Lower leg position

carthorse

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Jan 6, 2006
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As my welsh cob reminded me yesterday it's so important for security! We were going for a canter when something spooked him & he made a massive sidewards leap and shot forwards as he landed - think teleport! There was that dreadful feeling when your upper body is no longer over the horse, but my lower leg kept me on through it all - just as well since I was on my own & had made the mistake of not telling anyone where I was going. So work on keeping that lower leg in a secure position underneath you, softly wrapped round your horse so it supports you rather than with the heel rammed down so hard that you're braced & it actually knocks you further off balance. And happy spring hacking!!!
 
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I have an app called Rider SOS which calls for help if you stay still for a while (I 'm hoping not to need it!)
 
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Very true about the lower leg but I really believe it's easier for some of us than others. Although I didn't always appreciate my pear shape, since restarting riding I've discovered that being quite tall with quite a lot of weight in the lower half definitely helps stabilise oneself on the horse. I think 'apple' shapes have a disadvantage when it comes to horse riding. Also, the saddle makes a huge difference, I don't like seeing pics of people sitting with their thighs almost parallel to the horse's back, because it's got to be hard to stay on if you haven't got any ballast beneath you surely?
 
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@Bodshi I remember seeing a Lucinda Green clinic years ago and one of the things she covered was stirrup length. Some people had very short stirrups and she asked them if their horse was unsafe xc. When they said no she asked them to lengthen their stirrups because the only good reason for riding that short was you'd come off sooner & hopefully land further away, and that about sums up my feelings on very short stirrups too. I appreciate a shorter stirrup is needed for big fences & long distances in a xc position, but for general riding & stickability give me a longer stirrup any day!
 
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