I have a habit of pointing my toes out (like the hunters/jumpers) but I am working up to dressage. My toes are not listening to me! Does anyone know how to keep my toes in?
hey!!! i rode dressage for years, and i always had that problem!!! what i do is move my stirrup irons closer to the inside and twist the leathers so that if you were to take your foot out, they would twirl to the inside (if that makes sense lol) i also usually have my foot on an angle, with my big toe down and little toe up (it helps with contact with the horse). finally, an exercise i use is while your horse is standing still, stand as far up as you can go in the saddle. bring your heels up and look sort of like a ballerina. then slowly put the weight in your heels and then lower your body, i hope this helps and good luck!!! 
February 6th, 2010 at 5:54 am
hey!!! i rode dressage for years, and i always had that problem!!! what i do is move my stirrup irons closer to the inside and twist the leathers so that if you were to take your foot out, they would twirl to the inside (if that makes sense lol) i also usually have my foot on an angle, with my big toe down and little toe up (it helps with contact with the horse). finally, an exercise i use is while your horse is standing still, stand as far up as you can go in the saddle. bring your heels up and look sort of like a ballerina. then slowly put the weight in your heels and then lower your body, i hope this helps and good luck!!!
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February 6th, 2010 at 6:09 am
Try tying a piece of string to your stirrup, and then attatching it to the girth so it sits exactly where your foot should be pointing – that way you won’t be able to bring your toes out and you’ll know when you do because the string will go taught and it’ll feel wrong.
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February 6th, 2010 at 6:32 am
Your hips are probably quite tight. Do some work on a gym ball, even just sitting astride a gym ball can help.
In the meantime think about putting more weight into your little toes which will allow your lower leg to wrap around the horse and will stop your toes pointing out.
Also make sure that you are sitting properly in the saddle in the correct ear/hip/heel line and that you’re not sitting in a chair seat.
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February 6th, 2010 at 7:03 am
Your toe is out because you are sitting with the wrong part of your thigh against the saddle.
When you first sit on your horse, take your foot out of the stirrups.
Lift your leg behind you, grab it with the hand on the same side and pull, lift it, as far as it will go.
This will place a different part of your inner-thigh against the saddle, this is the correct part of your thigh!
Place your foot back into the stirrup and repeat on the other side!!!
Good luck!
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February 6th, 2010 at 7:47 am
squeeze knee, it brings them forward.
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February 6th, 2010 at 8:21 am
This is the biggest problem female dressage riders face. The way our pelvis is constructed, our riding posture tends to be toes out. This is made worse by tight hip and thigh muscles. The solution is to loosen up your hips and get your legs to roll inward (from the hip) rather than outward. Whatever you do, don’t try to force your toes inward from the knee/ankle overtime you’ll end up damaging those joints and causing yourself a lot of pain and strain.
Best thing that has worked for me: immediately after you mount, or if you notice you’re going toes out again, drop your stirrups and walk your horse on a loose rein for a couple minutes. Stretch your legs as far away from the saddle as you can (like you were doing the splits) concentrate on rotating your heels up and away from the horse (by rotating your hips, not your knees or ankles). You can also use your hands to pull the backs of your thighs away. When you put your feet back in the stirrups you and your horse will both have had a good stretch and can start your serious warm-ups.
It may take a few weeks of practicing this before your muscles will always co-operate but it does work.
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