Welcome to Trainer Tuesday! Each week, we ask trainers a question and gather their answers for you. These trainers have a range of experience, backgrounds, and focus points of their programs, so the answers have as much variation as you would expect, and also probably much more similarity.
This week’s question posed is: How would you help a rider who struggles to hold their lower leg still?
Here are their answers:
“My first thought on fixing the rider’s problem above… is… Practice a 2-point position through a little gymnastic… On a SAFE school master type horse… Have the rider grab mane through the whole exercise so they get the feeling to stay with the horse after landing for a stride or two… 2-point over and over again.” -Susan Casey
“When I have a rider who has an active lower leg, we go back to the good old no stirrup work. Usually, swinging legs are a product of bracing on the stirrup or pinching at the knee. Simply dropping the stirrups takes away the rider’s ability to brace on it. With simple exercises such as transitions or two-pointing over a pole without stirrups, the riders really need to focus on their muscle squeeze. Those muscles that are sore? Those are the ones to still focus on when you do get your stirrups back!” -Genna Centolanza
“In my opinion, having a stable and steady lower leg is one of the most important aspects of riding, especially over fences.
One of my favorite exercises for my students struggling with a stable lower leg is the 2-point – simple yet effective. It is creating not only a steady and strong lower leg, but it is also creating an independent leg. We want all of our aids to be able to work independently and together. I start with just practicing it at the walk. Once the position becomes correct at the walk, we move onto 2-point at the trot. When a student is learning to canter, I always start them off in the 2-point. I find that it’s easier for them to learn the rhythm of the canter, and it teaches them to use their leg to keep the canter instead of pushing with their seat.
No stirrup work is, of course, always an effective way to strengthen the lower leg, but I find it needs to be at the appropriate time, always starting at the walk. If the rider isn’t steady enough for no stirrups at the trot, it can sometimes have the opposite effect as they learn to brace in certain areas (like the knee) just to stay on.” -Xena Dvorak-Smith
“For a rider with a mobile lower leg, try tying the stirrups so the leg has to stay in place, and learn the muscle memory. Judy Rictor and Kip Rhosenfield, who were great mentors, gave me that great tip.” -Debbie McCarthy-Connor
“One of my favorite exercises for helping riders stabilize their lower leg is ‘Up Up Down.’ This exercise is performed at the trot by posting for two beats and sitting for one. It encourages riders to engage their abdominal muscles while improving balance and body control. By slowing down and changing the posting rhythm, riders become more aware of their leg position and learn to stay centered over the horse instead of relying on their reins or upper body for balance. If a rider is falling forward off the rhythm, they might be pinching their knees. If a rider is falling backwards off the rhythm, they might be bracing in their heel. Over time, this exercise helps develop a stronger, more secure lower leg and a more effective position in the saddle.” -Katie Moniz Floyd
“I love using the two-point position as a balance training exercise for improving this issue. Two-point builds core strength, balance, and leg stability by helping riders find their center of gravity. Riding without stirrups can also help build leg strength, depth of seat and leg, improve core strength, and help with stability. Both these exercises complement each other. Keeping focus on encouraging the hug of the lower leg onto the horse’s belly while in the two-point position, as well as no stirrups, should be the focus. As for the two-point position, I have the weakest riders start by holding the two-point position for 30 seconds while the horse is standing still. Once that becomes easy, move into walking in two-point, trying to increase the time duration gradually and for as long as the body allows, then graduate to the trot, then work the canter. We will then evolve the exercise to rotate between holding a deep-seated canter for five strides, and then two-point for five strides.
Focusing on identifying the separation of the leg at the knee and the hip to build a deeper understanding of the mechanics of the leg hinge points themselves. Be sure not to pinch the knee cap against the kneepad of the saddle. Keep a soft feel of the tendons at the back of the knee, hugging against the saddle. Once all that is comfortable, add in a series of small Cavalletti. Continued focus on holding that lower leg hug while recognizing hinge points and how they open and close creates improved understanding of stability. While working over the Cavalletti exercise, focus on the stability and hug while dealing with motion changes through the horse’s body so the rider has the opportunity to feel and adapt to balance changes caused by the horse’s motion. These exercises will improve the strength and feel needed to create the solid base of support needed to have a quiet leg.” -Heather Froehlich-Cortell
“For a rider who is struggling with lower leg position, the very first thing I would do is decipher where exactly in the lower leg they’re having difficulty. For instance, if the rider tends to pinch their knees to support and balance, I would recommend they take a closer look at their hip flexor and ensure that the motion of the hip is controlling the rider’s rise and fall in the seat, as well as ensuring that their stability comes from their calf connection and not their knee. If the rider is struggling to close the lower leg, we would work on engaging the calf by turning the toe inward or the heel outward, to relax the knee position and help the rider connect and maintain stability with their lower leg. In addition, I would also ensure that the rider is in the correct position, with their leg underneath them, and their toe under their knee. When the lower leg is supported by the knee pinching the saddle, it allows the rider’s lower leg to swing on a hinge, often either coming too far forward, causing a collapse of weight into the seat, or too far backward, causing the rider to pitch forward and use the bit for balance, also closing the pelvis.” -Shelby Hodosh
“If it’s safe to drop stirrups, and kind on that horse’s back, I recommend holding the stirrup between the horse’s side and lower leg in flat work and jumping routinely. Also look at the shoulder and hip angles, as well as saddle fit, to make sure there isn’t a cause further up the body, or from the shape of the saddle. Typically, I see swinging lower legs solidify over weeks of routine lessons with verbal reminders to students to sink into their heels while taking knees off the saddle, so the lower leg can ‘squeeze the horse like a tube of toothpaste.’ There are endless creative solutions for this issue!” -Rachel Maloney
“This is definitely hard, I have found, especially for riders who have started riding a little bit later in life. I think there is no substitute for no stirrup work, but when you do that, you have to make sure that you are not pinching with your knee. Knee contact should be very light to allow the lower leg to make the appropriate and useful contact! I’ve worked with people who have attached their stirrups to the girth to help with some muscle memory. Some quite like this, but I think you have to be careful that it is actually securing the leg in the correct position, not just any position. And still… do the no stirrup work!” -Camille Maynard
“Ride without stirrups. Also, a lot of work in the half seat.” -Don Stewart
“A strong lower leg comes from core strength, correct balance, and a confident seat. To quiet the leg, I first look to correct the fit of the saddle and length of the stirrup. Often, a saddle that is too small or an iron that is too long throws the rider forward onto their crotch or back onto their tailbone. This creates a leg that is swinging like a pendulum because the rider is either ahead of or behind the motion. If I know I have a correct saddle fit, I will work through ‘stop and start’ as well as normal and lengthened strides to achieve a deep but soft feel in the saddle. At times, no stirrup work can aid in quieting the leg, but I have found transition work, grid work with poles, and lateral work that frees up the hip angle is of the most benefit.” -Jennifer Sawyer
“My answer would be keep practicing your flatwork. Remember your position – keeping the line from the shoulder, hip, and heel. Practice with no stirrups. Yes, some strength is involved. Then, and probably most importantly, relax your hips, sink in, let and feel your leg get long, then wrap around your horse. Your heel acts like a shock absorber, and a slight amount of movement is correct as long as you are feeling and following the rhythm and gate of the horse.” -Emil Spadone
“For a rider who struggles to hold their lower leg still, there are a few things you can do to help. One thing would be to explain the proper equitation of how your shoulder, hip, and heel should align. I would hold their lower leg in place at a halt and ask them to stand up and sit down so they can feel where their leg is supposed to be. Then I let go and have them do it on their own. Now, for someone a little farther along in their riding, having them stand straight up in their stirrups at a walk or trot will help get their lower leg under them and build that strength. They will feel like they’re going to fall forward or backwards until they find their center balance. If they are struggling, they can hold the martingale or mane to not balance on the horse’s face.” -Anna Sucar Tejero
