Stirup Irons - Leg Position

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Mollymillymoo

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Ok so, I know there is no quick fix for a good position but I was wondering if there are any stirrup irons on the market at the moment which could help me.

My feet stick out terribly, like that ballet position where you stand with your toes out! Is there anything available to help me pull them in? I do try and they are much better than they were, but any help would be good... Has anyone else overcome this kind of thing before? Is it just continuously consciously pulling your feet in that fixes it?!

Any help really appreciated! :)
 
i think you can get straps that attach to the stirrup and the girth or something? have no idea what they are called though!!
 
I find that sitting down or lying in bed twirling my feet in towards each other really helped. My instructor told me to try it because my feet were always pointing out too and it works, my toes definitely point forwards now and I don't have to concentrate on them anymore :)
 
They are called symmetry straps and they are good to stop your lower leg swinging around - is that why your toes turn out? If your toes turn out that means your knees are not on the saddle and you are using the back of your calves on your horse - concentrate on using the side instead, as well as hugging the saddle with your knees. Possibly also means you might do better with stirrups one hole shorter or one hole longer - try that.

DON'T use flash or spur straps - the symmetry ones have a velcro quick release in case you fall off and get hung up, without it you will negate the safety of your open stirrup bar.
 
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You can also get stirrup treads which are wedge-shaped which are supposed to help point your toes inwards. Never tried them but have seen them around.
 
I used to ride like Charlie Chaplin so know exactly where you are coming from but my instructor turns my whole leg from the top so that my front inner thigh is touching the saddle. It helps as it turns your whole leg rather than just your foot.
Its really hard to explain but since I started doing this myself at the beginning of every ride my foot position has been better.
Somebody more qualified to explain will hopefully know what I mean and explain it properly.
 
If it's your whole leg that's turning and not just your feet, which is more likely. When you're sitting in the saddle grab the back muscle on your thigh and pull it out and back. This has the effect of pulling your leg around so your inner thigh lies flat on the saddle and puts your leg flush with horse where it should be. To start with you will need to keep doing this often but after a while your leg will stay where it should.

Hope that helps :)
 
Check that you are actually sitting on your seat bones - I had real trouble with my legs until I went to a brilliant physio, who put back 3 vertebrae that were out and fixed my back - because I couldn't use my lower back I was riding with my back too arched and with my pelvis tipped forward. Once the physio had mended me I was able to sit on my seat bones, and wrap my legs around the horse keeping my calves and feet still. Rising trot killed my quads to begin with, because they were having to lift my body weight instead of swinging my feet out but it was worth it! My mare really appreciates it - she's even working in an outline in all three paces now!
 
you can get wedge stirrup treads which are deeper on one side than the other - they are supposed to help with sticky out toes.
 
The reason your toes are pointing out has nothing to do with your feet, so fancy stirrups are not going to solve your positional problems. You are most likely gripping with your whole leg, which not only makes your toes turn out, but also stiffens your back, shoulders and arms - obviously not a good thing. A GOOD instructor and some basic position work on the lunge is what you need.
 
Sprenger do a stirrup which you can adjust so that it hangs differently on the stirrup leather, this is supposed to keep your leg and foot in a better position. Also worth trying, take foot out of stirrup, take leg out as far as you can from horse's side, move inner thigh so that it touches saddle, then carefully put foot back in stirrup. Don't know if it makes sense!
 
Try the stubben double off-set stirrups, they are amazing!!
Just make sure you have them on the right way round, think they are marked right and left, they feel really odd if you get them on the wrong side.
Have had mine for years and find them a real help for leg position, along with lots of work without stirrups to improve strength, suppleness etc
 
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