???how to keep lower leg still???

[BRAMBLE]

When i ride - trot, canter, my lower leg moves, even if i keep it firm, and more when i relax it.

how can i fix it???

[Hallmarked]

It's possibly a ripple effect caused by tension somewhere else in your body.

If you are holding somewhere then the energy from the moving saddle will tend to come out in your extremities causing wobbly hands, lower legs or even nodding heads. It is linked to biomechanics, but not that I'm an expert :rolleyes:

When you ride move your awareness around your body, you may find that your shoulders, hips or lower back have 'solidified' and when you 'release' this area it should help ease the problem. You may even find you are gripping with your knees :eek: Regular stretches on/off horse should also increase your supplness which can make quite a big difference.

It's something I've worked/am working through myself so I hope this helps. :)

[amandal]

My RI had me working on this on Sunday, riding almost the whole lesson in 2 point, in walk, trot and canter, doing circles and serpentines - my position felt much more secure and surprisingly I can walk today;) . I'll be practising it forever i think, she rode in this positiion every day for 2 years to make sure her position was perfect all the time.:eek:

Edited : Forgot to say that I shortened my stirrups 2 holes for the first 15/20 mins and then rode the rest of the lesson with them down 1 hole.

[PURPLE_TYGER]

I have the same problem, but i keep my hands quiet, it's
just my lower legs i can't keep still

[Afellpony]

To help keep your lower leg still, you must ride with your stirrup leathers your correct length and that helps. When you get the hang of it, keeping your lower leg still will be easy.

[Walnut]

My instructor makes me do an exercise in trot where I rise for one then sit for two and vice versa. It is good for making sure legs are in the right place and that you are not sitting too far back in the saddle which will make your legs move too.

[BRAMBLE]

My hands are quiet, and if my stirrups are normal lenght - long length then they wiggle/swing slightly.
If they are short, then i feel morse stable, but they tend to move when i rise.

[ABSTAR]

Thank you 'Hallmarked', for your comments - I'm trying Yoga to increase suppleness and improve breathing. You never know, it might even help me to keep MY lower legs from flapping!;)

[Sexy Sietske]

I use to do this...NOT GOOD ON A SENSATIVE HORSE!!! :p Had a break from riding because it was begining to upset me because it couldn't stop it and the more I tried the worse it got...dont do it now!!

I think it will come back though when im riding regularly again :o

[Bobbin]

Ride a horse that bucks you off if your lower leg goes back, it improves your lower leg quick smart.

Sorry NOT helpful!!

xx

[*Sez*]

Any ideas that might help me? I have hypermobile Ehlers Danlos syndrome, which causes my joints are very loose and I have poor proprioception, which means that I can't "know" where my body parts are unless I am looking at them (if I close my eyes and hold my arms out to the sides, they may feel straight out at 3:45, but are generally around 5:40!) My biggest problem is my lower leg because I simply can't feel where it is hanging, and it is impossible to get my foot parallel to the floor unless I am glaring at it:rolleyes: . Because of my disability, I'm not allowed to do things like Yoga, Tai Chi, etc... does anyone have any ideas that might help stabilise my lower leg? I heard that there are straps you can secure to your girth to train the muscles into the correct position? (sorry to hi-jack thread, Bramble! It didn't seem worth a new one!)

[ponylover88]

...

[Herbie's mummy]

Just keep your ankles down and keep them there:D!
They should staystill then.

[Sexy Sietske]

I dont find the ankle down work :D I use to have my ankles that far down sometimes that they would be flat to the front of my legs nearly in hope that it would keep my lower legs still, but no!! :p :p

When the stirrups came away i wouldn't move my lower leg :confused: so i just did that :D and i saw a guy on tv showjumping that had the same problem so then i didnt feel so bad :D

[Hero]

:eek: I know!!! In shires or one of the popular horse stuff and riding cloths mags thire is something that you can buy to help you!!! its somthing that u attach from the girth to the stirrup so it cant really move! :D


xxxxx

[bethaimeelou]

you could try symmetry leg straps or i just got a pair of fantastic riding boots that make you have a fab lower leg!!! they are harry hall Faro boots i THINK lol, but they are great!!
hope this helps! xxxxxxxxxxx

[summerguest]

sez....sounds like you've got a challenge there!!

A lot of 'normal' people have problems being aware of what their body parts are doing, me including!

I find watching videos of myself or having someone on the ground telling me what I am doing really helps.

I have to concentrate on keeping my right hand still as the minute I think of something else it goes off into wierd circular movements!

[*Sez*]

you could try symmetry leg straps or i just got a pair of fantastic riding boots that make you have a fab lower leg!!! they are harry hall Faro boots i THINK lol, but they are great!!
hope this helps! xxxxxxxxxxx
That's what they are! I will have a look for some symmetry straps and see if they would help. I hadn't thought of boots to make the position more secure... over the summer I rode in half chaps, and in retrospect, my ankles seemed much less wobbly which helped the whole position of my lower leg. Because I've been wearing extra layers over winter, I've left my chaps off, but maybe these would be beneficial in keeping those pesky legs where they should be.

[SupaTania]

When I ride in half-chaps, the leather on leather makes my leg very still.. SO NOW, my trainer makes me ride without my half-chaps at least twice a week, so that Its not just leather holding my leg where it should be, but instead my muscles have to develop to be trained to stay where I'd like them.

Its quite difficult and I immediately notice a difference in my leg when i take the chaps off... but for this reason, I am doing ALOT of work in two-point to develop my calfs, even more work without stirrups, to develop my thighs, and general training off horse to develop all my muscles.

Its tough for me, and I'm fully aware of where my body parts are (just they're never where they should be...) So I can imagine how much more difficult it is for you Sez!

[curly_burd]

You could try the balancing straps, although bailing twine is much cheaper and is just as effective and safe.

[Nimbus65]

Not to be contraversial but I'd have thought the training straps will mask the problem rather than fix it. IME, lots and lots and lots of work without stirrups to lengthen that leg and lots and lots and lots of work on the lunge to really work on your position and make sure you're not stiff or gripping somewhere else (which may show up in a wobbly lower leg).

I suffer from this . . . and I have very tight hips which means my toe tends to point out. Lots of knees up/legs away while mounted and lots of stretching before I ride/between rides to help loosen/supple them up.

I find when my leg is nice and "long" b/c I've worked w/out stirrups and I'm only resting my toe lightly on the stirrup iron rather than working too hard to rise and really "standing" in my stirrups then my lower leg does stay nice and still. Also, I need to remind myself to relax my knees . . . stiffness there means it's next to impossible to keep my lower leg properly still.

Hope that helps.

N