# Western leg position



## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

Where I think you can kill two birds with one stone is that your foot is too far into the stirrup for show tastes. By bringing your foot so deep and putting the heel down your toe is going to naturally angle outwards because your arch is becoming a pivot point. 

By bringing the foot back, so that the stirrup is resting on the balls of your feet and just behind, then putting the heel down, you won't be fighting with the angle of your toe as much. 

As for stirrup length, it doesn't look obviously to0 short. Maybe try one notch or two down. It will also make it easier to keep the ball of the foot rather than the arch in the "proper" position.

Another addendum...when the heel has to be "pushed" down rather than angled down as a natural extension of the leg (which happens when the stirrup is closer to the balls of the feet rather than the arch), it causes tension in the entire leg and makes it harder to sit things like a trot and causes toes to angle out...from the picture it looks like you have a lot of weight on the stirrups which can also push the entire leg forward.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

When I was taking western lessons I was told the head, shoulder, hip and heel alignment is correct in western as it is in English riding.
Chair seat, legs out front on the porch is not riding "balanced" nor safe in case of the unexpected happening. :shrug:

As for that angling thing....
I just tried to do that and found the only way I could is if you weren't riding with the flat or your thigh against the saddle/horse but rounding it or letting the fat pad of the inner thigh turn your leg out.
Lift your leg off the saddle and re-position it with the fat pad flat...
Physically move _with your hand_ your thigh inner muscle and fat pad _{we all have it no matter your size!_} toward the back of the saddle flap...
See how much closer your leg sits to saddle and horse....your foot doesn't need to turn nor is it pushed outward now either.
BTW...no one that I know of rides with a foot _perfectly_ straight either... 
When your leg drapes around the barrel of a horse, our own anatomy comes into play of how angled your foot is to your leg bones.
If you walk perfectly straight footed_ {not likely}_ or like most of us there is a degree of out-turn to keep balanced walking it is not much different astride...
If it is I foresee aching joints. :frown_color:
:runninghorse2:....
_jmo..._


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Agree, that in basic flat equitation, there is no difference as to either the length of my stirrups or position, between English and western.
Also agree that foot should not be jammed home, and while heels naturally become lower, entire foot is never designed to be completely parallel with the horse's sides
The size of the seat of your saddle, does seem to force you back against the candle, and I also wonder about whither clearance,from that picture


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## Mikjagger (Nov 26, 2017)

Reiningcatsanddogs said:


> Where I think you can kill two birds with one stone is that your foot is too far into the stirrup for show tastes. By bringing your foot so deep and putting the heel down your toe is going to naturally angle outwards because your arch is becoming a pivot point.
> 
> By bringing the foot back, so that the stirrup is resting on the balls of your feet and just behind, then putting the heel down, you won't be fighting with the angle of your toe as much.
> 
> ...





Smilie said:


> Agree, that in basic flat equitation, there is no difference as to either the length of my stirrups or position, between English and western.
> Also agree that foot should not be jammed home, and while heels naturally become lower, entire foot is never designed to be completely parallel with the horse's sides
> The size of the seat of your saddle, does seem to force you back against the candle, and I also wonder about whither clearance,from that picture


 this was a show from a year ago the arena was solid mud and my horse had fallen at the upper tip of the arena and when he slid my foot slid farther in to the stirrup, I generally do ride with only my toe in the stirrup for safety purpose. I should've gotten a better picture. Thank you!


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Mikjagger said:


> I ride with my stirrups shorter, just a preference. Should I adjust them to be longer for the judges? Do they prefer that? Also I've noticed when pushing my heels down I kinda angle them inwards, should I stop that for show purpose?


Every judge is going to be different. 

I prefer to ride with my stirrups shorter too. I primarily barrel race and I don't lose my stirrups if I ride with them a little shorter. 

But I do also like to do the local shows in my area. They are low-key shows and the judges are usually quite friendly, but there are several people there that do regularly show at large shows (AQHA, NRHA, etc). So there's no lack of competition!

At one show, the judge commented that lengthening my stirrup would make my ride look more elegant. I believe I placed 5th in horsemanship that day. I can't quite remember that day, but there was usually around 15 of us in the adult events. I thought my horse did wonderfully for me that day in horsemanship.

At the next show, I did not think we had the best ride we could have - yet we placed 2nd. Different judge. I made no change to my stirrup length. 

So ask one judge and you'll probably get 3 different answers. 

Looking at your picture, I think your stirrup length is fine (although you could try a hole longer and see how it feels) but you are really bracing with your leg. I know you stated it wasn't the best picture, but don't think of "pushing" your heels down, because that will put you into a chair-seat position. 

Lots of practice WITHOUT STIRRUPS really helps you not to brace, and learn to ride with balance.

Don't worry about your toes pointing out a little bit -- mine do too. It is NOT comfortable for me to ride with my feet straight. Personally, I don't know who can do that!!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Your stirrup length is correct. No shorter. You are a person with a shorter leg. Don't let those with longer legs convince you that your leg should be longer. It is correct for you. 

However, you are pushed well back against the cantle. If you were able to relax a bit more and reposition so that your seatbones are more in the center of the saddle. This would bring your upper leg more vertical, even without changing the stirrup length, and your lower leg more under you.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> Your stirrup length is correct. No shorter. You are a person with a shorter leg. Don't let those with longer legs convince you that your leg should be longer. It is correct for you.
> .


Just wondering what you base your assessment of stirrup length on?The OP was asking a very particular question about showing and judges opinion.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Golden Horse said:


> Just wondering what you base your assessment of stirrup length on?


I don't show western. You know that, sure . But I know correct stirrup length for riding in a general sense. I know that in dressage and western riding, where one rides from a dropped leg (verses jumping) , that there is a pernicious trend to think that having long and longer stirrup length will give you a better seat, but this is not true. 

Also, without meaning any insult to the OP, her body type is one with shorter , rounder thighs. It may mean that she appears to have really short stirrups when in actuality the are correct for HER leg


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Agree the stirrup length looks okay. Easy to check by taking foot out of stirrup and check as to where the bottom of that stirrup is in relationship to your leg.
Far as length, doing other western events, like games or working cowhorse, yes, then I rode with a slightly shorter stirrup, but not for classes like equitation or rail events. Not hard to put a stirrup up or down between events that are way different, esp in regard to turns at speed!
To me, that saddle looks too small, and appears to sit too low at the withers


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

far s equitation, if your body in aleigned correctly, , including looking straight ahead not down (a fault I have to work on)your transitions very smooth, you nail those markers, I have yet to have a judge remark on stirrup length!

At stock horse breed shows, western equitation is called horsemanship, so here is a video with a judges comments.


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## Mikjagger (Nov 26, 2017)

Smilie said:


> Agree, that in basic flat equitation, there is no difference as to either the length of my stirrups or position, between English and western.
> Also agree that foot should not be jammed home, and while heels naturally become lower, entire foot is never designed to be completely parallel with the horse's sides
> The size of the seat of your saddle, does seem to force you back against the candle, and I also wonder about whither clearance,from that picture


 ''this is not a saddle fit question. My horse gets visited by a chiropractor once a month and gets his saddle fit checked at least twice a year as he ages.


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## Mikjagger (Nov 26, 2017)

Smilie said:


> Agree the stirrup length looks okay. Easy to check by taking foot out of stirrup and check as to where the bottom of that stirrup is in relationship to your leg.
> Far as length, doing other western events, like games or working cowhorse, yes, then I rode with a slightly shorter stirrup, but not for classes like equitation or rail events. Not hard to put a stirrup up or down between events that are way different, esp in regard to turns at speed!
> To me, that saddle looks too small, and appears to sit too low at the withers


 he is a big horse. That is a 16 inch full quarter horse bar saddle that is larger than most normal sized saddles. As stated above. He is visited by the chiropractor once a month and gets his saddle fit checked professionally twice a year as he ages. That saddle fits him perfectly. He's a big horse. Everything looks small on him.


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## Mikjagger (Nov 26, 2017)

beau159 said:


> Mikjagger said:
> 
> 
> > I ride with my stirrups shorter, just a preference. Should I adjust them to be longer for the judges? Do they prefer that? Also I've noticed when pushing my heels down I kinda angle them inwards, should I stop that for show purpose?
> ...


 thank you! I agree I did brace against my stirrups very badly, he had a bucking problem when I first bought him so I was always bracing, I have been trying some no stirrup work and focusing on using my thighs rather than my feet, Thank you!


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## Mikjagger (Nov 26, 2017)

tinyliny said:


> Your stirrup length is correct. No shorter. You are a person with a shorter leg. Don't let those with longer legs convince you that your leg should be longer. It is correct for you.
> 
> However, you are pushed well back against the cantle. If you were able to relax a bit more and reposition so that your seatbones are more in the center of the saddle. This would bring your upper leg more vertical, even without changing the stirrup length, and your lower leg more under you.


 thank you!


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

i agree that your stirrup length is fine.
Far as every judge being different, when it comes to stirrup length, not really true, far as any judge that is carded and is judging equitation

Yes, in events like working cowhorse and games, where direction change is sudden, at speed, you ride with shorter stirrups, but you are not then being judged on your equitation, but rather your ability to control that cow, or just not even judged-running against the clock!
Sorry you took offense, far as saddle size, and pictures can be deceiving. I ride big horses also. mY gelding was 16.3 Hand Charlie is 16.1. If you feel that the saddle is not forcing you against the cantle, then who am I to argue, just from a picture, that can very well be mis leading. I only mentioned it, as it can affect leg position


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