# twisted feet in the stirrup?



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

What type of saddle is it - English, Western, Australian, Endurance?


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Western. Probably should have mentioned that. Haha


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I tend to ride in my dressage saddle the same way, on the outer edge of my foot with my toes pointing straight forwrad. I remember my old dressage instructor actually telling me to put more weight on the outside edge of the foot. So now, I can ride no other way , and it torques the outside of my knee. I am trying to change the angle of the stirrup footbed by using shims to lift the outer edge. There are also stirrups that are offset inthe way they hang so that the footbed is angled downward (toward the horse, upward away from the horse). 
But since I have been riding Western lately, I have no such issues. Infact, in a W saddle I never drop my stirrups and my feet and knees are MORE comfortable than in my dressage saddle.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I guess my next question is "Why do you want your toes pointing forward?"

I'm a beginner rider, and if I try to force my toes forward, it tightens and stiffens my leg. A stiff or tense leg is much more harmful to good riding than sticking my toes out, so I eventually just accepted having my toes stick out 50 deg. With time, my legs and hips are getting more flexible, so now my toes are only about 30 deg out.

I'd recommend twisting your stirrups to allow whatever foot position you can have while riding with a relaxed and loose leg. And if I've misunderstood what you are saying, I apologize in advance...


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I agree with the above. People drill "toes forward!" into riders, but in reality, they just mean don't stick your toes out. I think the whole thing has been misconstrued, and the true meaning has been lost. You want your legs to be relaxed and comfortable. By forcing your toes in, it will stiffen up your knees and your hips, preventing you from riding at your true potential because your joints are too locked up. 

I do know what you mean about bearing more weight on the outside of your foot. I think most riders do that naturally. But since yours is so extreme, I would work on relaxing your foot and ankle. Take your feet out of the stirrup and point your toe up, then down, then do circles in both directions, etc, until your foot can relax. I would do this at the start of every ride, and whenever you notice it happening during your ride.

I saw your thread about Lacey starting to act up a bit. Have you noticed this problem to happen in relation to that? Maybe your girl is just keeping you on your toes a bit?


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

Is it comfortable to ride like that or are you having pains after rides in your ankles/knees/hips?


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

bsms said:


> I guess my next question is "Why do you want your toes pointing forward?"
> 
> I'm a beginner rider, and if I try to force my toes forward, it tightens and stiffens my leg. A stiff or tense leg is much more harmful to good riding than sticking my toes out, so I eventually just accepted having my toes stick out 50 deg. With time, my legs and hips are getting more flexible, so now my toes are only about 30 deg out.
> 
> I'd recommend twisting your stirrups to allow whatever foot position you can have while riding with a relaxed and loose leg. And if I've misunderstood what you are saying, I apologize in advance...


I think I do have a pretty relaxed, loose leg, until you reach my foot that is. At least, I don't feel tension in my leg, except for my foot...

I really want to have my feet pointed forward because I dream of showing competitively, in something, someday and since I can't do that with my current horse, I figure the next best thing is to get my position perfect while I'm trail riding for hours instead of spending hours practicing "bad" habits... If that makes any sense...



riccil0ve said:


> I agree with the above. People drill "toes forward!" into riders, but in reality, they just mean don't stick your toes out. I think the whole thing has been misconstrued, and the true meaning has been lost. You want your legs to be relaxed and comfortable. By forcing your toes in, it will stiffen up your knees and your hips, preventing you from riding at your true potential because your joints are too locked up.
> 
> I do know what you mean about bearing more weight on the outside of your foot. I think most riders do that naturally. But since yours is so extreme, I would work on relaxing your foot and ankle. Take your feet out of the stirrup and point your toe up, then down, then do circles in both directions, etc, until your foot can relax. I would do this at the start of every ride, and whenever you notice it happening during your ride.
> 
> I saw your thread about Lacey starting to act up a bit. Have you noticed this problem to happen in relation to that? Maybe your girl is just keeping you on your toes a bit?


I think your first comment is very interesting, and not in a bad way either. I've actually found that I think my lower leg is stiffer with my toes out than with them in... With my toes out, I find that I do a lot of kicking with my heel instead of engaging my entire lower leg. Maybe it's because I toe-in so much irl? I dunno. With my toes pointed forward, I've also found that I can stay with Lacey when she canters much more easily. I had been having major issues with that in the last saddle I was riding in. it's weird for sure!
I'll give that exercise a try! It sounds like it might be helpful. I'm a very stiff person in general so I need all the help I can get! Haha

Perhaps, actually... I keep catching myself with my heels up, and I say to myself "how are you going to stick with Lacey if you have a short, ineffective leg?? Lengthen it up!" So maybe subconsciously I'm trying to combat my heels coming up by forcing them into "correctness" and then getting stiff so they stay down... I've also been riding in rain boots, which probably doesn't help. :lol: But I don't have any other footwear that I don't care about getting muddy and that actually fits inside the stirrup (I have a pair of these muck boot type things but they get stuck in the stirrup and I don't want to tempt fate into making me fall off Lacey when I'm wearing footwear that will cause me to get hung up in the saddle).



corinowalk said:


> Is it comfortable to ride like that or are you having pains after rides in your ankles/knees/hips?


I generally have pain in my ankles after I ride, and I always have, even when I was riding with my feet twisted out. I'm not sure why but I'm sure it's probably something else wrong with how I ride. :lol:
The thing that brought this to my attention was that I keep having pain in the area of my foot I rest on the stirrup bar, while I ride. But other than that, I'm pain free. 
So, I guess the simple answer is no, it is not comfortable to ride like that. Haha


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## aliciaspence (Jan 14, 2011)

okay well this is way off topic but i have no clue how to post questions so i was wondering...my dads friend has three horses and doesnt like horses so we are takeing care of them. one is fully trained but not riden in a few years, and one has had training but they havent rode her either and the third one has had no training at all. and we dont know anything about them. go getter the one that is traind we can brush her put the halter on and trot with the lead and the pad we havent tried the sattle yet and im only 11 so i would like some advice how to have a bond with them and respect them but also be in control iv had horses in the past and know how to handle iv been to three differnt instuctors and i would be extreamly happy and thankful for any advice on what to do.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

aliciaspence said:


> okay well this is way off topic but i have no clue how to post questions so i was wondering...my dads friend has three horses and doesnt like horses so we are takeing care of them. one is fully trained but not riden in a few years, and one has had training but they havent rode her either and the third one has had no training at all. and we dont know anything about them. go getter the one that is traind we can brush her put the halter on and trot with the lead and the pad we havent tried the sattle yet and im only 11 so i would like some advice how to have a bond with them and respect them but also be in control iv had horses in the past and know how to handle iv been to three differnt instuctors and i would be extreamly happy and thankful for any advice on what to do.


Few people will see this here. Go to the main forum menu, click something like Horse talk, start a new thread & post your questions there or ask an administrator to help you.
But why would your Dad's friend even have horses if he doesn't like them? Those don't sound like the type of horses young girls should be around without adult supervision-trained adults.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Agreed, Natisha. 

I told her the same thing on another thread where she posted these very questions.

Those horses need a professional adult trainer, or these children are going to get very badly hurt. The parents/legal guardian should know this, so I blame them for putting these children in harm's way.


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## aliciaspence (Jan 14, 2011)

okay and my dads out there with me he has expereance. and there his parents horse just on his property they are to old to ride and all he does is feed them so. they are extreamly nice horses and i know horses are unpredictable so im very careful and only really mess with the trained one.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

Wallaby said:


> I think I do have a pretty relaxed, loose leg, until you reach my foot that is. At least, I don't feel tension in my leg, except for my foot...
> 
> I really want to have *my feet pointed forward* because I dream of showing competitively, in something, someday and since I can't do that with my current horse, I figure the next best thing is to get *my position perfect* while I'm trail riding for hours instead of spending hours practicing "bad" habits... If that makes any sense...


_YOUR perfect position and MY perfect position are going to be different then Ricci's perfect postion. You know why? Because out bodies are different. The perfect position of your foot is one that is functional to you. _

_Right now I am reading the book Hunter Seat Equitation by George Morris, and although it is a book about english riding, it still has a good point. He says in the first part of the book about position and that the toes should not be facing completely forward but at a slight angle out....however, since we all have differently built bodies, everyone is going to be slightly different. *NOT a direct quote as the book is in my car, but something along the same lines.* Mr. Morris even points out in photographs of his students over fences saying the riders position is correct to their own conformation several times._


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