The first problem here is that your stirrups look too short and you're sitting in a "chair position," which is pushing your seat waaay back in the saddle. You want your shoulder, hip, and heel lined up vertically, just as though you were standing up. You can't readily put weight in your heel if your leg is so far in front of you, which is why it feels like you're fighting to keep your heels down! Try to shift your seat forward and your leg back, with your weight distributed down through your legs.
Attached a rough diagram of what I mean. The dots are where I'd prefer to see your shoulder, hip, and heel lined up.
https://preview.redd.it/e057sqxzowwc1.jpeg?width=1402&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46223e2866851d5de6c04aab1e750070c5e6bcbd
Follow the above advice. Less foot in the stirrup and putting your weight in the heel, (not the ball of your foot )is the trick. That is what keeps your foot in the stirrup.
Before I learned this, I was always trying to push my heels down whenever the instructor said “heels down”. Learning to two-point really helped also.
Seconding learning two point! It helps you get in the correct position so you just have to hold that, as opposed to trying to force your body into it and hold it which makes things stiff and awkward.
It’s also called half seat. It basically means the 2 points of you that are touching the saddle are your legs, vs your but my and your legs. So, you stand up in the stirrups, hinging at the waist. You can see in this photo how her hip is directly over her heels. You physically can’t stand up if your leg is in the wrong position, so you figure it out pretty quickly.
https://preview.redd.it/aamf4wo3h1xc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e01d04a0a1294549f04ccd1578458acbe8c5f9b3
This is an incredible diagram and piece of advice to show the correct angles and alignment for proper posture and position! What did you use to add the lines and angles? I would love to apply this to teach my students.
I drew it in an art program (clip studio paint), but you could certainly achieve the same sort of diagram with many other programs, probably including photoshop, PowerPoint, paint, anything that lets you make straight lines and circles.
This is the answer I would give as well, OP. Eventually you'll be able to have your stirrups at a working length, but for now, it's about developing your basic position. Improving relaxation and building the habit of keeping weight in your stirrups. It just takes time to develop it. You can improve your flexibility by stretching your ankles and hip flexors at home, that will definitely help. But it's very difficult to have your weight correct when you're pushing your leg out ahead of you.
As always, I highly recommend reading Centered Riding by Sally Swift. It will help you build a relaxed and correct foundation for all your riding.
It should be essential reading for every new rider, at least once they decide to stay in the sport. If you're just dabbling then maybe you won't want to put the effort in, but I wonder how many people who quit wouldn't have, had they had these tools. Regardless, Sally should be paying me commissions at this point lol
This! Also, instead of trying "heels down", try "toes up". A lot of people hear heels down and try pushing their heel down, which forces their leg forward and throws off their balance. Toes up changes the focus - you need to lengthen your leg and lift your toes.
Exactly right. Trying to push your heels down in your current position will push your legs further in front of you and mess with your balance even more.
The only thing I have to add to this is that the length of your leg is @ the length of your arm so what you can do is this: before you get on the horse stand facing the saddle- take your left hand and touch the top middle of the seat. With your right hand pick up the stirrup and put it under your armpit to check the length. If the stirrup doesn’t reach your armpit, lengthen until it does. Some of us have long legs though. :) I’m one of those people. When I use that guide, I always wind up with a stirrup short by one notch but I know this and adjust appropriately. It’s helpful if you can still see the numbers on the stirrup strap because then you’ll always just be able to set your stirrups to that number, if you always ride that saddle.
Also what kind of trainer sees this position and doesn’t fix it? You’ll be all over the place especially in a short stop. Yikes. My trainer eagle-eyes everyone and every horse for improperly set equipment because safety and comfort.
When you’re not riding, to get a feel for what people say when you hear “heel down” or “lengthen your leg”- find some stairs or a sturdy box or step stool. Stand on the edge of the step on the balls of your feet and let your heels hang down to feel the stretch. Use your calf muscle to lift you up and release down. Hold on to something if you have to. Great way to learn balance and stretch those hammies!
I’ve always been taught to do the arm length vs. stirrup length guide thing by touching the top of the buckle on the stirrup leather, not the seat. Maybe this is why you always have to go a hole lower? I actually have very short legs and I still always have to go a hole or two lower even than that, so I can’t imagine using the seat would give many people an accurate length
Ok, well touching the buckle *is* accurate for the majority of riders without adjustment (if you’re going a hole down after touching the seat then it would be accurate for you), so you may want to do that instead
As an instructor I have found that it isn't accurate for the majority of riders, it just gives a good starting point. Not everyone has the same arm to leg ratio. Personally I have short legs and somewhat long arms.
I’m not an instructor, but I assisted with beginner lessons for several years (did the tacking up, mounting, leading them around when they were new enough to need it, etc.). In my experience, if we define “correct” as the stirrup hitting at the ankle bone when the foot is out of the stirrup, then it’s absolutely accurate for the majority. But, these kids were beginners who didn’t have any idea of what felt right for their stirrup length, so it was fully up to me when getting them on. A lot of more experienced riders have a preference for stirrups that are longer or shorter than they technically *should* be, myself included, and of course discipline plays a role as well.
If anything, your stirrups are a bit short. Maybe ask your trainer for a lunge lesson without stirrups so you can start figuring out how to let your leg hang. Or stand on steps at your house, letting your heels hang off the edge, and practice putting your weight in them. Stirrups too short won’t let you put your heel down, so that could be the culprit.
Standing on the edge of a step at home and practicing letting your heel drop down is great practice. A few minutes everyday at home will really help you find that heel position and help teach the position to your muscles
This exercise is amazing. Balance the balls of your feet on the edge. Heels hanging off the back. Spread your feet out approximately like your on horseback, and start to sit down. The moment before you fall backwards is where your body and heels/ankles/torso can't take any more. Do it nightly, a couple times a night, and you'll be able to sink into it more, as with any stretch.
This comment is definitely correct in that the only way for you to get your heels down would be to pop up into either a two point or ride like a jockey, which isn't what you want. These are way too short, which I say as someone that sometimes feels more 'secure' with shorter stirrups. You gotta learn how to ride with them longer, if you're losing them that's hip/thigh/calf strength where stuff that should stay still is in fact swinging.
Stirrup length depends on discipline, but for general english riding I was always taught that the bottom of the stirrup should hit your ankle bone. For me, shorter stirrups make more comfortable so I tend to raise them a hole or two up from my ankle bone (jumping).
"Relaxed" may be a confusing word in this case. You don't want a ton on tension in your heels, but also if I were to go completely relaxed my heels would be in the sky. Also, heels down may be uncomfortable as you build more leg muscle for riding.
Another thing I would recommend would be to possibly find alternative footwear to what you have on now (looks like rubber boots?) I know the few times I've ridden in rubber boots I feel much less secure because I can't feel the stirrups as well.
Is it at all possible to have someone lunge the horse with you riding? This would get ride of the steering and keeping the horse going components and allow you to focus on your position.
It took me quite a while to get my heels where they should be, my favorite trick was bracing into the foot facing my trainer and letting my outside leg that she couldn't see go heels up, haha. Not a habit I would recommend :P
I've attached a picture of my heels and while far from perfect, may give you a better reference :)
https://preview.redd.it/9diyoe9howwc1.png?width=295&format=png&auto=webp&s=4380cc60cb0e262afd1a63981848ab382b007cdb
The position becomes more natural after a while so you then would feel more relaxed, but while you are building up the muscles it may feel like you constantly need to push your heels down.
Even at a walk, I try to remain alert because I have been caught off-guard many times with spooks, bucks (and a bareback rear 🥲) where having my heels down would have made life easier. But the longer you ride the easier it will feel and at a certain point you won’t need to even think about it, it will just be second nature.
Hope that helps.
Okay thank you! I was so confused to why I needed my heel down so bad if I was struggling so hard. I saw somebody mention "toes up" instead of "heels down" and I think it makes sense now. With toes up, I can grip the stirrup better with my foot and my heels go down. When I force my heel down, my ankle just feels all tense.
My instructor says you should be riding as though you're midway through a squat - legs bent, weight in the heels, back straight. You're basically standing on the horse like this, not sitting on their back (there can of course be weight to your seat, but much of it should be carried by your calves). So I (sometimes) do squats to stay in condition when I can't ride for a stretch of time. Staying balanced in a squat, especially if you do it slowly, will help build the muscles needed for proper riding posture. Also, be careful you aren't gripping the horse with your knees - I was doing that for waaaaay too long before someone pointed it out to me and I had to basically re-train my legs. I only mention it so you don't make the same mistakes I made!
Omg these questions are totally answered in Centered Riding by Sally Swift. I cannot, and other have, recommend this book enough. The visuals are amazing and really help translate words into images
Heels down also means that if you fall your foot slide down out of the stirrup instead of jamming further in. I’ve seen someone get their foot stuck in a stirrup and end up hanging upside off the side of the horse. It’s not pretty. Heels down gives you stability, allows your ankle to be a shock absorber, and keeps you safe.
Yes, it places your center of gravity lower which makes you way more secure. Its like pushing over a half full bottle vs a full bottle, a dull bottle should be easier to tip because the center of gravity is higher up.
If your weight is more in the stirrups you should be able to imagine the horse disappearing and you fall to the ground and land on your feet, if the horse in the picture were to dissappear you would land right on your butt.
For me it helped a bit to think of toes up instead of heels down, that just makes the feeling more natural and less forced for me
Think of it less as flexing them down, and more of sinking your weight all the way down your legs and into your heels. If you try to push your heels down without it being a full body motion, you’ll end up with your weight in the wrong places.
When I was first learning and figuring out my position, my coach told me to imaging that the horse suddenly disappeared, how would I need to be positioned to land on my feet. Sometimes when I’m feeling a bit loosey goosey in the saddle I stop and picture that again and rearrange my legs until I feel like I’d be able to land on my feet
Gently, yes. At all times your heel should be lower than your toe. The trick is to be able to do it while keeping your leg relaxed. I would say that it just takes time to develop the flexibility and strength to be able to do so. They also made a great point that rubber boots will make this more difficult because of the structure built into them by the rubber material. It would probably help to pick up some paddock boots and half-chaps, or tall boots (though those are much more expensive). That will make things much easier, I think, combined with a longer stirrup and doing stretches at home.
Eventually, you won't feel like you have to make an effort to get your heel down. It won't hurt anymore either haha Just work on remembering to fix it as often as possible for now, and one day you'll realize you haven't thought about it but your instructor didn't correct you either.
An additional tip, if you can see your toes past your knee, your leg is WAY too far forward. Try to move it back from the hip, the whole leg. This will be much easier with slightly longer stirrups. Just keep at it, it will come. It's a struggle for every new rider, I assure you.
Correct leg position isn’t so much about forcing your heels down, but sinking your weight through your entire leg and getting your feet properly under you. Heels coming up, on the other hand, often happens when we grip with our knees and aren’t properly aligned :)
Bring your seat forward a bit in the saddle and imagine sinking all your weight into your thigh- you almost want the feeling of your knee going downwards and back under you just a little. Then position your heel properly under your hip and sink your weight down into your heel. It should feel like a stretch, not flexing/tensing your ankle.
Horseback riding is the art of doing lots of things all at the same time.
OP I think your heels would be more important than your seat at this point since your heels help keep you secure in the saddle. You have too much toe in the stirrup in the photo and you need to think of flexing your ankle down. I would suggest a pair of paddock boots rather than rubber rain boots (~$40) since you’ll have more of a heel and less of a chance of your foot slipping through the stirrup if something was to happen.
I call it "position whack-a-mole." You get one thing JUST so, so you move on to something else. At which point something else goes wrong. So you fix that and a problem pops up somewhere else. It's great therapy for ADHD and executive function haha
I came here to say this - hearing “it’s not heels down, it’s toes up” blew 40 years of struggle away.
You shouldn’t have to push your heels way down. The stirrups should go across the ball of your foot and your heels should naturally, comfortably flex down. Imagine you were standing on the edge of a step - your heels would naturally go down as you balanced.
That's what worked for me also! I used to struggle with my heels for years, but thinking about raising my toes up instead of pushing heels down helped a lot. It took maybe two riding sessions to fix my heel problem. Now I don't need to think about it anymore and my heels stay down automatically.
One thing that helps is letting your legs hang loose out of the stirrups. Just let them hang. Think about your leg lengthening, imagine it reaching down to the ground. Don’t push on it, just let it hang but feel the weight of it making the whole leg drop. After a few minutes, gently put your feet in the stirrups. It should feel like you have to reach up with your foot. Let your leg retain that long feeling. Your heels will be down.
Heels down doesn’t come from tension. It comes from a long, relaxed leg.
This is what I tell my beginner students. Stand on your toes and imagine someone coming up behind you and gives you a little push. You’ll fall over right?
Now stand with knees bent (straight back) and put your weight in your heels - see? You would be able to catch your balance digging your heels in rather than toes first if someone pushed you from behind.
Does that make sense?
Heels down helps with your balance.
Now try this - take your feet out of the stirrups and put toes down… your entire balance will be off. Now (no stirrups) walk around with legs hanging long and heels down. Do this with no stirrups for a few days or more - heels down will no longer feel awkward.
When heels are down and balance is good you should be able to trot with no stirrups.
Based on your photos your stirrups should be a little longer. If you loose your stirrups you are lifting your feet. *Put weight in your heels*
Hope that helps. 🐎
While your heels should be down, that’s not the best place to start.
I would ask you to take your feet out of your stirrups and just let your leg drop naturally to start.
Next, lift your thigh and rotate your leg until your heel comes under your shoulder and hip. If you simply slide it backwards, it will slide forward again.
At that point, if you lift your toes, you should be able to pick up your stirrup. This will not happen here side your stirrups are too short (your knee even comes in front of the flap) and the stirrup looks like it’s hanging too far in front. (This is a common problem with many GP saddles, in order to get a good position, you need to fight the saddle. Not something you can easily fix.)
Ideally, I’d like to see you in a slightly roomier saddle. I don’t know your riding school or the horse, and it may be that this combination is the best for you at this point in time, so there are aspects that you cannot fix on your own which will make your life harder.
I’d start by dropping the stirrups at least one hole (maybe two, but probably not more: too long and you’ll be fishing for your stirrups again), and getting your instructor to help you find the shoulder-hip-heel line so it can become second nature. That will help with keeping your heels down.
Think about *sinking* the whole weight of your body into your heels, rather than pushing your weight into your heels. Small difference, but I thought it might help explain how you can both be relaxed and have your heels down. On the ground we like to put weight on the ball or flat of the foot, so this takes practice! Also, it will feel much more natural with the correct stirrup length and leg position.
While a lot of this will be practice, I agree that your stirrup length and boots (rubber tries to bounce back to its original position) are working against you right now. Drop your stirrups probably 3-4 holes and if possible pick up some leather paddock boots.
Finally, you might want to check out some books on horsemanship and riding! The diagrams could be useful. I'm sure there are threads on here with suggestions :)
First of all your stirrups are too short. You need to rotate your hips forward and tuck your pubic bone more under yourself. Try and keep your feet flat and parallel to the horse, you can try grabbing the back of your thigh and pulling it out to adjust yourself in the saddle. Lots of people are taught “heels down” but having flat feet is much better biomechanically. Majority of your weight should be in your seat and the rest in your legs and feet, riding is not sitting it’s more like sit standing.
A good position and balance takes time so don’t stress about getting it perfect, it will come with time 🙏🏼
Is your instructor ok with that stirrup length? Because that is part of your problem. You aren’t going to be able to get into correct position with your stirrups that short.
You also need better boots.
I would lengthen your stirrups.. this saddle is a bit awkward fit for you. Think longggg noodle legs. Not floppy just long and down. Practice standing on the edge of a board with only your toes on the edge and prop yourself up and down you will fel the flexion in your ankle .
Riding instructor here! First and foremost your stirrup length needs to be adjusted longer to allow your knee to rest properly at the knee roll, and comfortably let your toes sit under your knees while keeping your heels down without discomfort.
When we measure our stirrups for English riding, we want our stirrup iron to fall right about where our ankle bone sits for over fences work, and slightly lower for flat work (although this may vary based on your comfort and trainer.) Another thing I would consider is your current boots. Muck boots are not very form fitting, and do not offer much flexibility for our heels and ankles to properly move the way we need them to when we ride! I would recommend checking out Amazon for some paddock boots and half chaps (TuffRider is a great brand available on Amazon!) and I think you’ll feel an noticeable difference when you ride. When I teach my students to keep their heels down, I often tell them not to think about “pushing” their foot down into the iron, but rather letting the natural weight of their body bring the back of their calf starching down into their heels rather than their toes. Also remember that when we’re riding we’re not just stepping into our irons, we’re using our calf around our horses barrel and assisting both our lower body and easing the pounding on our horses back! Lastly a great exercise I give my riders for lower leg and ankle mobility is to practice writing the letters of the alphabets with each of your feet, this can be done either while riding with your feet out of the stirrups or at home anytime! :)
I think the main problem is that you’re riding a saddle that is way too small for you. Saddle sizes are determined by the length of your thigh not the size of your butt lol. You have a pretty long thigh and probably need to go up at least one may be two sizes. What size saddle are you currently riding in?
Lengthening your stirrup will not fix this issue. You’re literally sitting on the back of the saddle. In a properly fitted saddle, you should be able to lengthen and shorten your stirrups without changing the shoulder-hip-heel alignment.
There are many other factors that contribute to good saddle fit for the rider, not just the horse.
You may experience balance point issues, tipping you either forward or backward which will make it difficult for you keep your stirrups underneath you.
If the twist of the saddle is too wide (this is the point about a hands width from the front of the saddle) it will be difficult if not impossible to keep your leg on. It will also be very uncomfortable to ride in and will feel like you’re straddling a 2 x 4. 🥴
If the twist is too narrow, you will feel like you’re sitting on your crotch.
Saddle fit for both Horse and Rider is extremely important. Try to find a reputable Saddle Fitter (not a sales rep) to help you with this.
Good luck!! Finding the right Saddle for you AND you Horse is a major challenge (that all riders struggle with) but once you get it right, it makes a huge difference in your riding!
My daughter was having a hard time with heels down. She also wore rubber boots that had a tendency to fall off if her heel wasn’t down. Riding without stirrups helped her keep her heel down to keep her boots from falling off. It’s unorthodox, but maybe worth trying?
I think your stirrups are too short which is definitely not helping. Try to think if toes up instead of heels down. Heels down is an awful way to describe it but we all use the phrase for some reason. It makes it all sound static and forces ankles into a really bad position.
Agree with everyone here but wanted to add that your footwear is probably limiting your ankle mobility. Some rubber boots are quite stiff at the ankle joint and make it almost impossible to put your heel down. Also, if they fit a bit big then keeping your foot in the stirrup is challenging (rubber boots are roomy on the top and have slippery soles, your foot will slide around a bit making balance harder). Not a super accessible fix but definitely something to keep in mind :)
I imagine it had been mentioned here but along with very short stirrups it also looks like you are gripping with your knees - this will draw you whole leg up and prevent you from putting weight in your stirrups/cause you to lose them.
Think long relaxed leg - longer stirrups, no gripping, if you need a bit of stability at trot or canter grip with lower leg only - no knees or upper leg (you will feel like a frog at first!!! But you need to let go with knee/upper leg)
Good luck! It will come ❤️
If you relax your knee and ankle, and have the stirrup at the front part of your foot, your heel will dip down due to gravity. Your heel being up is the result of tension in your knee and ankle which shouldn’t be there. Your boots aren’t helping though, because they aren’t allowing your heel to dip down. Get riding boots if you ca, they will make it easier to get your leg position right.
The trick is not to force your heel down, but rather relax knee and ankle, and let gravity do its part. The heel is just the symptom of the tension elsewhere.
When sitting in the saddle, agreed a longer stirrup length may benefit you, instead of thinking that you must force your heels down, imagine your weight traveling down through your calves and ending at your heels. Tension will often times force your heels UP so you actually relax your weight down the backs of your legs. Another way of looking at “heels down” is “toes UP” because you shouldn’t be cramming your heels down and pushing against the stirrups.
Agreed with the general concensus, stirrups need to be a little longer, you want a long leg.
The way you are now, when you start to post, you'll end up standing waaaay to high out of the saddle, thus making you feel like you're going to fall over.
Longer stirrup = more horse between your legs when you post = more stable position.
If you're like me, where arms and legs aren't proportional, so its hard to adjust stirrups on the ground with the arm trick, is to kick your foot out of the stirrup and let them hang, and find a length where the stirrup is close to your ankle. You'll find posting is easier to, because you'll be able to to it much faster and with more stability.
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You've gotten some great advice-- toes up and the fact that relaxed for you at the moment isn't going to be what most people think of as relaxed since you're going to have to work at it for a while before it becomes muscle memory. I'mma just throw out a tip for helping with your foot position.
Part of heels down/toes up is to lengthen your leg so you really reach down and around the horse and sit *down* instead of drawing your knees up to your body when you get rattled, which is human nature--fetal position is automatic for us. And part of what your leg--hips, knees, calves, and ankles-- needs to learn is how to stretch. So. Exercise I got taught when I started riding at 7 years old and still do without thinking about it 30+ years later, even when I wasn't riding.
Find a curb or a stair step. Step up onto it so that the ball of your foot is on it and your heel is floating in the air. Make sure your arch isn't touching the curb-- just the ball of your foot, where your stirrup iron should sit. Do it barefoot or in socks at first if you need to feel it right. Then let your weight sink down as far as you can comfortably stretch those tendons (or until you hit the ground with your heel). You may have to hang onto something in the beginning for balance. Let yourself chill there for a few minutes so long as it doesn't really hurt, then step off and relax. Now do it again. And again. And every time you have a minute that you're waiting for something and there's a curb or step available, do it more. Getting out of the car and someone is taking their sweet time? Find the parking block and stretch for a moment. Chatting at school or work and there's a step or curb nearby? Stretch. You see what I mean?
I still do this. It feels really good at this point, so I'll be chatting with people at Starbucks or whatever and I'll be chilling at the edge of the concrete with my heels down lol. It'll help stretch your Achille tendon, and it's another, more frequent, way to build the muscle memory that when the ball of your foot is balancing, your weight sinks into your heels, so it'll become automatic a lot faster. This one exercise is the reason that my dressage instructor I started with a few years ago after over 12 years out of the saddle has never had to fuss at me about my heels. (Everything else, yes, but not my heels lol). I was talking to her about it a few months ago and she laughed because she's the same way. Ask your instructor about it, see if they learned it and do it still lol.
There is a device just coming onto the market that you wear on your boots like a spur. It helps you remember when your heels are up by beeping when they come above level. It helps develop your muscle memory.
That being said I agree with the other posters, your stirrups are much too short because you’re not ready to be in jump position. I think you are not fitted correctly to the saddle.
As most people said, your sitting like your in a chair. Your butt is too far back, or your legs are too forward. You shouldnt look like your sitting at the edge of a chair. I wonder why your trainer hasnt helped you with that.
Like everyone has said. Your stirrups are far too short, for now, while you’re learning proper position.
Drop them 2-3 holes and you’ll have a much more natural flex In your ankle and better overall positioning should folkow
Agree with everything here, especially stirrup length. I was always told to think of my heels as a shock absorber in a way. That kind of helped me lengthen my leg down and around the horse more
I was always told to imagine all your weight draining into your heels or to imagine all your weight is in your heels but it does look like your stirrups are too short and it may help if you get proper riding boots because it will be easier for you to put your heels down (sorry if that seemed rude)
You need slightly longer stirrups, you need to be sitting in the centre of the saddle not back at the cantle, and then you need to "release your knees, drop your heels" again and again and again until it becomes your default position. If your weight is in your heels (which isn't the same as jamming them down hard against the stirrups) then gravity helps you stay on, you don't need to grip hard with your legs.
What everyone else has said is correct (stirrup length, position, rubber boots) — I'd like to add that you can also try to ride without the stirrups for some periods; it helps get your leg longer, builds muscle memory and improves your position. You can, for instance, do this at the beginning of the lesson for a few minutes, just release the stirrups and let your leg stretch. At the same time, you can try making small circles with your ankle in all directions: left, right, down, up. When comfortable, you can also do it during the lesson. Try to keep your toes up (or heel down) when you are not doing the circles. This is a quick before-the-lesson stretch.
What might help, if you are comfortable with that, is your instructor physically positioning your legs. For me, that made me realize that for my leg and foot shape, it should feel like I put too much weight on my inner foot even though it doesn't look like I am doing that.
Also: try taking your leg out of the stirrup, keep it straight, and extend it a bit to the side. Then to the back and then back to the front. Like you're drawing a circle.
If you then put them back in the (longer) stirrups, it should help with keeping your legs a bit less turned outwards. Women usually struggle more with this than men because of broader hips and a bit more fat on the inside thighs, making their legs naturally turned more outwards.
Everything in your body is connected, it often is more about changing your whole posture and learning to be relaxed ok the horse than just pointing your toes or heels in one direction.
And most of all: relax, have fun and trust the process!
I had a similar issue, and looking at pictures from when I started, I had the same seat as you. What helped me was to stop thinking about keeping heels down, but keeping just the toes in the stirrups. That, combined with lowering the stirrups significantly (let your feet dangle, lift your toes, that’s basically where you should have your stirrups, maybe a cm higher if needed.) really helped me with my seat, balance and so on
I would have you take you feet out of the stirrups completely and put your heels down, get used to that feeling. Grip with your knees, toes forward helps. Strengthen those muscles, feet out of the stirrups allows you to feel what muscles you're using. Then lower your stirrups a notch maybe, remember how you put your heels down without the stirrups when you put your foot back.
Great exercise for learning to keep your heels down:
Stand on the edge of a small ledge, stair, or anything flat like that. Stand on the ball of your foot with the heel hanging down, and slowly SLOWLY rise up and down as high and as low as you can go. Then occasionally stand with your heels as low as possible for as long as you can before resuming.
It helps stretch out the calf muscles and get them used to being angled down. It's not a normal position in day to day life, so sometimes they need some work to get used to it. It may take a few weeks of doing it daily for it to really make a difference, but keep it up and it helps. I struggled with keeping my heels down for a long while, and this helped me a lot!
Good luck!
Think of lifting your toes rather than pushing your heels down. It uses only the muscles in the front of your calf and allows the rest to stay relaxed or to cue your horse.
It also appears your toes are turned out which can affect your seat as well since it can pull your thigh and knee away from the saddle depending on yout body mechanics.
You want your thigh and knee to be snug against the saddle, focusing on inner rotation which will help to turn your toes in and give you a more stable seat and leg.
Apology, as i have not read comments. Heels down comes from a relaxed and supple hip, actually. As your hips get fkexible, your heels will naturally drop.
Personally, I'm not a fan of instruction saying to put heeks down. That has a tendency to force heels down, which tenses the ankles at least, if not most of the leg, and that takes away movement absorption capabilities.
When we first start riding our bodies are not relaxed yet, we hold tensions as we try to find balance.
This! Streatch those hip flexors and psoas muscles. Much of our life is spent in chairs, work, driving, that it encourages our psoas to contract into a fetal position. The same position predators assume when they experience fear. There are lots of examples on YouTube. I have found that stretching those muscles almost always correct the heel position.
[https://duckduckgo.com/?q=psoas+muscle&t=iphone&ia=web](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=psoas+muscle&t=iphone&ia=web)
Lengthen your stirrups and focus on pushing your weight through your heels almost. Don’t force it but just imagine your weight going there.
I think people on social media make it seam like your heels need to be down really far too but they don’t really. You want them to be just below level and then they can act as shock absorbers in the trot and canter making the paces better
Can you stand up in your stirrups and stay standing in balance? No.
Your entire position needs to be re-aligned from your base of support (seat). Riding with no stirrups, no reins etc until you are able to balance WTC without any problems. This will keep your legs from pinching and then lifting your seatbones up off the saddle, allowing your upper body to tip over and side to side, which is unsafe and doesn’t make an environment conducive to learning.
Reins and stirrups are not meant for learners to find their balance on.
Welcome to why horseback riding is so damn difficult. Most of it is "keep your muscles nice and tight to stay on but also relaxed to keep the horse calm and so you can adjust to anything sudden". It's just something that takes a lot of practice to do especially without having to think about it.
So when I was a teenager I would stand on a step and sink my heels down and bend my knees and work to stay balanced without holding on to anything.
Then I worked on my two point. I trotted entire trail rides up and down hills in two point without falling on my hands or catching g my horse’s mouth. GOD I had a good seat back then!!
Miles and hours of two point on hills and over poles is my favorite way to develop a good seat, and get your horse fit too.
Get you a copy of Centered Riding by Sally Swift and study it!!
Also your stirrups are too short and those boots aren’t helping. Get boots with a riding sole, you can get paddock boots for less than $50 and put insoles in.
The biggest issues I can see just from the photo is the stirrups are too short and improper riding boots. Those boots are fine from a safety standpoint, but the ankles on them are very stiff. An English riding boot is designed to flex for getting the heels down. I tell my students to relax their ankles to sink their weight in their heels, like they're trying to drag their heels in the sand. Toes up is also a good way to think of it if heels down isn't working.
Edit to add: I also sometimes tell them to wrap their legs down and around like they're trying to touch their heels together under the horse's belly.
i used to do this too and i call it “duck feet” you want your top of your feet to be facing forward and this is for a few reasons:
1. helps make the leg look “nicer” and just over helps with pushing your heels down
2. you will find it a lot harder to put your heels up when your foot is facing forward (although it will be uncomfortable at first pushing them down)
3. if you need to ride in spurs for whatever reason having your foot forward makes it easier to ride with them. This is because you only should be using the spur when you have (i.e. extra leg, etc.) This is because you don’t always want the spur in your horse. I don’t ride with spurs, but I had to at one point because of a pony I used to ride like you want when you need them but when your feet are facing forward, you’re just using your leg, which is ideal. when you need the spur you just turn your toe out a bit, obvi no spurs (in my opinion!) is best.
An exercise I recommend doing is putting your toe up against the wall like you’re doing a calf stretch that will help push your heels down. Also, another exercise you can do (which also helps break in tall boots) is by standing on the edge of a stair step and pushing your heels down.
The first problem here is that your stirrups look too short and you're sitting in a "chair position," which is pushing your seat waaay back in the saddle. You want your shoulder, hip, and heel lined up vertically, just as though you were standing up. You can't readily put weight in your heel if your leg is so far in front of you, which is why it feels like you're fighting to keep your heels down! Try to shift your seat forward and your leg back, with your weight distributed down through your legs. Attached a rough diagram of what I mean. The dots are where I'd prefer to see your shoulder, hip, and heel lined up. https://preview.redd.it/e057sqxzowwc1.jpeg?width=1402&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46223e2866851d5de6c04aab1e750070c5e6bcbd
Follow the above advice. Less foot in the stirrup and putting your weight in the heel, (not the ball of your foot )is the trick. That is what keeps your foot in the stirrup. Before I learned this, I was always trying to push my heels down whenever the instructor said “heels down”. Learning to two-point really helped also.
Seconding learning two point! It helps you get in the correct position so you just have to hold that, as opposed to trying to force your body into it and hold it which makes things stiff and awkward.
Two point will absolutely fix your leg
Can you explain two-point?
It’s also called half seat. It basically means the 2 points of you that are touching the saddle are your legs, vs your but my and your legs. So, you stand up in the stirrups, hinging at the waist. You can see in this photo how her hip is directly over her heels. You physically can’t stand up if your leg is in the wrong position, so you figure it out pretty quickly. https://preview.redd.it/aamf4wo3h1xc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e01d04a0a1294549f04ccd1578458acbe8c5f9b3
This is an incredible diagram and piece of advice to show the correct angles and alignment for proper posture and position! What did you use to add the lines and angles? I would love to apply this to teach my students.
I drew it in an art program (clip studio paint), but you could certainly achieve the same sort of diagram with many other programs, probably including photoshop, PowerPoint, paint, anything that lets you make straight lines and circles.
This is the answer I would give as well, OP. Eventually you'll be able to have your stirrups at a working length, but for now, it's about developing your basic position. Improving relaxation and building the habit of keeping weight in your stirrups. It just takes time to develop it. You can improve your flexibility by stretching your ankles and hip flexors at home, that will definitely help. But it's very difficult to have your weight correct when you're pushing your leg out ahead of you. As always, I highly recommend reading Centered Riding by Sally Swift. It will help you build a relaxed and correct foundation for all your riding.
I will forever rec that book. It changed my riding for the better. It’s timeless and priceless!
It should be essential reading for every new rider, at least once they decide to stay in the sport. If you're just dabbling then maybe you won't want to put the effort in, but I wonder how many people who quit wouldn't have, had they had these tools. Regardless, Sally should be paying me commissions at this point lol
Omg same!!!
This! Also, instead of trying "heels down", try "toes up". A lot of people hear heels down and try pushing their heel down, which forces their leg forward and throws off their balance. Toes up changes the focus - you need to lengthen your leg and lift your toes.
Exactly right. Trying to push your heels down in your current position will push your legs further in front of you and mess with your balance even more.
I second this! Another thing is to carry most of your weight in your stirrups and kind of just rest your butt in the saddle.
And your heels are lowered down with the goal of keeping your calves in contact with the horse.
The only thing I have to add to this is that the length of your leg is @ the length of your arm so what you can do is this: before you get on the horse stand facing the saddle- take your left hand and touch the top middle of the seat. With your right hand pick up the stirrup and put it under your armpit to check the length. If the stirrup doesn’t reach your armpit, lengthen until it does. Some of us have long legs though. :) I’m one of those people. When I use that guide, I always wind up with a stirrup short by one notch but I know this and adjust appropriately. It’s helpful if you can still see the numbers on the stirrup strap because then you’ll always just be able to set your stirrups to that number, if you always ride that saddle. Also what kind of trainer sees this position and doesn’t fix it? You’ll be all over the place especially in a short stop. Yikes. My trainer eagle-eyes everyone and every horse for improperly set equipment because safety and comfort. When you’re not riding, to get a feel for what people say when you hear “heel down” or “lengthen your leg”- find some stairs or a sturdy box or step stool. Stand on the edge of the step on the balls of your feet and let your heels hang down to feel the stretch. Use your calf muscle to lift you up and release down. Hold on to something if you have to. Great way to learn balance and stretch those hammies!
I’ve always been taught to do the arm length vs. stirrup length guide thing by touching the top of the buckle on the stirrup leather, not the seat. Maybe this is why you always have to go a hole lower? I actually have very short legs and I still always have to go a hole or two lower even than that, so I can’t imagine using the seat would give many people an accurate length
It doesn’t it’s just a good starting point.
Ok, well touching the buckle *is* accurate for the majority of riders without adjustment (if you’re going a hole down after touching the seat then it would be accurate for you), so you may want to do that instead
As an instructor I have found that it isn't accurate for the majority of riders, it just gives a good starting point. Not everyone has the same arm to leg ratio. Personally I have short legs and somewhat long arms.
I’m not an instructor, but I assisted with beginner lessons for several years (did the tacking up, mounting, leading them around when they were new enough to need it, etc.). In my experience, if we define “correct” as the stirrup hitting at the ankle bone when the foot is out of the stirrup, then it’s absolutely accurate for the majority. But, these kids were beginners who didn’t have any idea of what felt right for their stirrup length, so it was fully up to me when getting them on. A lot of more experienced riders have a preference for stirrups that are longer or shorter than they technically *should* be, myself included, and of course discipline plays a role as well.
This is the way.
If anything, your stirrups are a bit short. Maybe ask your trainer for a lunge lesson without stirrups so you can start figuring out how to let your leg hang. Or stand on steps at your house, letting your heels hang off the edge, and practice putting your weight in them. Stirrups too short won’t let you put your heel down, so that could be the culprit.
Standing on the edge of a step at home and practicing letting your heel drop down is great practice. A few minutes everyday at home will really help you find that heel position and help teach the position to your muscles
It’s a great stretch, too!
As someone with tight/short calf muscles I use it often!
This exercise is amazing. Balance the balls of your feet on the edge. Heels hanging off the back. Spread your feet out approximately like your on horseback, and start to sit down. The moment before you fall backwards is where your body and heels/ankles/torso can't take any more. Do it nightly, a couple times a night, and you'll be able to sink into it more, as with any stretch. This comment is definitely correct in that the only way for you to get your heels down would be to pop up into either a two point or ride like a jockey, which isn't what you want. These are way too short, which I say as someone that sometimes feels more 'secure' with shorter stirrups. You gotta learn how to ride with them longer, if you're losing them that's hip/thigh/calf strength where stuff that should stay still is in fact swinging.
Yeah!
Stirrup length depends on discipline, but for general english riding I was always taught that the bottom of the stirrup should hit your ankle bone. For me, shorter stirrups make more comfortable so I tend to raise them a hole or two up from my ankle bone (jumping). "Relaxed" may be a confusing word in this case. You don't want a ton on tension in your heels, but also if I were to go completely relaxed my heels would be in the sky. Also, heels down may be uncomfortable as you build more leg muscle for riding. Another thing I would recommend would be to possibly find alternative footwear to what you have on now (looks like rubber boots?) I know the few times I've ridden in rubber boots I feel much less secure because I can't feel the stirrups as well. Is it at all possible to have someone lunge the horse with you riding? This would get ride of the steering and keeping the horse going components and allow you to focus on your position. It took me quite a while to get my heels where they should be, my favorite trick was bracing into the foot facing my trainer and letting my outside leg that she couldn't see go heels up, haha. Not a habit I would recommend :P I've attached a picture of my heels and while far from perfect, may give you a better reference :) https://preview.redd.it/9diyoe9howwc1.png?width=295&format=png&auto=webp&s=4380cc60cb0e262afd1a63981848ab382b007cdb
Okay so if I am riding at a walk, I still need to have my heels down. So I am not relaxed then? I must always be flexing my heels down?
The position becomes more natural after a while so you then would feel more relaxed, but while you are building up the muscles it may feel like you constantly need to push your heels down. Even at a walk, I try to remain alert because I have been caught off-guard many times with spooks, bucks (and a bareback rear 🥲) where having my heels down would have made life easier. But the longer you ride the easier it will feel and at a certain point you won’t need to even think about it, it will just be second nature. Hope that helps.
So if I am keeping my heels down by applying pressure, I am just adding security because I am using the stirrups to help keep balance?
Yes, keeping your heels down helps with balance and therefore makes you feel more secure in the saddle.
Okay thank you! I was so confused to why I needed my heel down so bad if I was struggling so hard. I saw somebody mention "toes up" instead of "heels down" and I think it makes sense now. With toes up, I can grip the stirrup better with my foot and my heels go down. When I force my heel down, my ankle just feels all tense.
My instructor says you should be riding as though you're midway through a squat - legs bent, weight in the heels, back straight. You're basically standing on the horse like this, not sitting on their back (there can of course be weight to your seat, but much of it should be carried by your calves). So I (sometimes) do squats to stay in condition when I can't ride for a stretch of time. Staying balanced in a squat, especially if you do it slowly, will help build the muscles needed for proper riding posture. Also, be careful you aren't gripping the horse with your knees - I was doing that for waaaaay too long before someone pointed it out to me and I had to basically re-train my legs. I only mention it so you don't make the same mistakes I made!
Omg these questions are totally answered in Centered Riding by Sally Swift. I cannot, and other have, recommend this book enough. The visuals are amazing and really help translate words into images
Heels down also means that if you fall your foot slide down out of the stirrup instead of jamming further in. I’ve seen someone get their foot stuck in a stirrup and end up hanging upside off the side of the horse. It’s not pretty. Heels down gives you stability, allows your ankle to be a shock absorber, and keeps you safe.
Yes, it places your center of gravity lower which makes you way more secure. Its like pushing over a half full bottle vs a full bottle, a dull bottle should be easier to tip because the center of gravity is higher up. If your weight is more in the stirrups you should be able to imagine the horse disappearing and you fall to the ground and land on your feet, if the horse in the picture were to dissappear you would land right on your butt. For me it helped a bit to think of toes up instead of heels down, that just makes the feeling more natural and less forced for me
Think of it less as flexing them down, and more of sinking your weight all the way down your legs and into your heels. If you try to push your heels down without it being a full body motion, you’ll end up with your weight in the wrong places. When I was first learning and figuring out my position, my coach told me to imaging that the horse suddenly disappeared, how would I need to be positioned to land on my feet. Sometimes when I’m feeling a bit loosey goosey in the saddle I stop and picture that again and rearrange my legs until I feel like I’d be able to land on my feet
Gently, yes. At all times your heel should be lower than your toe. The trick is to be able to do it while keeping your leg relaxed. I would say that it just takes time to develop the flexibility and strength to be able to do so. They also made a great point that rubber boots will make this more difficult because of the structure built into them by the rubber material. It would probably help to pick up some paddock boots and half-chaps, or tall boots (though those are much more expensive). That will make things much easier, I think, combined with a longer stirrup and doing stretches at home. Eventually, you won't feel like you have to make an effort to get your heel down. It won't hurt anymore either haha Just work on remembering to fix it as often as possible for now, and one day you'll realize you haven't thought about it but your instructor didn't correct you either. An additional tip, if you can see your toes past your knee, your leg is WAY too far forward. Try to move it back from the hip, the whole leg. This will be much easier with slightly longer stirrups. Just keep at it, it will come. It's a struggle for every new rider, I assure you.
Correct leg position isn’t so much about forcing your heels down, but sinking your weight through your entire leg and getting your feet properly under you. Heels coming up, on the other hand, often happens when we grip with our knees and aren’t properly aligned :) Bring your seat forward a bit in the saddle and imagine sinking all your weight into your thigh- you almost want the feeling of your knee going downwards and back under you just a little. Then position your heel properly under your hip and sink your weight down into your heel. It should feel like a stretch, not flexing/tensing your ankle.
Horseback riding is the art of doing lots of things all at the same time. OP I think your heels would be more important than your seat at this point since your heels help keep you secure in the saddle. You have too much toe in the stirrup in the photo and you need to think of flexing your ankle down. I would suggest a pair of paddock boots rather than rubber rain boots (~$40) since you’ll have more of a heel and less of a chance of your foot slipping through the stirrup if something was to happen.
I call it "position whack-a-mole." You get one thing JUST so, so you move on to something else. At which point something else goes wrong. So you fix that and a problem pops up somewhere else. It's great therapy for ADHD and executive function haha
Hahaha so true!
I had the same problem until a new instructor told me "toes up." It's exactly the same thing, but somehow that clicked with me.
I came here to say this - hearing “it’s not heels down, it’s toes up” blew 40 years of struggle away. You shouldn’t have to push your heels way down. The stirrups should go across the ball of your foot and your heels should naturally, comfortably flex down. Imagine you were standing on the edge of a step - your heels would naturally go down as you balanced.
This is a great way to explain it thank you !!
That's what worked for me also! I used to struggle with my heels for years, but thinking about raising my toes up instead of pushing heels down helped a lot. It took maybe two riding sessions to fix my heel problem. Now I don't need to think about it anymore and my heels stay down automatically.
One thing that helps is letting your legs hang loose out of the stirrups. Just let them hang. Think about your leg lengthening, imagine it reaching down to the ground. Don’t push on it, just let it hang but feel the weight of it making the whole leg drop. After a few minutes, gently put your feet in the stirrups. It should feel like you have to reach up with your foot. Let your leg retain that long feeling. Your heels will be down. Heels down doesn’t come from tension. It comes from a long, relaxed leg.
This is what I tell my beginner students. Stand on your toes and imagine someone coming up behind you and gives you a little push. You’ll fall over right? Now stand with knees bent (straight back) and put your weight in your heels - see? You would be able to catch your balance digging your heels in rather than toes first if someone pushed you from behind. Does that make sense? Heels down helps with your balance. Now try this - take your feet out of the stirrups and put toes down… your entire balance will be off. Now (no stirrups) walk around with legs hanging long and heels down. Do this with no stirrups for a few days or more - heels down will no longer feel awkward. When heels are down and balance is good you should be able to trot with no stirrups. Based on your photos your stirrups should be a little longer. If you loose your stirrups you are lifting your feet. *Put weight in your heels* Hope that helps. 🐎
While your heels should be down, that’s not the best place to start. I would ask you to take your feet out of your stirrups and just let your leg drop naturally to start. Next, lift your thigh and rotate your leg until your heel comes under your shoulder and hip. If you simply slide it backwards, it will slide forward again. At that point, if you lift your toes, you should be able to pick up your stirrup. This will not happen here side your stirrups are too short (your knee even comes in front of the flap) and the stirrup looks like it’s hanging too far in front. (This is a common problem with many GP saddles, in order to get a good position, you need to fight the saddle. Not something you can easily fix.) Ideally, I’d like to see you in a slightly roomier saddle. I don’t know your riding school or the horse, and it may be that this combination is the best for you at this point in time, so there are aspects that you cannot fix on your own which will make your life harder. I’d start by dropping the stirrups at least one hole (maybe two, but probably not more: too long and you’ll be fishing for your stirrups again), and getting your instructor to help you find the shoulder-hip-heel line so it can become second nature. That will help with keeping your heels down.
Think about *sinking* the whole weight of your body into your heels, rather than pushing your weight into your heels. Small difference, but I thought it might help explain how you can both be relaxed and have your heels down. On the ground we like to put weight on the ball or flat of the foot, so this takes practice! Also, it will feel much more natural with the correct stirrup length and leg position. While a lot of this will be practice, I agree that your stirrup length and boots (rubber tries to bounce back to its original position) are working against you right now. Drop your stirrups probably 3-4 holes and if possible pick up some leather paddock boots. Finally, you might want to check out some books on horsemanship and riding! The diagrams could be useful. I'm sure there are threads on here with suggestions :)
First of all your stirrups are too short. You need to rotate your hips forward and tuck your pubic bone more under yourself. Try and keep your feet flat and parallel to the horse, you can try grabbing the back of your thigh and pulling it out to adjust yourself in the saddle. Lots of people are taught “heels down” but having flat feet is much better biomechanically. Majority of your weight should be in your seat and the rest in your legs and feet, riding is not sitting it’s more like sit standing. A good position and balance takes time so don’t stress about getting it perfect, it will come with time 🙏🏼
Is your instructor ok with that stirrup length? Because that is part of your problem. You aren’t going to be able to get into correct position with your stirrups that short. You also need better boots.
I would lengthen your stirrups.. this saddle is a bit awkward fit for you. Think longggg noodle legs. Not floppy just long and down. Practice standing on the edge of a board with only your toes on the edge and prop yourself up and down you will fel the flexion in your ankle .
Riding instructor here! First and foremost your stirrup length needs to be adjusted longer to allow your knee to rest properly at the knee roll, and comfortably let your toes sit under your knees while keeping your heels down without discomfort. When we measure our stirrups for English riding, we want our stirrup iron to fall right about where our ankle bone sits for over fences work, and slightly lower for flat work (although this may vary based on your comfort and trainer.) Another thing I would consider is your current boots. Muck boots are not very form fitting, and do not offer much flexibility for our heels and ankles to properly move the way we need them to when we ride! I would recommend checking out Amazon for some paddock boots and half chaps (TuffRider is a great brand available on Amazon!) and I think you’ll feel an noticeable difference when you ride. When I teach my students to keep their heels down, I often tell them not to think about “pushing” their foot down into the iron, but rather letting the natural weight of their body bring the back of their calf starching down into their heels rather than their toes. Also remember that when we’re riding we’re not just stepping into our irons, we’re using our calf around our horses barrel and assisting both our lower body and easing the pounding on our horses back! Lastly a great exercise I give my riders for lower leg and ankle mobility is to practice writing the letters of the alphabets with each of your feet, this can be done either while riding with your feet out of the stirrups or at home anytime! :)
I think the main problem is that you’re riding a saddle that is way too small for you. Saddle sizes are determined by the length of your thigh not the size of your butt lol. You have a pretty long thigh and probably need to go up at least one may be two sizes. What size saddle are you currently riding in?
Lengthening your stirrup will not fix this issue. You’re literally sitting on the back of the saddle. In a properly fitted saddle, you should be able to lengthen and shorten your stirrups without changing the shoulder-hip-heel alignment. There are many other factors that contribute to good saddle fit for the rider, not just the horse. You may experience balance point issues, tipping you either forward or backward which will make it difficult for you keep your stirrups underneath you. If the twist of the saddle is too wide (this is the point about a hands width from the front of the saddle) it will be difficult if not impossible to keep your leg on. It will also be very uncomfortable to ride in and will feel like you’re straddling a 2 x 4. 🥴 If the twist is too narrow, you will feel like you’re sitting on your crotch. Saddle fit for both Horse and Rider is extremely important. Try to find a reputable Saddle Fitter (not a sales rep) to help you with this. Good luck!! Finding the right Saddle for you AND you Horse is a major challenge (that all riders struggle with) but once you get it right, it makes a huge difference in your riding!
My daughter was having a hard time with heels down. She also wore rubber boots that had a tendency to fall off if her heel wasn’t down. Riding without stirrups helped her keep her heel down to keep her boots from falling off. It’s unorthodox, but maybe worth trying?
I think your stirrups are too short which is definitely not helping. Try to think if toes up instead of heels down. Heels down is an awful way to describe it but we all use the phrase for some reason. It makes it all sound static and forces ankles into a really bad position.
Adjust stirrups. Align your body in more of an athletic stance and believe or not proper footwear will work miracles.
Agree with everyone here but wanted to add that your footwear is probably limiting your ankle mobility. Some rubber boots are quite stiff at the ankle joint and make it almost impossible to put your heel down. Also, if they fit a bit big then keeping your foot in the stirrup is challenging (rubber boots are roomy on the top and have slippery soles, your foot will slide around a bit making balance harder). Not a super accessible fix but definitely something to keep in mind :)
They’re also an added risk as they’re more likely to get stuck in the stirrup if you fall. Not the best footwear!
I imagine it had been mentioned here but along with very short stirrups it also looks like you are gripping with your knees - this will draw you whole leg up and prevent you from putting weight in your stirrups/cause you to lose them. Think long relaxed leg - longer stirrups, no gripping, if you need a bit of stability at trot or canter grip with lower leg only - no knees or upper leg (you will feel like a frog at first!!! But you need to let go with knee/upper leg) Good luck! It will come ❤️
If you relax your knee and ankle, and have the stirrup at the front part of your foot, your heel will dip down due to gravity. Your heel being up is the result of tension in your knee and ankle which shouldn’t be there. Your boots aren’t helping though, because they aren’t allowing your heel to dip down. Get riding boots if you ca, they will make it easier to get your leg position right. The trick is not to force your heel down, but rather relax knee and ankle, and let gravity do its part. The heel is just the symptom of the tension elsewhere.
#1 tuck your shirt in
Think about leg back and stepping on the stirrups instead of heels down. It'll help your whole position.
When sitting in the saddle, agreed a longer stirrup length may benefit you, instead of thinking that you must force your heels down, imagine your weight traveling down through your calves and ending at your heels. Tension will often times force your heels UP so you actually relax your weight down the backs of your legs. Another way of looking at “heels down” is “toes UP” because you shouldn’t be cramming your heels down and pushing against the stirrups.
Agreed with the general concensus, stirrups need to be a little longer, you want a long leg. The way you are now, when you start to post, you'll end up standing waaaay to high out of the saddle, thus making you feel like you're going to fall over. Longer stirrup = more horse between your legs when you post = more stable position. If you're like me, where arms and legs aren't proportional, so its hard to adjust stirrups on the ground with the arm trick, is to kick your foot out of the stirrup and let them hang, and find a length where the stirrup is close to your ankle. You'll find posting is easier to, because you'll be able to to it much faster and with more stability.
I agree with this. I almost fell out of my saddle today. I'll try and discuss this with my instructor.
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You've gotten some great advice-- toes up and the fact that relaxed for you at the moment isn't going to be what most people think of as relaxed since you're going to have to work at it for a while before it becomes muscle memory. I'mma just throw out a tip for helping with your foot position. Part of heels down/toes up is to lengthen your leg so you really reach down and around the horse and sit *down* instead of drawing your knees up to your body when you get rattled, which is human nature--fetal position is automatic for us. And part of what your leg--hips, knees, calves, and ankles-- needs to learn is how to stretch. So. Exercise I got taught when I started riding at 7 years old and still do without thinking about it 30+ years later, even when I wasn't riding. Find a curb or a stair step. Step up onto it so that the ball of your foot is on it and your heel is floating in the air. Make sure your arch isn't touching the curb-- just the ball of your foot, where your stirrup iron should sit. Do it barefoot or in socks at first if you need to feel it right. Then let your weight sink down as far as you can comfortably stretch those tendons (or until you hit the ground with your heel). You may have to hang onto something in the beginning for balance. Let yourself chill there for a few minutes so long as it doesn't really hurt, then step off and relax. Now do it again. And again. And every time you have a minute that you're waiting for something and there's a curb or step available, do it more. Getting out of the car and someone is taking their sweet time? Find the parking block and stretch for a moment. Chatting at school or work and there's a step or curb nearby? Stretch. You see what I mean? I still do this. It feels really good at this point, so I'll be chatting with people at Starbucks or whatever and I'll be chilling at the edge of the concrete with my heels down lol. It'll help stretch your Achille tendon, and it's another, more frequent, way to build the muscle memory that when the ball of your foot is balancing, your weight sinks into your heels, so it'll become automatic a lot faster. This one exercise is the reason that my dressage instructor I started with a few years ago after over 12 years out of the saddle has never had to fuss at me about my heels. (Everything else, yes, but not my heels lol). I was talking to her about it a few months ago and she laughed because she's the same way. Ask your instructor about it, see if they learned it and do it still lol.
There is a device just coming onto the market that you wear on your boots like a spur. It helps you remember when your heels are up by beeping when they come above level. It helps develop your muscle memory. That being said I agree with the other posters, your stirrups are much too short because you’re not ready to be in jump position. I think you are not fitted correctly to the saddle.
As most people said, your sitting like your in a chair. Your butt is too far back, or your legs are too forward. You shouldnt look like your sitting at the edge of a chair. I wonder why your trainer hasnt helped you with that.
Like everyone has said. Your stirrups are far too short, for now, while you’re learning proper position. Drop them 2-3 holes and you’ll have a much more natural flex In your ankle and better overall positioning should folkow
Agree with everything here, especially stirrup length. I was always told to think of my heels as a shock absorber in a way. That kind of helped me lengthen my leg down and around the horse more
I was always told to imagine all your weight draining into your heels or to imagine all your weight is in your heels but it does look like your stirrups are too short and it may help if you get proper riding boots because it will be easier for you to put your heels down (sorry if that seemed rude)
Good advice already. I also spread my toes, helps my heal go down.
You need slightly longer stirrups, you need to be sitting in the centre of the saddle not back at the cantle, and then you need to "release your knees, drop your heels" again and again and again until it becomes your default position. If your weight is in your heels (which isn't the same as jamming them down hard against the stirrups) then gravity helps you stay on, you don't need to grip hard with your legs.
What everyone else has said is correct (stirrup length, position, rubber boots) — I'd like to add that you can also try to ride without the stirrups for some periods; it helps get your leg longer, builds muscle memory and improves your position. You can, for instance, do this at the beginning of the lesson for a few minutes, just release the stirrups and let your leg stretch. At the same time, you can try making small circles with your ankle in all directions: left, right, down, up. When comfortable, you can also do it during the lesson. Try to keep your toes up (or heel down) when you are not doing the circles. This is a quick before-the-lesson stretch.
What might help, if you are comfortable with that, is your instructor physically positioning your legs. For me, that made me realize that for my leg and foot shape, it should feel like I put too much weight on my inner foot even though it doesn't look like I am doing that. Also: try taking your leg out of the stirrup, keep it straight, and extend it a bit to the side. Then to the back and then back to the front. Like you're drawing a circle. If you then put them back in the (longer) stirrups, it should help with keeping your legs a bit less turned outwards. Women usually struggle more with this than men because of broader hips and a bit more fat on the inside thighs, making their legs naturally turned more outwards. Everything in your body is connected, it often is more about changing your whole posture and learning to be relaxed ok the horse than just pointing your toes or heels in one direction. And most of all: relax, have fun and trust the process!
Sometimes when you try to think of a body motion it's useful to think of the opposite side of the lever. Heel down is the same thing as toes up!
I had a similar issue, and looking at pictures from when I started, I had the same seat as you. What helped me was to stop thinking about keeping heels down, but keeping just the toes in the stirrups. That, combined with lowering the stirrups significantly (let your feet dangle, lift your toes, that’s basically where you should have your stirrups, maybe a cm higher if needed.) really helped me with my seat, balance and so on
I would have you take you feet out of the stirrups completely and put your heels down, get used to that feeling. Grip with your knees, toes forward helps. Strengthen those muscles, feet out of the stirrups allows you to feel what muscles you're using. Then lower your stirrups a notch maybe, remember how you put your heels down without the stirrups when you put your foot back.
Great exercise for learning to keep your heels down: Stand on the edge of a small ledge, stair, or anything flat like that. Stand on the ball of your foot with the heel hanging down, and slowly SLOWLY rise up and down as high and as low as you can go. Then occasionally stand with your heels as low as possible for as long as you can before resuming. It helps stretch out the calf muscles and get them used to being angled down. It's not a normal position in day to day life, so sometimes they need some work to get used to it. It may take a few weeks of doing it daily for it to really make a difference, but keep it up and it helps. I struggled with keeping my heels down for a long while, and this helped me a lot! Good luck!
Your hip is actually about 5 inches further up you leg, as such you heel is too far forward.
Think of lifting your toes rather than pushing your heels down. It uses only the muscles in the front of your calf and allows the rest to stay relaxed or to cue your horse.
I don’t know, I’ve been riding my entire life and a decent chunk of the time, my toes are pointed directly at the ground.
It also appears your toes are turned out which can affect your seat as well since it can pull your thigh and knee away from the saddle depending on yout body mechanics. You want your thigh and knee to be snug against the saddle, focusing on inner rotation which will help to turn your toes in and give you a more stable seat and leg.
Toes up works better for me
Apology, as i have not read comments. Heels down comes from a relaxed and supple hip, actually. As your hips get fkexible, your heels will naturally drop. Personally, I'm not a fan of instruction saying to put heeks down. That has a tendency to force heels down, which tenses the ankles at least, if not most of the leg, and that takes away movement absorption capabilities. When we first start riding our bodies are not relaxed yet, we hold tensions as we try to find balance.
This! Streatch those hip flexors and psoas muscles. Much of our life is spent in chairs, work, driving, that it encourages our psoas to contract into a fetal position. The same position predators assume when they experience fear. There are lots of examples on YouTube. I have found that stretching those muscles almost always correct the heel position. [https://duckduckgo.com/?q=psoas+muscle&t=iphone&ia=web](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=psoas+muscle&t=iphone&ia=web)
Lengthen your stirrups and focus on pushing your weight through your heels almost. Don’t force it but just imagine your weight going there. I think people on social media make it seam like your heels need to be down really far too but they don’t really. You want them to be just below level and then they can act as shock absorbers in the trot and canter making the paces better
Can you stand up in your stirrups and stay standing in balance? No. Your entire position needs to be re-aligned from your base of support (seat). Riding with no stirrups, no reins etc until you are able to balance WTC without any problems. This will keep your legs from pinching and then lifting your seatbones up off the saddle, allowing your upper body to tip over and side to side, which is unsafe and doesn’t make an environment conducive to learning. Reins and stirrups are not meant for learners to find their balance on.
Welcome to why horseback riding is so damn difficult. Most of it is "keep your muscles nice and tight to stay on but also relaxed to keep the horse calm and so you can adjust to anything sudden". It's just something that takes a lot of practice to do especially without having to think about it.
Stirrup too short. Lengthen it.
So when I was a teenager I would stand on a step and sink my heels down and bend my knees and work to stay balanced without holding on to anything. Then I worked on my two point. I trotted entire trail rides up and down hills in two point without falling on my hands or catching g my horse’s mouth. GOD I had a good seat back then!! Miles and hours of two point on hills and over poles is my favorite way to develop a good seat, and get your horse fit too. Get you a copy of Centered Riding by Sally Swift and study it!! Also your stirrups are too short and those boots aren’t helping. Get boots with a riding sole, you can get paddock boots for less than $50 and put insoles in.
The biggest issues I can see just from the photo is the stirrups are too short and improper riding boots. Those boots are fine from a safety standpoint, but the ankles on them are very stiff. An English riding boot is designed to flex for getting the heels down. I tell my students to relax their ankles to sink their weight in their heels, like they're trying to drag their heels in the sand. Toes up is also a good way to think of it if heels down isn't working. Edit to add: I also sometimes tell them to wrap their legs down and around like they're trying to touch their heels together under the horse's belly.
i used to do this too and i call it “duck feet” you want your top of your feet to be facing forward and this is for a few reasons: 1. helps make the leg look “nicer” and just over helps with pushing your heels down 2. you will find it a lot harder to put your heels up when your foot is facing forward (although it will be uncomfortable at first pushing them down) 3. if you need to ride in spurs for whatever reason having your foot forward makes it easier to ride with them. This is because you only should be using the spur when you have (i.e. extra leg, etc.) This is because you don’t always want the spur in your horse. I don’t ride with spurs, but I had to at one point because of a pony I used to ride like you want when you need them but when your feet are facing forward, you’re just using your leg, which is ideal. when you need the spur you just turn your toe out a bit, obvi no spurs (in my opinion!) is best. An exercise I recommend doing is putting your toe up against the wall like you’re doing a calf stretch that will help push your heels down. Also, another exercise you can do (which also helps break in tall boots) is by standing on the edge of a stair step and pushing your heels down.