Lower leg position

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Rudders74

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I've recently been concentrating on my lower leg position. It tended to move forward all the time (like I was sitting in a chair) which gave me no stability when riding and having to move it back to get contact etc. Im doing fine keeping it back and in line with shoulder during walk, which has helped with maintaining leg contact with her but am struggling in trot. As you will see in the photo it's snuck back forward again! I'm thinking my rising trot technique is not right and perhaps being influenced from my lower leg. Do you have any suggestions that might help. I'm a novice (happy hacker) and developing so be gentle with me!

http://s1374.photobucket.com/user/Rudders74/media/imagejpg1_zps0316baec.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
 
I have no idea how to help but wanted to say that I love the markings on your horse, so beautiful! Will it stay like that or go more grey with age?
 
Thank you, she is a beauty! She's nearly 9 now. I think she will stay like that but her winter coat comes through grey so she looks slightly lighter in winter and darker in summer
 
Your lower leg is probably being influenced by the stirrup bar on the saddle.

It really is muscle memory to keep bringing you rleg back constantly. Though tbh, your leg doesn't look horrendous ;)
 
I don't think you look bad at all - lovely horse too. You might try exercises to loosen your muscles once mounted eg legs out stirrups and swing back and forth like a cycling motion (if she will allow you), stretch toes down etc. Your hip will then be less stiff.
 
Thank you casey76 and ceriann. Yes I can try those exercises I think she would tolerate it. I do suffer with a bit of hip stiffness after 22 years playing hockey so that probably doesn't help!
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Yes, check the position of your stirrup bar.

But the best way to develop a good stable lower leg position is to ride without stirrups, both rising and sitting trot will help.
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Yes good idea, I haven't done much without stirrups so to learn to do rising trot without will help I'm sure
 
When you are rising do you feel that your heels are going up and down? To help bring (and keep) your lower leg back your weight should be in your heels but you should rise off the stirrup. You should be loose through your hip and keep your knees soft. You may find you are tipping forward and to counteract this you are trying to balance yourself through putting your lower leg forward. Remember to sit back and push your hands forward allowing your elbows to absorb the movement. Concentrate on staying soft and relaxed. Hope this helps :-)
 
Rosesandhorses said:
When you are rising do you feel that your heels are going up and down? To help bring (and keep) your lower leg back your weight should be in your heels but you should rise off the stirrup. You should be loose through your hip and keep your knees soft. You may find you are tipping forward and to counteract this you are trying to balance yourself through putting your lower leg forward. Remember to sit back and push your hands forward allowing your elbows to absorb the movement. Concentrate on staying soft and relaxed. Hope this helps :-)
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Not conscious of my heels going up and down I don't think but tipping forward has been one of my weak points which I'm sure is related to the lower leg then going forward to compensate, as you suggest.
 
I used to find that I tipped forward a lot and did something very similar to you, I've had to have a lot of rejigging of my position and have someone on the ground pulling me up constantly on keeping my leg back and sitting up straight - really helpful if you have someone that can do this.
 
Riding without stirrups will help a lot but basically you are sitting on the wrong bit you need to get your bum under you and get your thigh muscles behind your bone a good exercise is to get someone to hold your horse put both legs in front of the saddle flaps on the horse's neck and hutch your bum forward as far as it will go then bring your leg out down and round so your thigh muscle is behind the bone and hold your position there for a minute to get the feel once you find the center of the saddle you will find it easier to get your leg back in all paces. The leg creeps forward the more you arm chair sit so where you need to be is with your leg in line with your hip, shoulder and heel so if by magic I made your horse disappear you would land on your feet your weight is too far back in those pictures
 
Its mainly the saddle dictating the leg position, its putting you in a chair seat rather than having your legs in more of a dressage position i.e. if the horse vanished from underneath you would you fall on your bum or land on your feet?
 
An exercise you might try is to stand in the stirrups while you walk and trot. As soon as your lower leg is out of place you'll sit down or tip forward... (you might hook a finger into the neckstrap if you find yourself hanging on the reins to balance)
 
Agree with TigerTail, you need a dressage saddle to put you in the classical dressage position. Otherwise, like windand rain said, seat more on your bum/seatbones and put your shoulders blades back, perhaps lengthening your stirrups by 1 or 2 holes will help and stretching the hip joint by lifting your leg up and slightly back (wihout the rest of your body moving) for a few seconds. But I think you'll find yourself fighting against the saddle has a jump saddle encourages you more into a light seat.
 
I think the saddle looks a little too small for you. You should be able to get your hand flat sideways on the saddle between your bum and the cantle. The position you sit in would be very much influenced by the saddle you are using.
 
The saddle, especially the block and stirrup bar position can massively influence your lower leg. If it's a case of the stirrup bar is to far forward - as it is in most jump/event/xc style saddles - then there's not a lot you can do about it. Your own conformation also plays a huge role.

I beat myself up for years about my lower leg being crap, it was my saddle combined with the fact I have a longish thigh. Once I realised that I got a saddle that fitted me better for jumping and a dressage saddle for flatwork... I no longer stress about my leg when on the flat in my jump saddles and use riding in my dressage to concentrate on me. I also found what brands suit me best and stick with them - my Barnsby jump saddles really push my leg forward (though I'm super secure jumping in them), my Equipe and Frank Baines aren't quite as bad - which helps.

Basically I'd be looking at your saddle first, the pic does make it look like it's pulling your leg forward, before you get too cross with yourself.
 
I find this happens with my right leg which is very stiff through the hip/thigh/knee. It seems like creep forward and cling to the front of the saddle. I've just been trying to correct it by checking every few minutes and trying to loosen/open up through my hips. You do look a little hunched forward in that photo (although tbh horse looks like she's going lovely for you!), I would try and draw yourself in and up through your core a little more and see if that helps you relax more through the leg.
 
Luckily I am booked in with saddle fitter in 3 weeks so will look into something more suitable to aid seat and position! Thanks again all x
 
Try a Heather Moffet saddle - does wonders for the position and changes with your horse so no risk of it being outgrown etc :)

Range of prices and a lot of the synthetic ones are around 2nd hand if you want to ry one like that
 
I would suggest trying to get used to riding longer. Also, if you put your stirrups a couple of holes down, your legs would have more support from the knee blocks. Lovely looking horse btw :)
 
The saddle does look a bit too small for you, sitting partly on the cantle slope will tilt you forwards. If you lengthened your stirrups you would probably sit more centrally with your feet further back, but it's going to feel weird at first.
 
+ 1 on lengthening the stirrups. They are knocking your position off a bit. See how your knees are above the knee roll? See if dropping them down a tad helps :) You both look great together!
 
Thanks all. Lots to go at. The saddle came with her and is a gp/jump style so definately opportunity to change for something more suitable when I see the saddler next month. Will also try lengthening stirrups and some of the suggested exercises. Thanks also for the nice comments, she has really helped me get my confidence back since ive had her and am hopeful we will grow nicely together
 
I read this with interest as its a timely topic for me too! I agree that lengthening the stirrups can help but only to a point, if the stirrup bars are to far forward for you you will always be fighting against it. I am small, 5ft3/4 but i have long thighs for my size. Ive not found a GP saddle that suits me at all! I had a Black Country Wexford which as a jumping saddle suited me better with have bigger / more forward cut flaps to accommodate my upper leg and knee when riding shorter and the bars were set at just the right place for my leg to drop into a textbook position. Similarly , Ive not had a problem with any of the dressage saddles Ive ridden in as they tend to have bars set further back anyway. My new saddle is a WH and to my dismay Ive found the stirrup bars are not set far enough back for me and its hard to work to keep my lower leg where it should be. However all is not lost as it is being sent back and the bars are being changed, so it is possible.
 
I agree on the saddle, it doesn't look like it helps at all (FWIW, when I ride in a jump saddle for the first time in a while I often find I struggle to do rising trot at all, my legs feel like they are in completely the wrong position!).

The two exercises that I have found help the most are standing in the stirrups in trot - try doing two strides then build it up, be careful not to slam back down on the horse's back (be ready to grab a clump of mane if you get unbalanced!) - and rising trot with no stirrups. Rising without stirrups will also encourage you to do a smaller 'rise' which helps your balance too. It will also be interesting to see if you feel that you can maintain the leg position once you take your stirrups back, it's a good test of whether your stirrup bars are too far forwards.

Re: tipping forwards, there are two schools of thought on the rising trot. I've been taught by some instructors to keep straight, but classical instructors tend towards having a slight forwards tilt to help balance and stop you sitting too far towards the back of the saddle (one instructor told me to stand, find my balance point, then keep that slightly forward position when rising - however that was in a lovely dressage saddle so I was able to keep my legs long and secure while doing it so the forward tilt wasn't very dramatic).
 
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