Hi! Eventing re-rider turning to the dressage gurus because, as a re-rider, I have the fabulous chance to become a much better dressage rider by starting over and fixing holes in my own training. Something an instructor noted to me in my last lesson is that I point my toes way out, causing my heel to be on the horse and my leg just not right. She adjusted my lower leg which literally felt like I was rolling my ankle/straining the outside of my calf (the area that directly runs along the outside of my shins). She noted that I’m not rotating from the hips to have more forward toes/proper leg position but I have no clue how exactly to rotate from my hips. So my question is a) does anyone else struggle with this and b) are there any helpful phrases/tips/tricks so I can fix my leg? Thanks in advance!
I feel your pain as I struggle with the same thing!! Unfortunately some of it is just conformation, and we can only turn our toe forward so much. There are a few things that have helped me though. Try to find some exercises that will help increase flexibility in the pelvis and hip flexors. I also try to focus more on where my thigh is than my lower leg. As someone with thicker thighs I tend to ride off of the back of my thigh instead of the inside, which in turn puts the toe out and heel in. Periodically throughout my rides I stand straight up in the stirrups and then slowly settle back into the saddle. I find this helps to correct my position.
It will improve over time if you pay attention and don’t force it, unless you have an actual imbalance in your hips and pelvis. Worth asking a chiro or rmt about your own conformation
Perhaps your instructor is asking you to keep your hips in the saddle, legs bending from the knee, and turning from your waist. So if asking for S/I, your inside leg is at the girth, your outside knee and thigh push the shoulder in, while the outside leg stays back,keeping the quarters from swinging out, but your hips in general face forward, while you turn from the waist so your inside shoulder is way back and your outside shoulder forward. Not only do the horses shoulders face in, yours do too. Meanwhile you look over your outside shoulder to where you want to go.
Pretzels, anyone?
Think about keeping knees and feet pointed forward. It will take time to readjust your alignment but it will happen 
Without being too graphic about it, when you sit in the saddle, use your hand to push the excess flab of the inside of your thigh toward the back of the saddle. The result will be your knee and ankle turns in and more forward. You will feel more consistent contact with your thigh once you get the excess out of the way. It takes awhile to get used to, but gives you better feel for riding correctly from your seat.
I grab my thigh from behind, underneath, and pull the flesh (muscles I swear) behind my thigh. Then sit. You will feel an immediate difference, for the better. Forget your feet, focus on that thigh and the rest may follow (please Lord)
Yoga - and paying attention to foot/leg position at all times - OUT fo the saddle.
Also, consider that the twist or waist of your saddle might be too wide for you.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions!! I will try the thigh pulling thing (agreed, definitely muscles and not the 15lbs I gained…) I had forgotten about that trick! I rode today and really tried to focus on my thigh turning not my ankle. It seemed to work relatively well, I just had to think of it every few strides or I would slip into my old (incorrect) muscle memory.
Lorilu my saddle very well may be part of the culprit. I am in one that is not fit for me. My horse is, and I quote from my vet, “built like a two by four with a rhinoceros horn in front” so the best we’ve found to fit him is an Otto Schumacher Profi Exclusiv (flatter tree for his straight back) but it’s an old saddle and not one fit to me in the least. It definitely feels as though the twist is wider and less comfortable to me, but I do have this toes-out problem also in a jump saddle.
I also found my pelvis tries to have an anterior tilt in the saddle, once that was corrected today it did help with my leg problem.
The muscles that wrap around the hip are usually pretty tight in the average person, mainly because as we walk, we don’t use the abductors and adductors very much. Finding stretches off the horse that will gently, gently stretch the outside of the hip will eventually give you the range of motion to be able to rotate inward from the hip. You will find some muscles you didn’t know you had will make their presence known, especially if you force the rotation. And you may be riding along all nice and comfy with knees/toes pointing forwards, and then, YELP! one of those little muscles will say “done!!” You will likely gain a new awareness of, and appreciation for, your piriformis and iliopsoas muscles. Oh, and your IT band, too. 
It may seem like a contradiction, but you will eventually become more relaxed and supple through the hip, in all planes of motion, as you progress. (This allows you to comfortably follow the motion of the horse). Forcing a position might cause tension and shortening of the muscles, leaving you in a gripping position with your thighs, which will beget more tension through your leg and even lower back. The last thing you want is pain, since that is a warning you are asking more than your body can do at that moment. But being aware of where you feel a stretch/pull/tightness can help you identify what part of the hip needs stretching off the horse.
Ask your instructor for some stretches you can do off the horse to work the tight hips and hip flexors/quads. A demo is easier than a written description, in many cases. If you can, while you are warming up at the walk, drop your stirrups and just let your leg hang without gripping. Think about the movement you would do to have your knee caps point forward, or even inward towards the horse. Sometimes thinking of how you do a snowplow when you ski can help with that hip rotation, too. This should give you the feeling of rotating from the hip.
oh yeah. My IT band area was complaining after my ride today (really tired, not pain) so I expect it to be sore the next few days.
I love the idea of focusing on my kneecap, that may help! I did stretch before riding today and decided to start doing some yoga again focusing on my hips/lower back. Thanks so much for the tips!
Go take a saddleseat lesson…haha. We ride only with our thighs touching. The way I was taught is to put your foot in the stirrup and push down flat. then relax your entire leg and show the bottom edge of your boot, weight on your big toe. Then turn your heel out to roll the thigh in. Once your thigh is in place, relax your leg and let hang.
Its a different endgame, but gets your thigh rolled onto the saddle.
Yep, what everyone else said above … Also my coach before last taught me to go from toes out to toes pointing ahead by rotating in at the hips - the highest point of control (as well as doing the thigh flesh tucking thing) and there are little muscles that help you do this - that you use when you snow plough while skiing. But I hear you, my right leg sticks out like a total delinquent.
Yes to the image of snow plow on skis. You might look at some Mary Wanless stuff on you tube. She deals with rotating thighs into the saddle for almost every rider to begin correcting position. And that grab the back of your thigh and rotate the front of your thigh into the saddle or thigh block. and think about your knees as if you were kneeling down in the saddle
I just have to say that I did this before my dressage lesson this morning and it was SO helpful. It really helped me “plug into” my seat bones much more.
I do have very muscular thighs and the rolling was useful in making sure that I use my “riding thigh muscles” versus my “gripping” leg muscles.
This is one Susan Harris has us do whenever she is at our barn doing lessons. It’s a stalwart from Centered Riding and is one of the most enlightening exercises you can do.
Tack your horse up and mount up. Ignore the reins. Get another person. Close your eyes and have the other person lead you around. Keep doing it! For many laps, both directions, serpentines, whatever you can do comfortably. With and without stirrups. If you are a little out of whack on the corners your human friend can tell you a corner is coming. Add a little trot if that feels okay.
Focus on your hips and following the horse’s movement. Think about what direction your bones are moving: forward/backward, up/down, side to side. Concentrate on finding the circles your hip joints are making. What direction are they going, backwards maybe? On the diagonal? How large are they? Do they change? Think about what it would be like to pedal your bike backwards. Speed up a little and slow down a bit, ask for a longer stride, and be aware of how your body reacts to and receives the horse’s movement.
It is amazing how much more you will feel doing this than you do when you are “riding” your horse. It helps you loosen up and feel how your anatomy relates to the horse. As someone earlier noted, your body can’t necessarily point your toes in the optimal direction. But forcing your leg and your hips into an unnatural position can interfere with your horse’s movement, to say nothing of making you hurt. I try to remind myself to close my eyes on the long side for a few strides when I realize I am beginning to tighten up or grip or fail to receive the horse’s movement. What I like about this kind of exercise, and Centered Riding in general, is that it helps you synch your body with your horse’s and create images you can use to improve your position and your overall technique.
I can definitely relate to the struggles of this thread. I rode hunter/jumpers for years, and then evented for a bit. I was trained to cram weight down in my heels and to point my toes a bit out and not how to properly ride with my seat.
Now I’ve worked to correct all of that but I still struggle with the “mechanics” of dressage. I know I am tight in my hips at times, and my weight lifting (especially squatting heavy) is working against me somewhat. I have built muscular thighs and butt, which is great out of the saddle! I swear dressage is harder if you have big thighs and a butt! Even if it is muscle!
Then I think it get it alright but the whole posting in a dressage saddle is different to me for whatever reason.
I try to do stretches as much as possible. In the saddle it is an ongoing conscious struggle.
One of the ladies at our barn is also a yoga instructor. One morning, we did “barn yoga” in the aisle for about 30 minutes before we tacked up to ride. (NOTE: if you try this, make sure you are using yoga mats you don’t mind ruining. Also, be aware of loose dogs that like to sneak up for kisses). She did a lot of hip openers and stretches with us.
When I climbed into the saddle after that, it was like the clouds parted and the sun shone down and the angels sang - my seat felt that amazing. I never had that “plugged in” feeling like I did that day.
Now the question is why am I not doing this every time I ride? Or at least once a week?
The other thing I’ve had help is to sit in the saddle and grab my foot like I was stretching my quad muscle (but don’t pull as hard), then have someone lift your whole leg off the saddle and straighten it so your kneecap is pointing straight down. Then let go of your foot and slowly let it swing back down to the stirrup.
As someone lifts your leg, they can help rotate it a bit in towards the withers too.
As you get stronger, you’ll be able to do this independently - pull your feet out of the stirrups and lift your whole leg off the horse/saddle so there is no contact. Rotate the leg in from the hip socket and gently lay it back against the saddle. Use your hand to pull that extra thigh “muscle” to the back of the leg.
Do you know what poses you did?? I may try to implement that a bit!
