Oh the shame.... please advise....

[Coblover63]

Taught to ride "old skool" back in the late 60's, early 70's and took a long break for children from the 80's through to the norties. Since coming back in 2005, I have been conditioning myself to ride with relaxed legs (not gripping with my knees) and a nice straight line (not "armchair" or "hunting seat"). Also been working on keeping my toes forward. Have pretty much mastered all this in walk and trot now but when I canter... oh, hell... it all goes to pot Concentrating on sitting up straight, not bouncing in the saddle, maintaining a nice steady contact without moving hands, keeping lower leg still with weight through into my heels.... but I still go into "clamp mode" and thus my feet turn out. I daren't attempt a "forward seat yet"

Tips to improve please.....

 

[Gleeful Imp]

Lunge lessons! work a treat

 

[Coblover63]

Thanks.... anything else I can be doing in the meantime? Anyone?

 

[sychnant]

Don't concentrate so much on "sitting up straight" - always makes me too tense! Think of your lower back as being a "shock absorber" and let it relax, so your pelvis can move with the horse and your top half stays more still.

 

[galaxy]

Actually riding in the "forward seat" does wonders for a lower leg position as your weight will go down into your stirrup. Give it a go.

Lunge lessons are a great idea

 

[LittleBlackMule]

In theory, your position should be such that if your horse was whipped out from under you you'd land on your feet.

I went through a phase of struggling to stop my lower leg creeping forward; like you I was gripping with my knees, something to do with riding a spooky nutcase.
An instructor told me to imagine I was kneeling. This pulled my thigh down, and as long as my lower leg was relaxed it hung correctly.

 

[moana]

Ride and ride in lunge without stirrups

 

[poops]

Thank you for posting this OP! I thought I was the only one!

 

[Mince Pie]

Take your saddle off I've been doing this recently as I have a tendency to clamp with my calves (my lad is a lazy wodget!), and if I do it without a saddle I'm very quickly bounced off!

 

[Coblover63]

Er.... understand the theory but don't want to put myself in danger of falling off. I badly busted six ribs a while back and they're still healing so I don't want to set myself back!!!

 

[w1bbler]

We need a support group for all of us taught to ride "in the dark ages" we had leaves put under our knees & every time one dropped we'd get hit! Taken years to untrain my legs & still find when things go wrong I resort to my old "hunting seat"

 

[trottingon]

We need a support group for all of us taught to ride "in the dark ages" we had leaves put under our knees & every time one dropped we'd get hit! Taken years to untrain my legs & still find when things go wrong I resort to my old "hunting seat"

YAY!!! Can I join please????

 

[Juniper Jack]

Me too please, I want to join too!

 

[immoralorchid]

Smile relax and enjoy yourself once you stop overthinking your body will soften. Also put both legs over the front of your saddle so you can feel your seat bones then allow your legs back under you feeling a stretch in your inner thigh which will help you feel stuck on without gripping ;-)
One other tip is don't force your heels down but allow you weight to drop down the front of your thigh and heels

 

[mytwofriends]

I too have heard the tip about making your position such that you'd land on your feet if the horse was taken away. And try not to force anything - stay relaxed.

I'll join the support group too please! Sounds like we're a friendly bunch!

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Do you have lessons? Really you need an instructor to look at you and see where the problem is if indeed there is one I'm sure you would progress a lot quicker with the right one even if its not very often.

If you look at dressage riders they still have tone in their legs they are not completely relaxed and hanging there. You still need to turn your knee in so that it is snug with the saddle but just not gripping.

Are your stirrps too long? If they are you will reach for them and this will push your toes down and therefore you out of the saddle. Without stirrups you would not be reaching so you will have to sit more into the saddle. Try riding for short periods within your schooling session without them. If you are riding in a GP they are not designed on the whole to be ridden with a longer leg. If you have short or chubby legs again you won't look like Carl Hester however much you try because he is tall and slim and a bloke with no thighs. Way too many people ride with stirrups too long.

Does your horse go off the leg easily? If he doesn't then it's typical to then begin to draw up your legs to ask for the transition to canter and also tip forward.

No one can say if they can't see you really.

 

[Kaylum]

Put a duster between your horse and your lower leg, when your legs turn out you will loose the duster. Also stand up in your stirrups in walk and then trot, see where you need to get your balance. If you do this a couple of times each time you ride you will understand where your legs need to go. Your head is the heaviest part of your body if its forward of the rest of your body then you won't be balanced. Get someone to video your riding so you can look at your position.

 

[texas]

Watch loads of videos of really good dressage riders, then imagine you being them as you ride. This worked for me.

 

[OldNag]

I'm fine until it comes to jumping. I can't stop myself reverting to old school and gripping with my knees.
It doesn't help that my confidence has disappeared and these days even 2ft looks HUGE. So I tend to go into survival/panic mode!