Any tips on how to keep heels down?

[dannyboy]

Getting on well with the old lessons and gradually becoming more confident in canter. I have an issue around keeping my heels down and it's quite annoying actually. I'm fine most of the time but canter I'm struggling with and then hence this leaves me unbalanced

Any tips welcome.

[slinky]

A bit strange, but I've found that some people find it easier to think "toes up"
Maybe because thinking constantly, heels down and forgetting becomes exasperating (negative) and a different way has a more positive effect on your mind ;D

[maximum]

think of lengthining the muscles down the back of your thigh and calf. pushing the heel down can result in tension so allow the weight to fall into the heel and make sure the knee joint is relaxed and open.

try practising the stretching of those muscles by standing on a step with your heels over the edge and slowly sink the heels down. its not easy!!

[ceej]

yes, rather than pushing your heel down (as this is tight and false) think of all the gravity goung through your hips into your thigh and calf and going through your heel so all your leg ia relaxed and lengthened - the gravity is pulling your heel down rather than you pusing it towards the ground. Does that make sense?

Sit still, shut your eyes, and feel the gravity through your body from your neck, through your back (straight) into your seatbones. Then feel it going though your legs into your heels...

I always found that helped anyway - its easy to say but its about relaxing your leg into rather than forcing it from your ankle.

[kitcat]

Someone once told me to think of pushing your knee back rather than your heels down.

[brigadier]

Im with the above- if you try to put your heels down at canter and your hips and knees are tight you will simply rock too much in the body and take absolutely ages to get the feel of the movement and be able to sit. Have you the opportunity to book a lunge lesson and practise cantering with the whole of your leg completely off the saddle, that way you learn to balance with your seat and your legs can just hang there like two wet dish rags- ready to give an aid or offer support. Once you are at this point your heels wont matter- and in fact if you look at a lot of 'good' riders- their heels are n't always down.
One of the problems with the BHS system of training instructors at the lower levels is that they focus too much on common positional faults so that the instructors become almost obsessed with the mantra of 'head up- heels down' etc etc. In essence what Im saying is dont worry too much if they are up if at the same time you are learning balance and co-ordination. If your leg draws forward in a chair position and your heel comes up - the problem is in your hip not your heel. Sorry to go on but its a bug bear of mine!

[dannyboy]

Thanks Brig, I think I sorta put my toe down and foot slightly back. Not too bad on the left leg but right leg definitely a bit dodgey!!! Sometimes I lose my grip & then stirrups (irons) - have tried shortening them and this helped a bit.
Not sure if lunging idea is an option but will ask at next lesson. When you only get riding once a week, it's difficult, think I'm going to a different RS next week too, just to see what it's like.

[racaille]

Working without stirrups also helps this. Often people's heels come up - especially at canter - because they are 'gripping' with their knees and the leg has shortened so the toe 'reaches down' for the stirrup. This may well be the thing you are experiencing Danny, as you say you sometimes lose your stirrups at canter.
If you do lots of work without stirrups, you become less dependent on them to balance - as Brig says, you learn to balance on your seat - and you gradually become longer in the leg, less grippy.
We do a fun exercise here when riders are ready: cantering without stirrups or hands, ie arms out straight at our sides. Then, to add spice, we add a pole or two to pop .... ;D

[dannyboy]

Racaille - that sounds like fun but I fear I would be spitting out sand quite a few times in the process

[fleabitten]

Racaille - at my RS we do walk, trot and canter without stirrups - jumping the odd time without too. Riding with one hand, with no hands doing the one, two , three, four game, at walk, trot canter and jumping the odd time too. We would do walk and trot without stirrups every lesson, canter without regularly and jumping without rarely. We would rarely do without reins. Bareback once in a blue moon!

[dannyboy]

Ahhhh but you guys have been at this for years

[ceej]

all these things will become easier when you ahve your own and aredoing it all the time - legs strengthen without you even realising it!!!

[fleabitten]

We also have to do rising trot without stirrups which kills!! I remember when i started without stirrups I used to feel like I was going to fall off all the time but now I hardly ever do except if the horse is 'cantering' 100 miles an hour round the arena, like last lesson - that is freaking scary! The more I pulled the reins, he pulled back and put his head down and went faster. But then when he jumps you have to ride him over them - his canter is awful, no impulsion at all, its more like a gallop - v hard to describe and not nice to ride.

[FirenLady]

This sounds silly but ride a bike in heels. perferabley big fat heels like you get on school shoes. If you don't put them down. You fall off! hee hee i biked up to
fire every mornin in my school shoes.

[dannyboy]

Thanks everybody - took on your advice & hey presto, it's really improving * the one I remembered best was positive thinking i.e. pointing toes up rather than heels down but I also tried to put my weight down more and relax my hips - anyway just wanted to say thanks as I had a great few canters tonight & it felt good ;D

[brigadier]

Theres nothing like a good canter to make you feel good! Promise you dannyboy- once you get the feel you'll never lose it- just dont rush it! Always concentrate on keeping your shoulders back and tummy pulled in and everything else relaxed and youll be fine!