Whenever I post, my heels just always come up even though I’m still thinking HEELS DOWN HEELS DOWN.
Like I KNOW I need to keep them down they just always pop back up!
Sunday was ONLY my forth lesson so I guess I’m not doing so bad…
Also when I trot, my hands never stay in the same spot they go up and down with me…I try to keep them in the same spot but I can’t seem to get it….
Also….whenever I get on the horse (I do a leg up)
I always end up in front of the saddle or behind it…..
How can I be more accurate with getting on?
Sorry for all these questions =(
Learning to ride takes time. It takes a lot of coordination, and muscles that aren’t generally used in day to day life.
A couple of things to work on:
At home, in your riding boots, stand with the ball of your foot on the edge of a stair, and sink down into your heels to develop the stretch you need. I would do it for a couple of minutes every day. Also keep in mind WHY you need your heels down; it’s not just about your heels, it’s about relaxing and sinking your leg down around your horse for stability. So try to stretch out your legs before riding.
You need to learn to use different parts of your body independently; this is very tough, and takes years to get right. Practice at home; you can do things like practicing moving your ribcage in circles without moving your hips, and then moving your hips in a circle without moving your ribcage.
February 17th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
That is so so so normal. I remember all of that was me. You have to adjust yourself into habits. four lessons really isn’t much though. you have much more time to learn. I wouldn’t be worrying, your instructor will help you through this. For this amount of time, you seem to be doing well, especially since your mind is focused on soemthing productive. that’s good.
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February 17th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
first of all, the ‘heels down’ WILL come eventually. its just getting in the habit. trust me, you’ll get it with practice. for your hands, try holding onto the front of the saddle (even if you’re riding english) with the reins in your hands. that might help.
the getting on is also a practice thing. as you get stronger in your legs and more accurate, it will be much easier.
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February 17th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Considering its only your fourth lesson i wouldn’t stress about it, it takes time once you get more comfortable in the trot it will happen. But its good that your thinking about this, I always keep a checklist in my mind that i go through when i ride; heels, hands, chin etc. As long as u think about those things and try u will improve! I think if you tried getting up the regular way with putting your left leg in first and swinging your other le over it might be easier. or if you have a stool you could use that too. Don’t worry things will get easier
Best of luck!
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February 17th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
fourth lesson? thats totally natural, you’ll get it eventually, i promise
i never had any trouble with my heels, but some people do, my aunt had a hard time with, and what she did was this: every time she hears "heels down" she immediatly switches it in her brain to "toes up" and she got it! hope this helps!!
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February 18th, 2010 at 12:13 am
If you don’t put your foot in the stirrup, it wont help you land in the saddle. Make sure you really have your weight pushed down into the stirrup wen you mount, and slowly swing your leg over to land in the middle of the saddle.
To keep your hands still, shortening the reins so you have pressure on the horses mouth will help you keep them steady, also building some arm strength will help you keep them still. If you hold your hands too high or too low, it can become harder for you to keep them still, so you should keep your hands about 2-3 inches above the saddle.
For the heels thing, sometimes shortening or lengthening your stirrups will help you keep your heels down easier. Also, really strech your legs down, and sitting deep and back will keep them down easier, also putting your legs slightly forward will help.
All of this just takes time, and since it is only your fourth lesson, dont be too hard on yourself. Remember, you can talk to your trainer/coach about this too.
Good luck!
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February 18th, 2010 at 12:39 am
Learning to ride takes time. It takes a lot of coordination, and muscles that aren’t generally used in day to day life.
A couple of things to work on:
At home, in your riding boots, stand with the ball of your foot on the edge of a stair, and sink down into your heels to develop the stretch you need. I would do it for a couple of minutes every day. Also keep in mind WHY you need your heels down; it’s not just about your heels, it’s about relaxing and sinking your leg down around your horse for stability. So try to stretch out your legs before riding.
You need to learn to use different parts of your body independently; this is very tough, and takes years to get right. Practice at home; you can do things like practicing moving your ribcage in circles without moving your hips, and then moving your hips in a circle without moving your ribcage.
References :
February 18th, 2010 at 12:48 am
No problems about the questions. At least you are wise enough to know that you need help.
Ok. Let us start with getting on.
Is there a reason why you cannot get on yourself (or mount to give it its correct terminology!)?
To mount on your own, preferably off a mounting block (makes it much easier on the horse and yourself!) You need to be on flat ground, you take the reins in your left hand, someone holding the horse if necessary. Make sure the reins are even so you are not turning your horse’s head one way or the other, also take a handful of mane. Take the stirrup in your right hand and face the horse’s tail. Put your left foot in the stirrup, keeping your toes down to prevent the foot digging into the horse’s stomach, which would cause it discomfort and therefore reluctance to be mounted. Hop around until you are facing your horse’s side and then a mighty big hop until you are standing on the stirrup, then bring your right leg over the horse, and do not kick his bum, land gently in the saddle, still leaning forward and then sit up straight and tall in the saddle.
For the trotting, likelihood is you are gripping with your calves. You need to do some lunge lessons to help you with this. The horse is tacked up with boots and a headstall over the bridle, and possibly side reins. The side reins keep the horse straight and give him the feel of having a constant contact on the bit. The instructor is the one who controls the horse while the rider can concentrate on their position and riding.
You would be asked to do some exercises on the horse’s back, safe in the knowledge that the trainer is in control, via a long rein and standing in the centre of a circle.
Some of those exercises might include bringing your knees up in front of the saddle so they are touching each other. You can hold on for this. You will feel two bony points on your seat – these are called the seat bones in riding speak. You would then bring your legs apart (a bit undignified, I know) as far apart as you can make it and then in a controlled fashion, without leaning back or forward, let your legs hang down – while feeling those seat bones. You should not be feeling the front bone (the pubic bone). Your legs should then hang long and loose, under you. Think of trying to touch the front of the horse’s back legs with your heels. It is a bit exaggerated at first, but the aim is for you to be central in the saddle, without gripping, sitting up tall – as if there is a piece of string sticking out from the top of your hat attached to the ceiling.
Another way to get your legs back and down is to go into jockey position (as described above) to find your seat bones, let your legs hang long, and then grasp both your ankles and bring your feet up behind you stretching your thigh muscles and making them vertical. This sounds harder than it is, then let go and your legs should hang, not gripping so you would be standing with slightly bent knees, but foot flat on the floor if someone were to take your horse from under you.
These are just two examples of excersises. There are many more.
As for your hands. In rising, and to some extent, sitting trot your arms need to hang soft and relaxed at the top, there needs to be a straight line from your ear, shoulder, hip and heel, and from the bit, through the rein into your elbows. Hands up a little. To keep your hands steady you need to open the angle of your elbows as you rise, close it slightly as you sit. Incidentally, you should not be forcing the rise, which is not straight up and down, but imagine trying to push your hips forwards between your hands. Allow the horse to throw you up and do not go more than a couple of inches. As you sit, squeeze with the legs to keep the momentum going. And do not grip with those legs! There should be some flexibility in your spine to allow you to absorb the movement so you are not jolting.
One fun exercise I used to do when I was riding, was to hold two mugs of water – one in each hand and practise rising trot on the lunge (and sitting too). The only way to keep the water in the mugs was to hold the mugs properly, as you would your reins, thumbs on top and facing forward and opening and closing the elbow joint as I went.
Do not worry, you will get the hang of it. The heel problem is a common problem, even with more experienced riders, but with the above exercises and then some others, you will get it. Lunge lessons are the best way to get started on the long road and are great fun with a good instructor. However, since they are hard work on the horse, they are likely to last only about a half an hour. At the end, you might be allowed off the lunge for a few minutes to practice what you have learned on your own.
Wish I was teaching you! There are so many exercises to do it can be good fun.
References :
Riding instructor
February 18th, 2010 at 1:22 am
don’t worry about it, everything will come together eventually! My friend had a similar problem with her hands, i got her a balance strap that fits on the d rings at front of the saddle and told her to hook her little fingers under it, after 3 or 4 times doing this, her hands were staying down…good luck and heres to many years of happy horse riding!!!
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February 18th, 2010 at 1:45 am
Learning to ride a horse is a natural progression that will take months or even years to get to reach ur goal. Try to relax and not to run before u can walk as any tension in ur body will go the the horse. Relax and allow the person on the ground to do the "bunk-up" if u are not positioning correctly ask ur instructor not to throw u up so high so u can feel where the saddle is. If u have only had 4 lessons ur hands will rise with the body but as u learn to swing ur hips forward and balance correctly it will all fall into place. I am a riding instructor by the way and hope i have helped. Good luck and enjoy the pleasure of riding an animal that allows us on their back. We are honoured. My name is Julia i am on someone elses computer by the way. x
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February 18th, 2010 at 2:00 am
Don’t be worried, thats how i started out, & I didnt get the hang of those things until i’d been riding a few months, one day it will just come natturally!
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February 18th, 2010 at 2:30 am
if your heels are coming up then that might be because your foot is too far through the stirup. if you put the stirup just below the ball of your foot, it makes it easier to put your heel down. also relax your knees away from the saddle so you place your weight in your heels.
when doing rising trot imagine that your lower arms are fixed so you actually only move your upper arms as you rise and sit. that way you arent pullin on the reins to pull yourself up.
from ground. put left foot in stirup facing forward. one hand on horse in front of saddle pummel and one hand on end of saddle. use mountin box if its easier
References :
iv recently got back into riding so been doing a bit of reading alongside my lessons