Tell me how to to stop bracing in the stirrups

[BroncoMo]

I had a similar experience. Mine was a combined balance and flap issue. Each CWD that I had seemed to have a balance further back in the seat. Combined with my rep putting me in a forward flap Mademoiselle rather than the straight flap that I need. It was impossible to keep my foot under me. My trainer would tell me to sit further forward in the saddle and I simply couldn’t.

I switched to a Voltaire Palm Beach and I’m not kidding when I say it changed my life. People giggle when I say that, but it’s a revelation when you don’t have to fight your tack any more. The balance is perfect for me, the flap is the right degree of forward. It puts my leg in a perfect and secure spot; you shouldn’t have to work to keep your leg from being in the wrong spot. All of this sits me up more in my upper body, opens my shoulders, and softens my elbows.

OP, I’m not entirely sure the saddle is too small, maybe a half an inch or so. But the balance looks to put you too far back. Possibly the stirrup bar too far forward. But they both exacerbate each other. I realize the saddle fits your horse, but that doesn’t much matter if it doesn’t fit YOU too. See if you can try some other saddles that will put your butt further forward and leg further back; this will automatically sit you up taller. Bend your elbows and that’ll keep your arms from pulling you in to a folded chair seat.

[wannabedvm]

Your stirrup leather is, if anything, slightly back. If you want to move your lower leg even farther back, you are going to be fighting against the saddle, as others have said. Try a saddle with a farther-back stirrup bar. You want your ideal leg position (without stirrups) to roughly match where the stirrup hangs.

[Fiesta01]

@skip99

It looks to me as though this saddle may be a bit small in the seat and/or pommel low as well.

This. ^^ It’s difficult to sit into the center of balance of the saddle and relax your legs down underneath you because the too small seat is tipping you forward.

Also agree with @GreyDes that the stirrup bar placement doesn’t look ideal for you.

Try some other saddles until you find the correct fit, then do lots of no stirrup work. Also, if possible, can you take some no stirrups/no reins lunge lessons? They’re fun and can really help you relax and start to develop an independent seat.

Good luck. You can do this!

[fivestrideline]

I know everyone has hopped on the “it’s your saddle” train - and I’m right there too. A good test is to drop your stirrups, and put yourself in a good, comfortable position with your shoulder/hip/heel alignment in place. Pretend to have your stirrups, with your toes up and everything. A mirror is helpful but good eyes on the ground or a video will work too.

Once you’re there, look at where your stirrups and leathers are hanging. You should be able to just turn your toes in a little and pick up your stirrups without moving your leg or body. It’s a good sign your saddle isn’t the right configuration for you if the stirrups are hanging down way out in front of your foot and leg, or behind you and almost catching your heel or spur. If you’re in a good position but when you pick up your irons suddenly you’re back to fighting with physics, it’s very clear where the problem lies.

Saddle fitting is such an art, and while we’ve gotten much better about fitting to the horses (generally), I feel like the rider sometimes gets pushed aside. Luckily if you know what fits Dobbin, saddle searching just got a whole lot easier!

[NoSuchPerson]

@BroncoMo

I switched to a Voltaire Palm Beach and I’m not kidding when I say it changed my life.

Same here. I never realized what a difference the saddle could make until I rode in my trainer’s saddle because a ring conflict at a horse show left no time for a tack change. Wow.

Another trainer complimented me after my class for my “wonderful leg position,” which was not something I was used to hearing. And yes, I immediately broke my rule of not putting more on my credit card than I could pay off at the end of the month and bought myself a Luc Childeric. Fortunately, I was able to find a used one.

Definitely life changing.

[kenyarider]

Try bending your knees more. That may fix it.

[BroncoMo]

I’ve broken a lot of my financial rules to get my saddle situation right. The most recent one, I don’t regret a bit.

[pony_grandma]

#1 thing is having your leg under you. Shoulder to hip to heel alignment. Back in our 4-H days I had a mother ask me - How come my kids don’t look like yours when they ride? I had to show her how the stirrup bars were too far forward on the (cheap) saddle they had. Her immediate answer was - I paid good money for that saddle! oh well … Same for the horse that goes with its ears back and it’s back dropped with a saddle tree that pinches.

[McGurk]

OMG, I am so a member of that club. I would say I’ve got the t-shirt, but after buying the saddle, I can’t afford the t-shirt.

[coffeehag]

Tragically this is a “custom made in November to fit the horse with Kissing Spine” $6k Devoucoux so ya girl might be sacrificing leg position until I can come to terms with searching for a saddle that fits me and the horse.

[ComingAttraction]

You’re position is off in this pic. It may have everything to do with your saddle though. Your leg position is way too far forward- hence the bracing. The other part- when you have the correct saddle is mental but I find once the saddle issue is resolved the bracing issue typically resolves. Your leg shouldn’t be in front of your body, it should be under you- just like your legs have to be when you walk around.

[coffeehag]

We did some trial and error, I’m not sitting enough on my seat bones and the saddle wasn’t quite balanced (a little too far forward). We bumped the saddle back a tad and when I sit like I’m supposed to, my leg looks much better. BUT we’re still having the saddle fitter out tomorrow, just to be sure!

[MsM]

Make sure the fitter fits you and not just the horse!

The picture may be deceptive, but just based on it: You are leaning way forward and your hands are down below the withers. The stirrup may be too far back on your foot.

I would try adjusting position to sit up more, with hands just over the withers. The stirrup can be further out towards the toe, allowing you to drop your thigh and heel. Should help if not solve the problem.

[Synthesis]

From a leg perspective, I find thinking about keeping the dip between my achilles tendon and inside ankle bone in contact with the horse at all times is helpful. If you’re bracing, you’ll immediately lose the contact in that location. If you can’t get the connection at all? Check the following. Are you pinching the knee? Are your stirrups too long for your legs in combination with the horse’s rib shape?

[touchstone]

Similar to @CBoylen’s suggestion to stand straight up in your stirrups, I find doing those exercises where you post up multiple steps for every seated step sometimes help me find my leg and seat position when I feel I’ve lost it. Try posting up two beats and down one, and then up three, down one. If your feet are out in front of you, you’ll have a hard time staying up.

[NancyM]

Find a saddle that fits you, and the horse… a “minimalist” saddle, without all the padding and blocks. One that puts you close to the horse’s side for maximum security. The old style of flat saddle, like a PDN is a good one to try. Then remove the stirrups from the saddle. Ride like that until you develop a secure seat and effective leg, which will be in the correct position, by necessity. Then you can put the stirrups back onto the saddle.