new instructor: 'Don't put weight in your heels!' explain?

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FinalFurlong

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I do not know if it is just me who can't make any other sense of it, i have asked other people who agree with me that it just does not make sense.

I went for a lesson at a local place after my mom made me move because i fell off a horse at my old riding school (yes, i do also think that's a rubbish excuse for her to make me move yards)

First thing new instructor said to me was that i put too much weight in my heels and that i should bend my knees more, have no weight in my heels and move my leg back more.

So everything i have been taught for the past seven years about having my weight naturally drop down into my heels does not stand anymore?
 
sychnant said:
If you are putting too much weight in your heels it will bring your lower leg forward. Maybe this is what she means?
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im not quite sure, i will have to ask him to just go over it again in my next lesson. I know if you do put too much weight in your heels your body tips back and your legs do go forward but ive always been able to feel by seat bones. When i did put it back in the way he asked which felt quite far to me it caused my whole leg and core to ache, maybe because ive been doing it wrong for so long? its just strange how none of my other riding schools (and ive been to a few ones with excellent reputations) have mentioned this
 
Agreed, sounds like too much weight in your heels. Although there needs to be weight through them an awful lot of your weight should stay springing around between your knees and your core like shock absorbers.

This sounds to me like a core issue, not holding from there and this would mean that a lot of weight is down into your lower leg. Have some lunge lessons and you will soon realise the difference, best thing I ever did!

Just read your next post. From what is being said I'd I would be inclined to trust the new instructor over what has been said before. Sounds like he is asking you to enagage your core which is correct hence the different muscles aching.
 
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It can also lead to too much tension your legs, so that they are not nice and relaxed. My centred riding instructor told me to increase the bend in my knees and forget the heels down for that reason - have you asked the instructor why? She/he is the person you should be asking to clarify, otherwise you are going to get confused.
 
Putting too much weight in your heels will cause a lot of strain in your lower legs, and could also make you lose your stirrups. If you're struggling to keep your heels down, try and focus on keeping your weight in your ankle, rather than shoving your heel down, while still keeping your ankle soft and relaxed. Sounds like a strange way of doing it, but keep at it and eventually it will become second nature :)
 
I have been told to have minimal weight in stirrups. Im sure there are lots of reasons why but the point that helps me not to do it is as the instructor explained, that no matter how well fitting/padded a saddle excessive pressure in the stirrups will put pressure on the stirrups bars and this will put pressure on that point of the horses back. So for me the thought of putting localized pressure on my horses back helps me to ride with a lighter contact in my stirrups.
 
Can you get someone to video you next time? I know that it helps me more than anything else to actually see where my body is, because it can totally fool you into thinking that you are sat perfectly when you are not.
 
There is also the issue of saddles... As you are at a new RS you will be riding in a different saddle, the positioning of the stirrup bars could be affecting your leg position, so whilst it appeared in the correct position in the old RS now riding in a different saddle lt looks like your legs are too forward, it's probably not completely down to this, but it could be a contributing factor.
 
It could well be that you are bracing against the stirrups & pushing against them, but best bet is to ask instructor who has seen you. And very much agree re the saddle, if this one doesn't fit you its a very easy fault to adopt.
 
Next time you ride think ear shoulder hip heel these needto be a vertical line if your heels are forward that's why I think the instructors may have give this advice but its important to remember that these issues start with your core and how you use it .
Ps jumping postion and cantering with the wieght off the horses back changes this a bit but for general riding if you keep thinking ear shoulder hip heel you won't go far wrong.
 
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