can't keep heels down - advice?

[christinarina]

Well I had my third lesson this weekend but had a different RS as usual one wasn't available. She got me to do a little jump but concentrated on my position and the basics which was good.

I have trouble keeping my heels down and she said if I didn't nip that in the bud in the next few lessons I might get into bad habits. I want to kick this but I find it so hard to keep my heels down - it feels so unnatural. My feet come out of the stirrups at times too and I feel sure keeping the heels down will just make this more likely.

Does anyone else have this problem? Any tips on how to overcome it??

CHristinaX:o

[mikh]

Instead of thinking heels down think toes up, sometimes a diff perspective can help, try also make sure your leg is back too, hip/heel line always help, and technicaly you heels shouldn't be down but para to the floor if that makes sense?

[Mehitabel]

there are a few reasons why your heels might be coming up, of course wihout seeing you ride we can't tell which it is!
a common one is that when you rise to the trot you are tensing your calves and pushing up off your stirrups as if you're standing up on tiptoe. does that sound possible? if so, then think of relaxing the calves instead of tensing them, and rising by swinging your hips up and forwards, as if you're getting up out of a chair rather than standing up on tiptoes.

do you wear high heels a lot? that can cause a tight achilles tendon and make it hard to keep your weight down through your leg into your heel. if you stand on the stairs, facing up them with the edge of he stair where the stirrup goes, hold onto the banister and try to drop the heels down and stretch the back of your leg. that's a good exercise anyway, to stretch those muscles and the tendon and make riding more comfy.

another thing is that you might be gripping with your knees - this 'pivots' you forward over your knees and the heels come up. this is something your instructor should be able to recognise and sort out, it's hard to explain how not to do it over the internet. but it's something to think about before you next ride, whether you think you might be doing this.

best of luck!

[xloopylozzax]

i do the stairs thing every morning.

i dont have problems with my heels down (used to but perseverance and repeatedly putting my leg right taught my muscles not to)

my mum taught me to do it- if im waiting for the bathroom i do it on every step with each leg a few times so it wastes time.

can really stretch now and almost reach the next step down (but i have quite big feet lol)

[Julz]

one of the main causes of bringing the heels up is balance. And ofcourse it's not just heels down is it... it's toes to the front, relax the lower leg, and squeeze, not kick... third lesson?? if it were me teaching a third lesson i wouldnt have you jumping.. wee fences or not! it's bad enough trying to find your balance in trot, without having to find more balance in take off, clearence and landing.... not least of all if horse should land in canter, as some do!

why run before you can walk??

Not having a "go" at OP, but some "instructors" have lots to learn before getting let loose on the unsuspecting!

[LaurenEff]

I have them same problem, im fine in walk and tro but canter... :eek:! everyones advice has been really helpful to me too! Thanks x

ETA; Perhaps your stirrups are too short? x

[christinarina]

Thanks for the advice, I will try those out next lesson.

Julz, I did say I wanted to "kick" the habit - not the horse!! People seem ultra sensitive to the word "kick" on here!

christinaX

[storm35]

I am the same, find it hard to keep heels down, i try to correct myself eveyr lesson. Gosh jumping already, i am on my 6th lesson and only hacked out once and trotting.
Let us know how you get on.

[christinarina]

Hey storm - it was only a couple of mini jumps, wouldn't call myself a show jumper yet! Hacking out sounds advanced though - how was that?

ChristinaX

[zoe-lvs-horses]

I have that problem aswell just in general riding my heels are not down!
The reason why i have a lot of difficulty to keep my heels down is because i do gymnastics and have always been taught to point my toes ect so its hard too keep my toes up in riding for me.
Tips have been helpful though.
Zoe.x:)

[storm35]

Hey storm - it was only a couple of mini jumps, wouldn't call myself a show jumper yet! Hacking out sounds advanced though - how was that?

ChristinaX

We only got to hackout as there was only 4 of us, and it was an experience, my horse did not want to walk with the rest, she wanted to walk under the trees, so bashed my head of branches not matter how hard i tried to steer her out, then she wanted to walk right beside a barbed wire fence where i nearly got yanked, we never got to trot though, it was good and a lesson for me, you need to steer the horse lol.

[*-crazy-chaz-*]

hang a brick on each heel :p

[molly34]

Thinking of it mechanically (heels down or toes up) didn't work for me because I tried to do it by using my calf muscles to force my heels down.... which tensed up my legs.... which made me lose my stirrups and c*cked up my seat & balance!

It sounds like you're having the same issues? If you are, this might work for you...
do a few circles on the lunge with your feet out of the stirrups (I put them up on the saddle to 'find' my seat bones!). Then let your legs go really relaxed and floppy and get someone on the ground to lift your toes up into the stirrups and see how it feels. If you feel your heels coming up again as you ride, try to think of all your weight going down into the back of your boots, rather than just 'heels down'.

the stair exercise really helps too as it stretches your calves and makes the 'heels down' position more natural.

[xJenniferx]

I ended p doing lots of 'no stirrup work'. That ensured that my legs were relaxed into a nice long position, and when I then went back to stirrups, my legs 'relaxed' naturally with my heels droping down, nothing major, jsut enough.

It can be quite hard when someone says 'heels down' as you actively push them down, but by trying to relax, your feet in the correct stirrup position should let your heel drop (maybe drooop would be more appropriate) slightly.

[keithpenry]

This may be a bit extreme for you,but I've built a wooden [hobby] horse,with a pair of stirrups and a strirrup leather laid over the top.I use this to practice both my balance and to keep my heels down.Trust me,it works!

[christinarina]

Keith - my dad built my niece a huge rocking horse a few years ago - I was sooo jealous! It did occur to me to borrow it for a practice...!

Storm - lol! I thought the horse would have the wherewithall to steer out of a corner or away from a fence and was surprised how much you have to steer!

CHristinaX