First Lesson!

[daisyhorse]

I finally had my first official lesson yesterday! After riding for over 20 years (that makes me feel old) I decided to figure out the right way of doing things and get into some hunter/jumper classes. It went GREAT and I had so much fun! I wasn't doing things all wrong after all =). My instructor is great and she put me on a TB mare that was very well behaved. Anyways, a very strange thing happened...about halfway into the lesson my ankle started aching badly. My left leg was set fine on the horse but my right ankle was flopping around and just not supporting me. Has anyone had this happen before? I have never had weak ankles but then again I was posting and standing up in the stirrups more than I ever have been before all at once. Do you think that my ankles just need to be worked? I definently used MANY new muscles in my hour lesson because I am very sore all over today!

[FreedomStar]

First, let me congratulate you on a job well done in your first lesson. Not many achieve great things ;). About your ankle, are you sure your stirrups were the same length? To check, have someone stand in front of you and compare the lengths, or drop your stirrups and pick them up over the saddle and see if the irons come to the same height. If not, then alter the length of one or the other. I'm betting your right stirrup was shorter, and your right ankle turned out a bit. But good job!

[daisyhorse]

My instructor checked the stirrup length because I was thinking the same thing. Another thing it could be was my boots were new and not broken in at all...and they are the tall winter riding boots and are pretty stiff...hmmmm.