I am an experienced rider teaching a new rider (I live in the boondocks and it is difficult to find good instructors, so I’m it for awhile). I feel I am a good teacher (former ski instructor at a major resort) but my experience teaching someone how to ride is pretty limited. So far my new rider has good basic body position. Really working on independent seat and hands and have done some longe line work (including with bareback pad). Just did a 3 hour trail ride with me (mostly at a walk) yesterday and he had a great time. I think it must seem weird to a beginner to keep heels down. So any ideas that might help him with this? Maybe learning and practicing two point at a walk to get the feel? Thanks in advance for any ideas that can be shared.
there are those exerices where you stand up, stretch heels down and then sink back down in the saddle. Done at a halt.
After years of my riding teacher telling me that my heels were too far back (and not down much at all) I was reading in my old equitation books and a third of a sentence cured my problems. Yes, one should not grip with the knees, but if the knee joint gets too relaxed the lower leg drifts back and the heels come up.
He did not have any details in the book (“Riding and Schooling Horses” by Chamberlin) other than that. I went to my medical dictionary’s chart of muscles and the only muscle I saw that would fit the limitations described by Chamberlin was the rectus femoris, the big muscle that goes down the front of the thigh. I started doing a LITTLE tension in the muscle, my feet came forward and my heels went down. My teacher stopped criticizing my lower legs.
Notice I said a little tension. If I use more tension I swing into a chair seat, and with even more tension my feet are “on the dashboard”.
Similarly to what Jackie said, I have found it helpful to think 'knees down" (which pushed the heels down) instead of “heels down” (which makes me focus on my ankles).
Thanks. Really appreciating the responses so far!!! I am also planning to take video of him riding (and me riding). So he can notice differences. He really is doing well though, naturally athletic, great balance, and he LOVES horses (always asking me questions about them).
I second the recommendation of knee down. Also, if he is pinching with his knee, hearing drape your leg around the horse helped me with that.
I am an adult beginner so I am hearing a lot of feedback about heels, toes, etc!!
One thing that REALLY works for me is to imagine an arrow from my heel to the back foot of the horse. I also seem to react better to “toes up” rather than “heels down” as a reminder. Then the trainer will remind me to wrap my legs around his barrel in a gentle “hug” that seems to be the final cue I need to get my legs into the correct position.
At the beginning of each ride my trainer has me do a number of exercises including walking in the two-point position. At the end of the ride we’ve started using those elastic bands that stretch across the body from opposite shoulder to opposite heel - I am then asked to ride various patterns at a walk and really focus on my positioning.
Finally… making sure the stirrups are the correct length is a really important step for me. A couple of times I’ve misjudged by a hole or two (always too long - which is a lot more “comfortable” for me!) and once they are shortened appropriately I really have to focus a lot harder on my heels/toes.
The old " stand on the edge of the stair" exercise, weight on the stair where the stirrup goes on your foot. And drop the heels. And stay there. Knock the knees forward a bit. All the riders in high school used to do this ALL the time. Develops balance, and stretches out the tendon down the back of your leg- makes it more comfortable and more possible to d while riding. It still works just like it did decades ago.
it is less about the heels down, which most people think of as a pushing down intention , but learning how to drop down out of the hip. Lunge is an excellent tool.
As a kid I was taught the rigid legs locked and must not move … this is not sustainable
a relaxed buttock and the downward intention through the knees with relaxed elastic ankle. Most adults think analytically and videos are a great tool. Sounds like the perfect student, open to knowledge
I recommend the book “Centered Riding” by Sally Swift.
It gives all sorts of visualizations that help riders achieve correct position.
If you look at images of dressage riders, working equitation, Australian stockmen, European showjumpers, jockeys etc you will see all kinds of foot positions, usually parallel to the ground or some slight heels down to provide a bit of flextion through the ankles but not the exaggerated heels down of the American H/J style. What does your friend wish to do when riding in future? If he wants to be a good functional rider think of seat, seat and leg. Concentrate on stirrups on the ball of his foot and keeping his feet pointing forward rather than insisting on heels down. If his heels go up then he needs to relax in hip and knee and you can use exercises to develop the foundation of a deep secure seat. Heels down will then happen naturally if in a forward seat with jumping length leathers.
Thanks again everyone. I think my beginner wants to become a good all around accomplished rider. Wants to learn to jump. Wants to master faster gaits. Wants to do lots of trail rides. I want him to have really good basics before moving on to more advanced things. He is also very keen on learning how to take care of horses/horse behavior etc. He is a good student and really motivated to learn so that has been nice. I’ve always found it interesting that how we word things can create a break through for someone. When I was a ski instructor and we were skiing a steep powder run (a situation where many folks incorrectly lean back) our supervisor had us think of having our feet keep up with our upper bodies (versus keep upper body over feet). Phrasing it that way really worked for me and it is great advice that I still think of today. In my experience teaching skiing, I know that it helps to address visual (watch), auditory (hear), feel kinesthetic (feeling) components of learning.
Another beginner perspective: I’ve been riding for just under 2 years and am a former gymnast. I noticed when I started focusing on hip flexibility (lunges and splits) and core strength in workouts outside the barn my position got a lot better. Heels down never really clicked with me but now I understand it to mean relaxed hips and wrapping the leg around (not pinching with knees). Reminding your student to breathe at the trot or canter will help - I tend to hold my breath and tighten up which always means knee pinch and losing a stirrup for me. Also tons of two point and long trail rides are GREAT for reinforcing the right feel.
just read something really informative from a book I have about how the focus should be on hip and leg. That will also be very helpful!
Yes to pretty much everything above. Since in the first post, you mention he may not understand the “why”, something I would do is: while he is sitting relaxed at the halt, have him play with different “heel positions”… you can even physically guide him into these. Point out the accompanying changes to the rest of the body (ie. “Do you feel like it’s easier to sit up a tall with your leg here?” and - this was always the big one with my students – “Now can you feel your horse’s side touching your whole leg? So try squeezing to go like that and see what happens.”)
Are you just saying “Heels down!” Or are you explaining why it’s important to a correct position.
Form follows function equitation, so he’ll have to release tension in his knees – please don’t squeeze with your knees! – and learn to put his weight in his heels. It’s not just about shoving your heels down. This will create a chair seat. If the rider thinks of putting his weight in his heels, he’ll be more apt to wrap his legs around the barrel of his horse and ride off his seat and lower leg.
Forcing heels down, even forcing knees down will have the effect of squirting the rider up out of the tack.
Yes, lots of walking in half seat at the start of every ride to warm up the muscles is a great start. Also, if he’s posting at trot, teaching up - up - down will build stability and flexibility. Also, turning the toes out a bit will help release the knee and help the heel become weighted.
Sorry if this is redundant. Didn’t read through. Just offering my 2 cents.
This is how I finally got it. My trainer came over and physically placed my lower leg in the right place, then had me lean forward, back, etc. Sometimes for that positional stuff, it’s really helpful to do some “calibrations” at a halt until you can find the feel you’re looking for. For example, I have a little scoliosis and tend to lean in one direction. I’ll have a friend stand head-on while keep leaning the other way until they tell me I’m straight. Then I can stay there for a few moments to cement that feeling in my mind.
Thanks again for all of your helpful posts! Greatly appreciated!!!
