Are there any riders here with total foot drop? What things do you do to make riding easier (such as getting your foot in the stirrup and keeping it there.)?
I’ll be interested to hear the responses as I will be returning to riding soon hopefully, with total bilateral foot drop. But I have been riding with partial foot drop (and complete lack of feeling anywhere in my left leg) for a year or so now. At first I tried rubber bands to attach and keep my feet in the stirrups but ended that after my devil pony bucked me off and I broke my ankle because my foot didn’t come free easily (but then, I also had very grippy stirrup pads which I think did it more than anything). MDC stirrups set at the 45 and 90 degree angles helped the most, and I was able to keep my feet in there just as I normally would most of the time…we did have a few scary moments going into jumps and such haha. I did have some problems with my foot slipping through at first though which was really quite dangerous in hind sight, but I just checked constantly and eventually I learned how to hold my hips so that my leg and therefore foot stayed in the correct position. Again that’s not much help so I too look forward to the replies.
The only way I can get my foot in the stirrup is to hook the handle of my whip on the stirrup and pull it around my toe…I can’t keep my foot in the stirrup, unless I wear stiff, high dressage boots. I also use break away stirrup. I tried the off set stirrups and they didn’t help me…
Nadia, Have you tried shortening your stirrups to see if it helps you keep your stirrups easier? I’m thinking of trying the on-tyte stirrups, but I usually ride alone, so I don’t know how I’d get out of them.
I ride fairly long, and don’t (can’t) push down into that stirrup… so I focus on keep my butt down, and a long loose leg
