Keeping toes in!

[GarnetFox]

Looking at my latest photos and also checking out the coat grease marks on my books, my toes point out too much while I'm riding. Not majorly so, but it's not ideal.

Any tips on how to keep them pointing forward without subsequently gripping with my knees? My legs are quite relaxed and steady at the moment, and I don't want to throw myself off balance by gripping to keep toes behaving themselves! :)

[mazda]

Try walking through very narrow gates where there is only enough room for you to squeeze through. It works - honset :p

[GarnetFox]

More hacks it is then. :D Wonder if instructor will say yes to trotting through loads of narrow gates... ;)

[galadriel]

Keeping your toes pointed forward is only incidental. If your legs are secure and effective, then it actually doesn't matter where the toes are pointed. For some people, maintaining the leg is easier with the toes pointed slightly outward; it's all a function of leg shape :)
See http://lorienstable.com/articles/riding/300-toes/ for more discussion.

[PromiseMe]

Do you ride dressage? If you do, get those toes in and forward!

Otherwise, whatever other discipline you ride, if your toe is just slightly pointed out, its OK! As long as your leg is still on the horse, its just as good.
Some instructors actually recommend it for you to turn out your toes slightly.
Whatever works for you!

[Bay Mare]

Some people may never get their toes forward, they're just not built that way!

Making sure that your hips are stretched and supple can help somewhat as tight hips only make the problem worse. A few lunge lessons can also help as it can really get you to relax into your position instead of gripping up and doing all kinds of weird and wonderful things with your legs :D

What has helped me is a combination about the Flexion SBS (it REALLY gets those hips to stretch) and the wide tread stirrups which have the 'eyelet' at 90 degrees to the stirrup so that they naturally hang in the 'right' position. Although they don't force my foot to stay forwards they certainly don't encourage it to turn out (think about how 'normal' stirrups lie).

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/assets/products/stirrups/smpair160.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/TashaKat/smfront.jpg

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/TashaKat/anhoofprints.gif

[GarnetFox]

I'm a returning rider but I was only ever a happy hacker before. Still, I want to ride correctly, even if I don't do dressage one day!

I'm stuck with the stirrups because I'm on riding school horses and so have to use the safety stirrups. I will have some lunge lessons when I go to the other riding school in the summer, I was going to anyway to help my sitting trot and canter!

I'm still only on rather wobbly trot, so maybe it's not the time to start worrying about where my toes point! My heels are down, I'd land on my feet if the horse was whipped away from under me, and my posting is light. The instructor hasn't told me off for having wrong toes, so they can't be that bad!

This is the photo that prompted my friend to tell me to keep my toes in. They are bent safety stirrup irons. Yes I know my elbows and hands are wrong, I'm working on them!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/ichikitsune/hhsmall.jpg

I'll read your article Galariel and also have some lunge lessons. Most importantly of all, I'll have fun. :)

[Cheeky]

Toes eh? Hmm, my sister has the prob, so when I giv her lessons ... there is a few fun things to try!

First .. horse shoes . Not just for horses! When your riding, put them upside down (unlucky side) over your feet (only way they will hang on) ... now walk around ... then trot ... and yes, canter also when your ready. This will keep your feet VERY still and in ... Also, this will build up a small muslce in your ankle to keep it like that... if it gets dull, have races with friends (very good for schools), even jumping ... and if it seems to easy, get bigger horse shoes :)

Egg n foot race - yeppers ... u heard me right :) Get an egg (fake or boiled), spoon and mount. put the handle of the spoon under ** feet in the right position (toes in) then place the egg on there. This is a HUGE test for u to keep ** feet still - coz if u move, ** egg will fall. Have races again, and when you can trot with it - ** a genious (and a supa hero hehe).

Hope this puts fun into the lessons :)

[easyhorsecare]

When you are on your horse, you are trying to keep your toe and knee facing the same way with equal amount of weight on the ball of your feet and you should not be able to see your toes in front of your knees.

An excercise to try at home, in front of the telly, is to attatch a piece of string under and you toes and up to your knees and as you pull on the string, lift just the toes up keeping them flat and without yout heel leaving the ground

This is also good for making the ankle become more flexible!

Good luck and enjoy riding!

From Tracy
http://www.easyhorsecare.com

[Mary1]

In that picture, you look like you are having a nice time but I doubt you would land on your feet if that horse suddenly took off.
; )
If you can point your toes forward when you are off the horse standing with bent knees about shoulder length apart, then you can do it on your horse if you are holding a correct posture.
Correct riding position would allow you to drop your knees just a bit and thus bring your lower leg back and toes will come in without difficulty. But You need to sit as is described in Swift's CENTERED RIDING.
Head held as if suspended from a cable in the sky, shoulders BACK AND DOWN.
ELBOWS AT YOUR HIPS which would also allow you to rock the top of your pelvis slightly forward.
You might like to do exercises that strengthen your torso and practice posture at all times.

[UnsettledDust]

To be honest I wouldn't worry too much about where your toes are if you leg is effective! Although a good tip is to think about pushing your heels out rather than your toes in :) I think about this when I am riding my horse only because it helps to relax my seat :)

[GarnetFox]

With all due respect Mary1, you can't tell much about my positon from that photo as it's not side on. It's difficult for you to judge my riding from that. The picture was posted to show my toe problem.

My instructor has complimented me on my legs and I don't think I'm doing too badly for a second lesson after a 3 year break. The one thing she pesters me about is my bad elbow habit.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I ride for fun and my ultimate goal is to stay on as long as possible. As I have said though, I would like to ride correctly. I'm not sure that I can do all you suggested in the lessons, it sort of depends on what the school allows! Will keep things in mind though. :)

[cvb]

GarnetFox

The problem with your toes coming out occurs when it is related to your calf muscles bunching up and getting tight - i.e. its not just about the toes.

So - when your toes come out, what else is going on ? Where else is there tension ? Possible places are knee, hip, you might be curling your toes up,, clunching your bum etc etc

So - first thing - release that tension ! ;)

Now - assuming you now have nice soft joints and the calf and thigh muscles are not tight and tense, are those toes still out ?

If so, then remember a lot of this comes from the HIP - so you want to take another look at the hip joint. Check it is soft and open.

On a wide horse (like this horse might be ?) you may find you start to hit some limits on your flexibility. So you can work on this off the horse - with gentle stretching.

I also find that if I imagine an arrow coming straight out of the knee - when everything is turned out, the arrow is pointing out - so I want to turn the arrow, by opening my hip and turning my whole leg forward, so it points in the direction I am going.

Remember, you're not a ballet dancer (I guess :rolleyes: ) so you be able to do the splits ;)

[hannah:)]

I can't keep my toes in either, my legs just aren't built for it I think! I've been riding for eight years now and it hasn't held me back too much! I reckon it's a pretty minor niggle that can be sorted after all the other bits fall into place, the main thing is surely to get a good leg position and a secure seat, good hands etc etc? As long as your toes being out doesn't affect that I don't suppose it is a major problem.