight is going down your heels. Your thighs should be nice and flat to the saddle and your knees just resting on the rolls.

As well as the other suggestions, I'd try riding without stirrups - not necessarily at canter - walk and trot would be fine. This will help you deepen your seat, lengthen your legs and, surprisingly, help you to not grip with your knees if that's what you're doing. When you take your stirrups back, you may feel like you need to lengthen them, try cantering with them at the same length to start with
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When you are at home, stand on a step and drop your heel down over the back of the step so you can feel it pull through the muscles/tendons in your lower legs. This will help strengthen your legs & make it easier when you are on board a horse. I do this a lot to compensate for waring high heels all day at work which stretch your muscles/ligaments in the wrong direction for riding.
 
I find that taking my feet out of my stirrups (in halt) and holding them out to the side (yes it really hurts your hips until you get loosened up a bit) is really helpful for dropping the weight through my leg and keeping my heels down.
 
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I find that taking my feet out of my stirrups (in halt) and holding them out to the side (yes it really hurts your hips until you get loosened up a bit) is really helpful for dropping the weight through my leg and keeping my heels down.

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I try that, gives me me cramp every time
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You need help with a good instructor to put you on the lunge and go back to the basics of seat alignment.
You cant keep you heels down if the leg is not free from the hips, think of the hip/pelvis area being wider. This is only possible if you have a good upperbody balance around a strong core muscle. The shoulders need to wide with the shoulderblades folded down your back with you spine growing upwards from your ears being lifted.
This 'balance will then mean you will not grip with the thigh and knee and you will be able to let the weight of the leg hang down into the stirrups with calf muscle relaxed.
But like i said this needs really to be helped by a good instructor who can help you place your body inthe correct position because the right way often feels weird!!
 
All of the above:

Plus - stand on something for 10 mins per day to get your heels down. Like any other muscle you need to train it! I am currently using the back of my lateral thigh trainer!

Also I bought some 'heels' down stirrup treads, they are great for dressage, but crap for fast work like jumping as your foot can become wedged!!
 
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