Painful ankles - curling ankles inwards/ball of the foot

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Danielle87

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In recent years when riding my ankles really ache during and a little while after, it is affecting my position (and hurts!) and I think I have finally realised what I am doing...
I tend to lean all of my weight on the outside of each ball of my foot and curl my ankle inwards, in order to keep my toes in and heels down. So there is little/ no weight on the middle to the inside of the ball of my foot.
This isn't normal, is it?!
When I realised today, I tried to put the ball of my foot flat in the stirrup but I find it really hard to then keep my toes forward and ankles down!
Has anyone else experienced this and have any ideas/exercises of how I should rectify it?

Thanks
D :)
 
I understand exactly what you mean position wise though perhaps think of it in terms of your entire leg and not just isolate it to your foot/heel position. I'm afraid I don't have an indepth enough knowledge of human anatomy to tell you exactly where and why this happens but to me it sounds like while it is your ankle that this causing you pain from you trying to keep toes forward and heels down, I think the problem may lie elsewhere.

To me, as merely a layperson with a vague interest in these sorts of things and biomechanics, this is how I'd look at it:
Look at your hips - are they square? Are you sitting on your seatbones, are your hips level and upright or are you opening at the hips?
Look at your thigh - is it lying flap against the saddle or is it turned out (like a ballerina)? Is there muscle/thigh tissue between your leg and the saddle (an instructor once told me - if so, you can pull the excess out of the way - imagine it like getting your femur as close to the saddle as comfortable).
Look at your knees - do they point straight or do you have to actively think to put them forward? If they feel like they aren't flush with the saddle or they leave a gap between the knee rolls - go back and look at your hip and thigh angle.
Then, if all that checks out - work down to the ankle. Is the inside or outside of your calf against the horse (look at the wear of your boots/chaps - often a good indicator of your position as you ride).
Then think of it in terms of not just heels down, toes forward but toes facing the same way as your knees and the classic plumb line of shoulder, hip, ankle.

Its worth getting a good instructor to give you a once over or if you're feeling brave, assessed on a mechanical horse! it seems like perhaps this has occurred as you are subconsciously compensating for something else in your position - but then what would I know really!
 
I do this too!!! and I cant seem to change it, drives me mad. Ive just started having lessons again and my ankle just wont bend the other way. All my weight is on the outside of my foot and I ride with the stirrups on my toes, little toes :( and not the ball of my feet. Im told to open my pelvis and try to put my leg under me and to forget about where my toes are for the minute but my ankles just wont contort the way they should lol. Daft thing is, take my stirrups away and I dont have an issue.
 
I had this problem too. Also, doing this makes front outside of shins hurt. Only way I counteract is to remember to keep leg relaxed (it's meant to move), and point toes outward. They actually aren't pointing outward, they just feel like they are, after locking myself into this position for so many years.
 
I do this!!! Actually I tend to just stick my toes out really... Well I did until I realised what the problem was... Which is tight hips and flat feet.

I have tight hip flexors which affects my position when riding and walking.

I do lots of no stirrup work and lots of stretches to my hips, glutes calves. I also have a good pair of arch supports in my riding boots which helps.

I really need to do more Pilates to stretch out my tight muscles and strengthen my core, but I'm a bit lazy. Really need to do more!!!

I remember as a teenager I used to have lessons on a mare I shared and she had those stirrups with offset holes at the top, which forced my toes forward. My ankles used to give way when I hit the floor. Ouch!!!
 
I've been riding most of life and also did gymnastics as a child... As a result I have very flexible ankles! When I'm just walking around, my ankles will slip the way you describe all on their own and I'll even automatically walk around on the sides of my feet if my feet are wet or the floor is cold etc... I'm even sitting like that right now... Kneeling on my chair with my feet under me bent inwards at the ankle... The thing is it doesn't hurt at all because I've done this with my ankles my entire life. When I ride, I'll often slip into that position as well because no matter how flexible your hips (which are your main problem), on a horse with a wide barrel, you have to mould your legs around them and that means bending at the knee - which only bends one way - as there are no joints in your thighs. So the way I see it, bending at the knee to wrap around, even with flexible, open, hips, forces the feet out if the horse is on the wide side - leading to you then having to compensate with the ankle rotation.

So basically there are three things I'd suggest trying.

- Longer stirrups (or no stirrups) as this will mean you bend the knee less
- Exercises to make your hips more flexible (work towards being able to do the splits)
- Exercises to make your ankles more flexible (sit with them facing inwards when you're just sitting around at home)
 
I am hypermobile and this is an issue I have as my ankles naturally sit over extended like this.

Riding wise you are most likely pushing your bum to the back of the saddle and your leg forwards with your stirrups too short - if you look a your saddle when you're off it I bet the stirrup bars are set well forward of the deepest part of the saddle?

So you need to get your legs down and round the horse, before taking your stirrups, which will most likely result in lengthening your stirrups by 3 holes + if you can do your warmup with no stirrups to encourage lengthening the leg and releasing the psoas muscle and open the hips.
 
Just one little thing, stop thinking your heels have to be down ( they don't unless you are about to jump a fence)..your feet should be level in the stirrup...so try and relax your leg, feel the movement of the horse with your hips/pelvis..as others have said, try doing stirrup free work, exercises on board ( rab your foot and pull up toward you back, pull your knees up into jockey position,also try doing pilats or yoga to balance yourself, build muscle where it needs and make sure your level in your seat torso etc...
 
Will watch with interest as I have this problem but only in one foot! It actually goes to sleep in the end. Both feet look the same position to me and I have a knee injury but its the opposite side. I cannot work it out. Why can't my left foot be more like my right! It seems to be getting worse and worse. Yet rightie has no problems whatsoever!
 
Louby said:
I do this too!!! and I cant seem to change it, drives me mad. Ive just started having lessons again and my ankle just wont bend the other way. All my weight is on the outside of my foot and I ride with the stirrups on my toes, little toes :( and not the ball of my feet. Im told to open my pelvis and try to put my leg under me and to forget about where my toes are for the minute but my ankles just wont contort the way they should lol. Daft thing is, take my stirrups away and I dont have an issue.
Click to expand...

I am really struggling with this too atm so will be paying close attention to this thread
 
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