Stirrups feet and heels

[Yann]

Recently found this site and have really enjoyed reading all your posts, it's very reassuring hear from other people at a similar level. I have started riding again recently after riding as a child so a lot of stuff has been from scratch. I am doing ok ish with the various paces but I can't seem to get comfortable with the stirrups. I have them fairly long but I can't seem to keep my feet in the right place, they slip back towards the heel. I have done a bit of work without stirrups which felt more comfortable, especially cantering. I also have trouble keeping my heels down, which I know is a seat problem, is this the same thing or is length or something else the problem?

[Liz M]

Welcome to the board!
I had a similar problem keeping my heels down when I first started. It may help you to think 'toes up' rather than 'heels down'. I think I came across that from numerous posts on here! Another thing is to practise keeping your toes up even when you are not on a horse. I used to practise sitting at the computer or on car journeys (I wasn't driving!). I have been told by a more experienced rider than myself that a good exercise is to stand on the bottom stair and lower your heels - don't over balance - while balancing a book on your head. Just don't forget to sell tickets so others can watch the mad performance! Not having tried the last exercise, I cannot comment on its effectiveness!
As for stopping your feet slipping, I would suggest no stirrup work, but you seem to have done a lot of that. Maybe they are just too long? Maybe a more experienced poster will have some better advice.
You'll probably find that it is just a case of practise makes perfect, however dull that may seem.
I can't wait to get back into the saddle myself, but I have to find a horse first! (I've only had about 4 weeks away from it and I'm missing it like crazy!) I miss Mo so much!!!
Good luck! Liz.

[rachil]

I wouldn't disagree with any of the advice above, but offer one extra suggestion. Make sure you have a pair of boots with a decent non-slip tread on them. (I don't mean chunky soles that might get caught in the stirrups.) This has made all the difference for me personally - and because my feet feel secure my legs are more relaxed, which means my heels are in a better position.
Good luck!

[fionahogg]

Sounds like you don't have enough security in your lower leg. I would work on strengthening your lower leg so that it stays put in the stirrup. Non-stirrup work is good for this but be careful that you don't grip up and let your leg stretch downwards. Try to aim to lengthen the thigh. You could be gripping up with your leg, which in turn means you haven't got your weight in your heel so the stirrup slips. Work on moving with the horse so you develop an independent seat so you don't have to grip to keep your balance.

Fiona.

[FRED]

Hi Yann, welcome,this is a wonderfull site for help with all these big and little problems. Congratulations on returning to the equine world after 28 years!!,its taken me
40 odd years to finaly give it a go!!.
There were two things that troubled me with stirrups, one was foot wear,my feet would slide to far ito the stirrup, not good!. When I got some sensible boots,{I prefer short boots }they started to slip out of the stirrup.
Amazinigly,I have never lost a stirrup while riding,but I have done a little ridding without stirrups which I really enjoyed and this gave me bags of confidence.I read some where to turn your toes in just a little,since trying this months ago my feet stay exactly where I put them and my heels now stay down.I'm sure I will be corrected if I'm wrong, but doing this has worked well for me. I have lost my balance occasionally and pulled up pretty quick, my feet stay exactly where I put them.
Fred

[Dizzy]

Hi Yann, once again welcome.

At the moment I wouldn't worry about having your foot in the correct position. The most important thing to work on is your body and legs. You want to be sat up straight, with your shoulders open and above your hips. Your seat bones should be slightly facing forward, so that you're sat on the fleshy part of your bum, and have your lower back relaxed. You want to work on having your inner thigh in contact with the saddle and getting your knee as low down, and facing the saddle as you can. And you want to sat in a position that if the horse suddenly disappeared from underneath you, you would land on your feet. You want to be sat in a position where if there was an imaginary vertical line drawn, your ear, hip, heel will follow the line.

Whilst doing all that you have to be totally relaxed, so that your bum/lower back will absorb the horses stride, your legs should have no tension in them, but be draped around the horse with your weight falling equally down through each leg, leaving your body through the heel. Which is where you get the correct foot position. One other thing is to have your stirrup iron sitting on the ball of your foot, any further back and you will be tense through the ankle and be unable to allow your weight to fall through your heels.

I hear so many people say 'remember to keep your heels down', if your heels are forced down you have tension in your leg and especially your ankle and if your position is wrong you'll never be able to balance. When your wieght falls down through your relaxed legs your heels will naturally been drawn towards the floor. But you have to have developed your balance first.

Hope this helps you

Lesley

[Yann]

Thanks for your kind welcome and replys. I think I have an idea where the problem is now. I was under the mistaken impression I was supposed to be keeping my lower leg in contact to keep the horse going, it sounds like I should be letting them drape a bit more and squeeze when needed.
Presumably that's whats meant by gripping up.
I suppose once I get my seat right, which I haven't yet, the feet will follow as it were.
I wear 'proper' riding boots, the tread should be adequate shouldn't it?
I think I've been trying to halt wrongly too, my instructor picked up on it, I've been tightening my seat and pressing with the lower leg again rather than the thigh. No wonder the poor fellow has been halting half heartedly. There's so much to try and remember at once! Looking forward to trying it out at my next lesson.

Yann