Any advice on keeping my heels down?

averageequestrian

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Jul 11, 2019
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Hi again. so, my riding instructor says I need to keep my heels down. I try my best, but they don't go down enough. they only go a little lower than if they were flat on the ground. I feel like I need to really force them down to make my instructor happy but I can't hold them that low for a long time. Any advice on keeping them down longer/
 
I tend to get the same problem but i think the longer you do it the more natural it becomes. If I'm struggling to get my heels down, it's normally because my stirrups have slid back slightly or aren't on the ball of my foot, I'm quite flexible so if it's because you can't, try stretching and pointing you does out and then heels out or something to increase you flexibility. I'm not an expert but it might be worth trying
 
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I tend to get the same problem but i think the longer you do it the more natural it becomes. If I'm struggling to get my heels down, it's normally because my stirrups have slid back slightly or aren't on the ball of my foot, I'm quite flexible so if it's because you can't, try stretching and pointing you does out and then heels out or something to increase you flexibility. I'm not an expert but it might be worth trying
Thanks for the tip!
 
You only need to get your heals down if you are jumping and that is for balance.

If you heal is slightly lower than you ball that’s just fine. Heals down is a very old fashion way to ride. As long as you aren’t gripping with your legs you will be fine as you improve your heals will slowly drop a bit lower

Google pictures of Carl Hester and look at his feet they are just below the vertical not rammed down low
 
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Absolutely, definitely, 100% do not try and FORCE your heels down. Aside from being uncomfortable and impossible to maintain, it will cause tension all down your leg which really won't help you ride correctly and it will also most likely cause you to push your lower leg forwards which is equally undesirable. It takes time to develop your leg muscles to a point that they can hold a correct position with little or no effort, so try not to worry about making it all happen at once, because it won't. You don't need your heels particularly far down anyway - a tiny bit lower than your toes, as you described, is fine.
 
Absolutely, definitely, 100% do not try and FORCE your heels down. Aside from being uncomfortable and impossible to maintain, it will cause tension all down your leg which really won't help you ride correctly and it will also most likely cause you to push your lower leg forwards which is equally undesirable. It takes time to develop your leg muscles to a point that they can hold a correct position with little or no effort, so try not to worry about making it all happen at once, because it won't. You don't need your heels particularly far down anyway - a tiny bit lower than your toes, as you described, is fine.
ok, thanks for the tip!
 
Think of lifting your toes. Don't force anything it will make you tense elsewhere.
My issue is not having enough weight in the stirrups in the first place. I have changed stirrups which I know you probably can't do if it's not your horse.

But the heel down is old fashioned.
I used to stand on a curb or step and let the foot drape off as an exercise.
 
I find this difficult too. In my case my instructor has identified that it stems from tightness in the hips and a tendency to grip up. So perversely in order to get my heels into a better position, the last thing I’m thinking about is my feet!
It’s best to have eyes on the ground, so ask your instructor for more info about what you are doing and the root of the problem, then you can work on training how to do it better. Everything is linked, so the better your seat in the saddle, the more naturally your legs will wrap around the horse and the more likely your feet are to be correctly positioned.
 
Not necessarily for this problem but an instructor once told me when I was really struggling to bring my outside hip forward (I have a bad left hip which was the inside and always tight) to think of something in a different way. So for me I was tilted slightly to the outside of a circle but can’t for the life of me move my hip forward she told me to bring my elbow forward instead. In turn of course my whole body turned slightly.
Sometimes if our body finds something difficult just another way of looking at or thinking about it can help and make it so much easier.
Although as above don’t force them! If your foot isn’t sliding too far through you can’t be a million miles wrong
 
Hi again. so, my riding instructor says I need to keep my heels down. I try my best, but they don't go down enough. they only go a little lower than if they were flat on the ground. I feel like I need to really force them down to make my instructor happy but I can't hold them that low for a long time. Any advice on keeping them down longer/
A tip I was given years ago is to curl my little toe down. That takes your lower leg out. It should drape round the horse like a wet flannel. Believe it or not if you are relaxed and not gripping you are less likely to come off. I was given that tip years ago in theory. Connie has taught me the truth of it in practice.
 
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Tip: Wear joddie boots. Don't learn to ride in riding boots. You have more ankle flexibility in short boots and can learn/see/feel better what is going on.

Also, when I look at how my horse is behaving, mostly it is because I am gripping up and my feet are all over the shop.

It might be an idea to do some lower leg stretches before you get on the horse to loosen up anything that tightens.
 
Tip: Wear joddie boots. Don't learn to ride in riding boots. You have more ankle flexibility in short boots and can learn/see/feel better what is going on.

Also, when I look at how my horse is behaving, mostly it is because I am gripping up and my feet are all over the shop.

It might be an idea to do some lower leg stretches before you get on the horse to loosen up anything that tightens.
Thank you for the advice! I do wear short boots, but I'm still not super flexible in the ankle...overall though, thanks again :D
 
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If you also look for the correct position sitting in the sadddle annd don't have the stirrups too long
 
Make sure you pelvis is in the right position first. Maybe you are tilting your seat bones under you slightly. Then let your legs 'hang' down the sides of the horse and regularly work through the muscles in your legs to relax them. The instructor should also know that not everyone will drop their heel as much as everyone else. People are different. Try thinking of lifting your toe/ball of your foot rather than pushing down on the heel - doing the opposite often helps.
 
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