Where should your leg be when you're riding a horse?

Question

Yes, I know, 'on either side of the horse'. But as a hunter jumper rider, I realize that my body position should be aligned in terms of my ankle, hip, and shoulder. My problem is that it seems when I put my heel down (which I have been taught is also proper ettiquette) my foot pushes down AND forward, which ruins the alignment. It doesn't seem to affect my riding, but it is irritating that it does not look natural and correct. Should my stirrups be shorter? How can I correct this problem? And I am also curious to see if this is something a judge at a show would put bad judgement on? Let me know please and thank you!

Answer 1

Make your stirrups longer & sit up a little straighter if you can. It helps my cousin. He does the same thing you do & he said he got that done.

Answer 2

Maybe try lengthening your stirrups. Your foot should the sit in the stirrup iron, with your weight in your heels. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

in the foot holder on the sides of the saddle.

Answer 4

Lean slightly forward and push your legs back a bit. It works for me. Don't lean too far forward, or else it won't look right.

Answer 5

Let your legs fall naturally from the hip, adjust the leathers till you just see the tip of your boot from the saddle, use your leg grip to keep alligned, put your foot on the inside of the stirrup and your weight in your heels, but balance with the ball of your foot.

Answer 6

imagine when you are riding that your heels and your shoulders must match or you will fall off balance. thats the way i always think of it. just make sure that your shoulders and your heels line up or even maybe your shoulders are back farther than your heels!!

hope i helped!!!

Answer 7

Putting your feet too far forward is at least as big a fault as not having your heels down, and for the same reason.  It makes your seat insecure.

If your feet are too far forward, every time you try to put weight in them for posting or jumping you have to swing them back underneath you.  This, of course, confuses the horse no end as he probably thinks it's a cue for something.  You're also likely to overswing, and end up with them too far behind you, which is another insecure position!

Adjust your seat while the horse is standing still:  Stand in the stirrups, keeping your back straight up and down.  Find the position where your feet are directly under you, with your heels moderately down (not forced).  Slowly lower yourself to the saddle by bending your knees.  DON'T MOVE YOUR LOWER LEG while you do this.

Stand up and readjust, lower yourself without moving your lower leg.  Do this several times, in front of a mirror if you can, until you get the feel for the position.  As you do, you'll notice you no longer have to gather yourself to stand because you are balanced over your feet, which is the correct position.

This is definitely a bad habit a judge would notice and mark you down for. It's obvious to any judge, who sees a lot more than "heels down"!

Adjust your stirrups so that when you sit on the horse with your legs dangling, feet out of the stirrups, the footrest of the stirrup hits just at or just below your ankle bone.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Based on human anatomy, attached to your hip socket.

Answer 9

Just keep a leg on each side and yer mind in the middle

Answer 10

there is such a thing as having you heel to low, because it does cause your leg to slip out in front of you. i was having that problem a couple weeks ago. probably try shortening your stirrups

Answer 11

You might want to try stirrup ties, as i have had great sucess with this. All you have to do is take a string (baling twing or shoelace) or a spur leather, slip it under the girth (so the string is between the girth and the horses side) and tie it to the stirrup iron that is closest to the girth. You want the stirup iron to be able to move about 3 inches away from the side of the horse to allow your ankle to  bend, and your toe to turn out a little. This will keep your leg from slipping back or ahed (into that lovely armchair position), and will keep your leg purfectly parallel with the girth, putting your leg in perfect position. After a couple rides with them you should be able to fix it, and your legs new muscle memory should kick in and take over. As for other question, only an equitation judge would mark you down. A hunter judge would not, unless it caused your horse to jump or behave badly, but in this case it would be your horse getting faulted not you, since hunter judges grade the horse and his movements and jumping style. Hope it helps!!!!!!!!!