Heels Down

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Permalink Reply by Jan Jollymour on November 23, 2009 at 8:03pm

Hi:

Take a look at Heather Sansom's blog. If you go to her website she's got workouts for legs which would probably help you. I have been riding for 45+ years, with no years off, and am a successful professional in the dressage world. Heather's exercise regimen has helped me enormously, and I've only been doing it for 6 weeks.

When you say you're feeling like your legs are tight outside of riding you are probably right. Try e-mailing Heather from her blog on this site and see what she comes back with!

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Permalink Reply by Teades Girl on November 24, 2009 at 2:06am

Hi Jan,

Thank you for passing that info along, her blog is awesome!! I will have to check out her website tomorrow. It's funny because before I even read your response tonight, I had a riding lesson - and I felt pretty good about my position and my legs because I had stretched before getting on. I bet if I did some exercises to strengthen my legs it would be even more beneficial. Thanks again for the response, and if that's you in your profile picture - you and your partner look great!

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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on November 24, 2009 at 11:58am

Do you wear high heels a lot? This can really shorten your Achille's tendon. Stop wearing high heels, this habit can really interfere with riding properly!
My heels went down A LOT more when I started using flex-stirrups. My heels weren't bad before, but they are much better now. I use Herm Sprenger Bow Balance stirrups which are sort of expensive, but they also work as safety stirrups, and they are much more comfortable than the Peacock safety stirrups.
Be patient with yourself. Riding uses different muscles that the ones we use for everyday life, and it takes TIME to get these muscles stretched out and fit again. I would expect it to take at least a year to get it all back, as the older we get the more time it seems to take.
Doing a lot of two-point, with your weight sinking into your heels may also help.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara Ellin Fox on November 24, 2009 at 4:21pm

Hi
You've probably heard this a lot of times but when you don't use your muscles (as in not riding for awhile) they lose their progress in anything that you don't normally do every day. After all, how many opportunities do you have in a day to walk around with your heels down? In order to give your muscles a good stretch you can stand on a stair step, place your feet on as far as the balls (like you would in stirrups) and go up on your toes and then drop down into your heels. Go slowly rather than bouncing so you don't injure your muscle. Do this when ever you have a minute on the way up. Bottom step is best just in case you slip!
My house is all one level so I purchased a styrofoam half round from a physical therapist. It lifts me far enough off the ground so I can stretch my heels down. (I have to keep the half round away from the dogs though or it will be GONE!)
Another exercise that will help strengthen your calves is to stand on 1 foot (hold the walll) and go up on the ball of your foot and then back down again. A person with average strength in their legs should be able to do this 25 times in a row on each foot without having to quit.

God luck! Since you've ridden before you know it will get better with practice and time.

Barbara

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Permalink Reply by Teades Girl on November 25, 2009 at 1:46am

Thanks for your response, I have been trying to do stretches and it's been helping a lot. Tonight I rode, and I was able to keep my heels down while cantering and not be bouncing all over the place, I was really proud of myself! Also, he is a Friesian and a lot bouncier and full of movement compared to the little quarter horse I used to ride. My apartment is one level too, but I think I can use a phone book to stand on and stretch my calves out that way. You guys are great, I'm so glad I found this website.

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on November 30, 2009 at 6:12pm

here is a little article i wrote about this... hope it helps! Ruth


Can't Get Your Heels down When You Ride? The Problem may not be your heels at all!
I have been asked a lot recently about why riders have such a hard time keeping their heels down. A heel that is not "down" may not have anything to do with the heel its self, but rather the knee and the calf muscle.

Many times the heel is not down because the calf needs to be stretched. A soft calf allows for the heel to drop below the toe when the foot is resting on the stirrup bar. When the heel is "down" in a rider, it drops just below the stirrup bar. The more important thing, however, is how FLEXIBLE the calf and ankle are and how they absorb the movement of the horse. The ankle plays an important role in helping absorb the movement of the horse under your body. it's a shock absorber. If there is too much pressure on the toe of the rider down on the stirrup, a stiff and rigid calf muscle and knee is present. On the other hand, if the heel is forced down too far, the back of the calf and knee also becomes stiff and non-spring like.The front and back of your calf should feel soft and springy as should your knee. If you feel like your heel is up then chances are you are gripping with your knee as well and you need to point your knee cap down to lengthen your thigh and drop the whole length of your leg.

The following is a simple exercise that will help stretch your calf to keep it soft and springy. Once you have found the correct place for your upper and lower leg around your horse, you should anchor that feeling both mentally and physically to help your muscle memory and subconscious mind take over positive position corrections!

Step 1
Stand facing the wall about 3 feet away.

Step 2
Take 1 step forward with your left foot.

Step 3
Place your hands on the wall in front of you. Elbows slightly bent, shoulders, hips and feet are pointed directly towards the wall.

Step 4
Bend your left knee slowly using the movement to control the amount of stretch you feel in your right calf muscle. Both heels stay on the ground.

Step 5
Keep your right knee (back leg) straight and hold still for 15 seconds.

Step 6
To stretch the other calf muscle (soleus) in the same leg, slowly bend your right knee, making sure to keep your right heel on the ground. Hold 15 seconds.

Step 7
Slowly push yourself back to starting position.

Step 8
Switch legs and repeat both the straight knee and bent knee stretches on the other leg to completely stretch your calf.


Now that the physical side of training your body has begun, now the mental training and conditioning begins!! Look for more information on your mental training at www.programyourposition.com

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Permalink Reply by Marg Pattison on August 17, 2010 at 7:44pm

Often the lower leg draws up when the rider is gripping with the knee

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Permalink Reply by Kairen Jamieson on August 21, 2010 at 9:19pm

I am going to back up what Ruth posted...the calves and ankles will be a big part..but so will the hamstring which is very important to the drop weight distribution..

Once the rider tightens the hamstring the thigh will tighten as well since the buttocks tense and squeeze.

The contracting hamstring and tight thigh will close the knee which is where the hamstring will come into before it engages the calf..yet if the hamstring is tight...it will contract the calf and lift the heel which is what tends to encourage the rider onto the toe while tensing these digits.

Without ankle angle control with the weight drop for assistance...the heel will lift more anchouring the knee.

So I recommend not only stretching the calf/hamstring but working the ankle while learning to relax the toes and controling the knee angle/softness to help keep the heels down.

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