# exercises to help student keep their heels down?



## TheQuietGirl (May 21, 2011)

To help me keep my heels down I would stand on the bottom step on my staircase, hold on to the railings, and let my heels strech down over the edge. I would recommend trying that. 
And for balance he could try to do his riding exercises on an extra large exercise ball. That might work too.:think:


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Simple - get him to stand up in the stirrups. First at halt, then walk, trot and eventually canter. He'll work it out pretty **** quickly that if those heels aren't down he'll go straight over the dash!


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## WhoaNow (Jan 18, 2011)

Kayty said:


> Simple - get him to stand up in the stirrups.
> First at halt, then walk, trot and eventually canter.
> He'll work it out pretty **** quickly that if those heels aren't down he'll go straight over the dash!


Exactly, practice the '2 point' position.

Also, tell him to think 'toes up' instead of 'heels down'.
Sometimes I have to remind myself about my heels, and 'toes up' works better than 'heels down' for me, LOL!:wink:


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## IslandWave (Nov 25, 2009)

If he is riding a good school horse who will be unfazed by this exercise, have him put his foot into the stirrups backwards. Instead of putting his toe in the front, have him put his heel in the back. Then tell him to lift his toes and go on riding. If he does not keep his heels down, his foot will pop right out of the stirrup.

I'll try to find a photo of this if you're confused about the placement of the foot.


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## catsandhorses (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks everyone! In our last lesson I started him on 2-point with the exact hopes that it'll encourage him to find his balance with his heels down. It sounds like this is on the right track so we'll keeping working on that.

I do think it just comes with time, which is what I tell him so he doesn't get discouraged. And I share with him that this is someone everyone has to work on continuously, including me and the zillions of riders who are far more advanced and experienced!


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

It's not about "Keeping Heels Down", it's about "Allowing Bodies Weight To Flow Naturally Into Your Heels". Of course, our heels are an important factor to keeping us solidified in our tack, but in order for it to occur properly, we have to be using our bodies correctly.

Our weight must beable to naturally flow from our heads, down into our seats, down through our legs and into our heels, but that cannot happen if we are gripping or pinching somewhere. 

You're on the right track of having your student work on his 2 point position, that is very important, and to find balance over his feet - very important - but you wont achieve weight in his heels if he is gripping or pinching, he has to learn to open his legs to allow that weight to naturally dispurse. 

There has to be correctly leg placement in the saddle. Knee's opened, calves properly placed on the horses side, foot properly placed on the irons, leathers at correct length for riders leg - all must work together to allow the rider to find their weight in their heels. To allow their heels to anchor them in their tack. If there is a missing link somewhere, this will be difficult to achieve.


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## WhoaNow (Jan 18, 2011)

Another thought,.., practice his 2 point position over cavaletti poles.
Especially at the trot.
The horse has to pay attention to foot placement over the poles, so he's looking forward and down (with back rounded nicely), 
and rider has to look up and ahead to ride thru the ground poles:wink:.


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## Tymer (Dec 28, 2009)

Just a tip. Sometimes it helps if you ask them to put down their knee, not their heel. Also the other posts are incredibly valid. When I was a beginner, my trainer would have the whole lesson line up in front of her and stand in their stirrups while she lectured...You learned pretty quickly how to balance and sink into your heels.


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## Beling (Nov 3, 2009)

I think the beginner's problem is mainly in the balance of the upper body. Until he can feel safe, he'll be tense in the thigh and knees, and of course then the heels go-- wherever! I myself find that warming up without stirrups, letting the legs hang, and doing upper-body movements (swing the arm, touch the horse's ears, then your heel, the rump-- that sort of thing) makes me more independent, my seat more settled, and when I take up the stirrups, my legs feel longer, and the weight can drop into the heels more naturally. I don't like to force a position.

Other than that, I admit when I was young I used to stand on the steps, like TheQuietGirl wrote.


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## LadyNeigh (Jul 16, 2011)

I'm not recommending this, but my grandma tyed weights to her clients heels to help them stay down!


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

MIEventer said:


> It's not about "Keeping Heels Down", it's about "Allowing Bodies Weight To Flow Naturally Into Your Heels"...


This!

I'm not a trainer, but a trainee...but sometimes it helps to hear the student side:

I started riding at 50, and many of my problems have been from very tight legs and hips. It is nice to hear "Heels down", but not much use if your legs won't allow it to happen without conscious effort. And if I did the latter, then I was riding with heels down AND with tension in my leg - so I bounced and was unstable.

When a person starts riding, his legs & hips may not allow the 'proper' riding position. I would have the student sit on a calm horse, and preferably several horses - a wide horse will cause a different position than a slender horse. At a standstill, check to see what will allow the student to have the best position without tensing the leg.

For example, as you move your leg forward into a chair position (evil, I know), the toe can go forward and the heel can go down without tension. But by the time my heel is under my hip, it will be level at best - and that is after 3 years of riding several times a week.

On a wider horse, my toes drift out because that is the only way I can get my legs apart to be on the horse. And if that means my cues are not given optimally...so be it.

As you experiment with different leg positions, explain to the student the impact of moving the leg. Ideally, the stirrup leather should be straight down when the student's bum is in the deepest part of the saddle - so show the student what happens when you use too too big or too small a saddle for the student's body. Let them see how a wide horse vs thin horse affects their leg, and how moving their foot forward or back impacts their heel and calf.

Then you can explain both the goal to strive for, and also what the student must do NOW to have the most secure seat he is capable of having. In my short experience, a secure seat requires a loose leg. The more tension in my leg, the less secure my seat - so I accept, for now, an imperfect position to get a relaxed leg.

With time, my heels are drifting back and my toes are drifting forward, but that is a trend. There is a wide horse where I take lessons. He is probably twice the width of my Arabians. It is like sitting on a dining room table. When I ride him, my legs move forward and my toes move out because that is the only way I can relax into the saddle. OTOH, using an Australian saddle on my 825 lb gelding, my heels are under my hip now, and my toes mostly forward, while still having a relaxed leg.

Just making a plea to understand where the student is at. I've had several people tell me things based off of what THEY can do, or off of what the GOAL is, without any regard for the limits my body imposes NOW. Believe me, a 53 year old male doesn't have the flexibility of a 14 year old girl!


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