Videos on lengthening and limbering leg?

[TheJenners]

Life long hunter rider (and pony rider in college, so bump the stirrup another hole or two), but I’ve been riding dressage recently for reasons. Not making a discipline swap, but I am definitely seeing an improvement in my overall riding. I’m struggling in a few areas, mostly keeping my leg long; I find I’m locking my joints in position at sitting trot, and feel the stirrup bouncing around on my foot. I’ve finally gotten to where it doesn’t feel too ridiculous to have a long stirrup, esp if I start out without stirrups and let my leg hang, but sitting trot I’m definitely going back to the days of equitation classes and riding without stirrups and bringing my legs up into a more hunter-friendly position and locking it. I’ve always always always had a solid lower leg so I hate feeling like I’m some sort of noob. Each ride I’m making huge strides but this one is evading me.

Oh and I’m also apparently supposed to keep my butt smooshy ??

I am a monkey see/monkey do learner. Anyone have any videos that addresses this they want to share? Please videos, just commenting exercises does me no good and wastes your time. TIA

[JB]

Lots of this has to do with tight hip flexors, and/or having your leg rotated too much outward from your hip

Standing in the stirrups - not 2pt but actually standing - will get your a better feel for the movement of the horse with a long leg and stretched out hip flexors.

When you drop your stirrups - a great warmup exercise - take your left hand around the back of your thigh,. pull the flesh towards the back of the saddle, and lay your leg back down. This creates an inward rotation from the hip, and helps that hip flexor as well. You may have to repeat that a dozen times in a 10 minute walking warmup because your body will fight to return to comfy and normal.

And if you’ve gone straight to “dressage-long” stirrups, consider that what you have is either too long for you, period, or too long for you right now. No shame in pulling up 1-2 holes to allow your body to adjust more gradually

get a video or have someone watch (I’m happy to take a look, you know how to find me!) to make sure you’re not leaning back (not too likely) or rotating your pelvis, and inadvertently drawing your leg up as counter-balance

and yes those are word-only descriptions LOL But they aren’t multi-step things to do all at once, very bare bones things.

[Mondo]

When you first get on, before you take up the irons, grasp your ankle, and pull your leg back so that your knee points at the ground. Leave your thigh there while you let go of your ankle and let your lower leg fall into a normal position. It takes practice, but if you do it every ride, you’ll develop some muscle memory and it won’t feel as odd.

[TheJenners]

@JB

And if you’ve gone straight to “dressage-long” stirrups, consider that what you have is either too long for you, period, or too long for you right now.

Trust me I didn’t. The lovely dressage boy I’m riding, his mom is about my height and I think about 70 and kicks my ass, and she hopped on for something and said she would deal with “hunter stirrups” so I didn’t have to drop them for her… So I don’t think they are too long, it’s just such a HUGE difference from my preferred manner of going. I’ll message you some video she took this past weekend, I can bring out my Pivo this weekend but we are both riding giant 17+h chestnuts so who knows who it will pick to follow.

[TheJenners]

If I’m picturing correctly (I am a visual learner) is this like a quad stretch?

[Mondo]

IDK. Sorry. I think so…? Let me look online and see if I can find you a video.

[Mondo]

Yes, it is definitely a quad stretch. But you do it in the saddle. I can’t find a video sorry.

[JB]

Yes, like a quad stretch You almost want to overdo the leg shift, because often, going to the other extreme helps us find the middle ground a lot faster.

[TheJenners]

This, only in the saddle, right?

@JB

going to the other extreme helps us find the middle ground a lot faster.

Overcorrect to correct, my go-to!

[theresak]

Rather than thinking about stretching the quad when you get your heel to your butt in that stretch, think about pulling the knee back. The purpose of this stretch in the saddle is to open the hip angle and get the knee below the hip joint. When you let go of your foot, do it slowly and carefully unhinge the knee without moving the knee forward or closing the hip at all. When you straighten the leg, before picking up the stirrups, feel where the points of your seat are - they should be the most “plugged in” you’ve felt.

Then work on finding the 3 points of your pelvis (seat bones and pelvic bone), and rocking between the front and back, feeling what happens to your lower back and where your shoulders, hips, and heels are in relation to each other.

Often when we first start sitting, we sit on the pockets too much and draw the knees up, but I see some hunters tipping forward with the shoulders to close their hip angle and using their lower back to absorb all of the motion. And I think a lot of hunter riders grip too much with their knees and calves at first rather than thinking about the weight of the seat and some positive tension (not quite gripping) with the inner thighs to ground them in the bounce.

[Mondo]

@TheJenners

This, only in the saddle, right?

Right!

[JB]

I agree it’s not just a quad stretch. Buuuttttt, tight quads mean tight hip flexors as well, and it’s just a matter of which is causing which

But YES, this case is less about getting your heel to your butt, and more about what the hip flexors are doing. The stretchier your quads, the closer your heel will get to your butt. The basic mechanics is the same, but the real goal is to increase the angle of the hip flexor, not to touch heel to butt

[anon55755751]

No videos or exercises from me, but a recommendation on things to look for in you vs. the videos you watch:
how arched is your back vs. the videos?
How forward are your shoulders relative to hips?
How “active” is your upper body?
These questions apply at all gaits.

How loose is your lower back at sitting trot?
Locking keg joints means that the only way to follow the motion is by making your back too loose. Typically people also hold tension in their shoulders and arms when they do this as well, but you can’t release tension in your shoulders and legs without first improving the seat, IME.

Keeping a long loose leg is a product of keeping your core and lower back stable and following the motion with your leg joints. Building that balance into your seat requires the straightness described above. A way to practice (again IME) this balance off the horse is to learn how to ride a bike without hands.

[TheJenners]

I am reading all of these. I definitely have tight hip flexors, always have, and yes I did ride with a perchy hunt seat that I’ve been working on for a couple years. I have basically no abs and am squishy there, but lower back holds all the tension from that and I’d finish a lot of rides with a knot of pain about a hand’s width above my tailbone. That has been almost entirely eliminated by sitting up and trying to remember to keep my shoulders back. This is/was my normal way of going.

@anon55755751

A way to practice (again IME) this balance off the horse is to learn how to ride a bike without hands.

I like my face and don’t want to go to the ER, so I’ll keep trying on the horse

[Training_Cupid]

As being relatively new to dressage, I’ve found Amelia Newcomb’s videos to be very helpful in explaining things. She often demonstrates the “wrong way” of doing it which can be helpful for visual learners. She has tons of free videos on youtube, including some off horse stretches/exercises. You should search her channel but here are a few to get you started:

How to keep your legs still

Learn to Sit Your Horse's Motion

5 exercises to Improve your Riding

[anon55755751]

That is the cutest pony !!!

[sparkygrace]

Can someone lunge you on the pony? There are all types of execises you can do to improve your seat. These exercises are easy and really help. I have done them all.

https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/teach-me/6-tips-improve-your-seat-equestrian-lunge-lessons

[TheJenners]

The pic of the pony was for an example, the horse I’m currently riding is 17HH. I hate to think what it would look like if I rode the pony without stirrups or in my dressage saddle (which I’m not even sure would fit her, tbh)

But I can certainly see about getting a lunge lesson on the other horse.

@anon55755751

That is the cutest pony !!!

I adore her mightily. Each time I think it’s ridiculous for me to keep her and some kid should be enjoying her or showing her, I look at her and change my mind. So much personality. She’s adorably hateful too, which is even cuter. Like an angry little bunny.

[Live_Wire]

Getting On: Stretch Your Hip-Flexors

Sitting The Trot | How To Sit The Trot & Move Your Seat

For the hip flexors!

I’m also very visual, and I get frustrated when someone just tells me to put my weight in my heels and sit up taller. Thanks…

Anywho. I have crap hips. So loosening my hips really helps my overall riding and helps me lengthen my legs. I literally gain two holes through my rides - it used to be three. Videos above to check out.

A few other things that help me:

I find keeping my toes up rather than my heels down computes better for me.

Keeping my chest open helps me stay loose in the back and long through my hip. If you tell me shoulders back I literally ride around trying to touch my shoulder blades together and as I result I become very rigid EVERYWHERE.

I practive square breathing in my warm up. It helps me stay fluid throughout my ride.

[Mondo]

Jenners, 1. That pony is freakin’ adorable! 2. Thanks for the pic. It helps a lot. Part of your problem is that you are on your crotch instead of your pockets. It’s not just hip flexors, abs, leg length, etc. It’s ALL of those together. You need to rock your pelvis back so that you are sitting on your seat bones - ischial tuberosities - not your crotch. If you can’t feel both of your seat bones in contact with the saddle, you’re sitting incorrectly. 3. Lower your irons at least one hole. Yes, you should have a slight bend in your knee, but not that much. Hope this helps.