Kat_Bath
Well-Known Member
Warning: This may turn out loooongggg! I apologise in advance.
A little bit of background first... All my riding life between the age of nothing up until the beginning of last year, I rode with my legs all over the place, sticking out at all ankles. After a years break, I started having proper good lessons last summer and I learnt how to open up my seat bones, my thighs and my knees and create a tunnel around the horse.
Yesterday, I had my first lesson in a month and a half and my ankles felt really weak and actually quite painful. I wear short boots and chaps when I ride. I find that nothing really supports my ankle, no matter how tight fitting the boot. Perhaps my muck boots may hold me in more but that's not what I need. I need to strengthen my muscles etc.
I have drawn a couple of little diagrams to help explain myself....
So, this is what I used to ride like on the left and what I ride like now.
On the left, I'm trying to show you how I used to grip with my thighs and my knees and my lower leg was not on the horse and was also way back behind the girth. When I ride like this now, my knees to ankles are in a straight line, as illustrated and my ankles are more fixed. On the right, I'm trying to show you how I ride now, with a tunnel. My knees are more relaxed with my seat bones open but when I relax my ankles, they collapse and hurt:
Here's a couple of examples of my previous riding position:
V.short stirrups as jumping but these are way too short I know but this was about 3 years ago!
This is what I mean but the straight line with fixed ankle from knee to foot:
And of my position now (although this photo isn't great, I hope the difference still shows):
I've also done a little diagram to try and illustrate where I feel my ankle is hurty!
The red circle is where I feel my muscles collapse. When I drop the tension, to make my ankles come round, it feels like someone cuts something in my ankle and my ankle goes limp (I wouldn't say it was relaxed). But I can't hold it. The blue circle is actually where I think my ankle gives way. I've tried to look today and see what happens when I drop my ankle but it's hard to see and also, it's not the same as it is on a horse.
Yesterday, my instructor said I need to go away and work on my core strength and the strength in my legs, especially ankles but to be honest with you, I have no idea where to start when it comes to my ankles. I used to stand on the bottom step when I was younger but that's helping the back of my ankles more... How do I make the sides stronger?
Any help would be much appreciated. I don't want my crappy joints to get in the way of my riding. I felt a bit deflated yesterday but I know it's something I can work on so I'm trying not to be too downhearted.
Donuts from the local farm shop (YUMMMY) on offer. And here's a bonus photo of a cute puppy (not mine-I wish) that I found on my photobucket:
I thank you in advance
A little bit of background first... All my riding life between the age of nothing up until the beginning of last year, I rode with my legs all over the place, sticking out at all ankles. After a years break, I started having proper good lessons last summer and I learnt how to open up my seat bones, my thighs and my knees and create a tunnel around the horse.
Yesterday, I had my first lesson in a month and a half and my ankles felt really weak and actually quite painful. I wear short boots and chaps when I ride. I find that nothing really supports my ankle, no matter how tight fitting the boot. Perhaps my muck boots may hold me in more but that's not what I need. I need to strengthen my muscles etc.
I have drawn a couple of little diagrams to help explain myself....
So, this is what I used to ride like on the left and what I ride like now.
On the left, I'm trying to show you how I used to grip with my thighs and my knees and my lower leg was not on the horse and was also way back behind the girth. When I ride like this now, my knees to ankles are in a straight line, as illustrated and my ankles are more fixed. On the right, I'm trying to show you how I ride now, with a tunnel. My knees are more relaxed with my seat bones open but when I relax my ankles, they collapse and hurt:
Here's a couple of examples of my previous riding position:
V.short stirrups as jumping but these are way too short I know but this was about 3 years ago!
This is what I mean but the straight line with fixed ankle from knee to foot:
And of my position now (although this photo isn't great, I hope the difference still shows):
I've also done a little diagram to try and illustrate where I feel my ankle is hurty!
The red circle is where I feel my muscles collapse. When I drop the tension, to make my ankles come round, it feels like someone cuts something in my ankle and my ankle goes limp (I wouldn't say it was relaxed). But I can't hold it. The blue circle is actually where I think my ankle gives way. I've tried to look today and see what happens when I drop my ankle but it's hard to see and also, it's not the same as it is on a horse.
Yesterday, my instructor said I need to go away and work on my core strength and the strength in my legs, especially ankles but to be honest with you, I have no idea where to start when it comes to my ankles. I used to stand on the bottom step when I was younger but that's helping the back of my ankles more... How do I make the sides stronger?
Any help would be much appreciated. I don't want my crappy joints to get in the way of my riding. I felt a bit deflated yesterday but I know it's something I can work on so I'm trying not to be too downhearted.
Donuts from the local farm shop (YUMMMY) on offer. And here's a bonus photo of a cute puppy (not mine-I wish) that I found on my photobucket:
I thank you in advance
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! I have a genetic syndrome which means that I have no reflex in my achilles tendon and I spent my life until 2 years ago twisting one ankle or the other every few months so it went purple.