schizo right foot

[cat64]

I am a very new adult rider having weekly lessons (5 so far) and am being driven mad by my right foot. What ever I am doing, especially kicking on whilst trotting, my right foot ALWAYS either comes out of the stirrup or slides forward. By contrast, my left foot never moves, as if glued to the stirrup from lessons beginning to its end. I am right footed and right handed, my legs are the same length and I've checked the saddle and stirrup lengths - all of which are fine. I find this very frustrating and mysterious. Can anyone help with either an explanation or, even better, a solution!!

[nutkin]

Are you sure your legs are the same length. It's not unusual to have one leg slightly shorter. Also you say that your stirrups are the same length. Are you certain of this? It could well be a stretched stirrup leather or even an odd pair of leathers. Another possibility could be that you are collapsing at the hip on one side. Ask your instructor if they think this is a possibility.

[kedwards]

My first thought would be that you may tend to carry more weight in your left stirrup. Ask your instructor to watch you from behind to see if you are even (even hips, even shoulders, etc).

[Drummers mum]

Don't worry, you are not alone!

I have been riding since I was 11 on and off but since coming back to it full time and owning my own pony I have noticed the same problem! My friend watched me ride and she says I put more weight in the left stirrup.

When I'm schooling my entire right leg doesn't behave as well as my left one but I'm working on sitting tall in the saddle, I make sure I am sitting evenly on my seat bones and keeping the weight in my heels.

Echo everyone else to say your instructor should be able to help you !:D

[soulburyrider]

Now I may be being a bit picky here but you said "kicking on whilst trotting" should we not be nudging or squeezing lightly ? :D

On a serious note my stirrups can be exactly the same length yet one will feel longer than the other - also I suppose you have to bear in mind that you are not riding on a totally flat surface you just have to continually tell you leg weight down into the back of it - try riding without stirrups in trot for a bit you should find that once you take your stirrups back it may help.
I have a similar problem with my left leg in canter (just one of the many faults I have).....it tends to creep up but I just have to repeat leg down and nudge with the rhythm of the pace.

Hope this helps!

[horseygal90]

I have this problem - with both my legs! Recently I can't seem to keep the stirrup on the ball of my foot.

The best advice I can give is think about keeping your leg long and low - Don't let it ride up!

[HorseHappy]

I, too, have the schizo right foot thing going on. In fact in the beginning it wa so bad that my right ankle will cave in when I was posting the trot. I'm 42 and have been riding for about 5 months. My left leg is a little longer than right - I notice it sometimes when I have pants on.

Shortly after I began riding I started paying attention to how I sit off the horse. For example, when I drive or sit at my desk I have a tendency to collapse my right hip. Even now I am constantly readjusting in order to sit evenly on my seatbones.

Once I starting trying to sit evenly on my seatbones while riding the schizo right foot started to behave itself - although it still has some bad days :o

Also - my instructor always checks my stirrup lengths with my feet out of the stirrup. I have a bad habit of thinking my stirrups feel even when in, fact, they are not . My instructor says that you can't always trust your body to 'feel' when it's in the correct position. As another example, I 'feel' like I'm almost bending over backwards when in fact I am sitting up straight.

Hope this makes sense. I'm trying to work up the nerve to have someone video tape one of my lessons to see what I am really doing. :D

Debbie