Heel position?!

Okay so I was taught by 2 very advanced show-jump riders and a classical dressage rider for over 8 years so I believe I am a pretty good rider. I was riding my friend's horse for her (at a different barn; in the double sized indoor arena) and the barn owner was giving a lady a lesson. I was trotting and walking patterns and stuff when she walked over to me and told me I was basically a bad rider! I 'hurt' the horse the way I ride, according to her. She is like ALL NATURAL and she teaches her students with bitless bridles and she does not like using sturrips. She says you heel should come up when you ride so you do not put weight hard on his back. I have always been taught to ride with your heels slightly down.

Can anyone straighten this out for me? I am really confused about this but I do not really believe your heels should come up when you ride. (Her students ride a bit like monkeys, no offence. But they hold the reins with straight arms and their wrists straight down! Ouch!) Thanks for your help!

WHAT???? Umm, run, fast, and never look back...

I was always taught heels down for stability and a better balanced seat. The only time I have seen heals up is when someone is just relaxed riding bareback. I wouldn't agree at all with what she was telling you.

Ok thank you! Now I'm not so worried that I was the only one to think that! She is weird and quite dramatic. She out right says she does not like some people at her barn and people are afraid of her!

Sounds to me as though she is teaching her students to grip with their whole leg wrapped around a horse's barrel. Not to knock NH people, but its NH instructors like this that give the whole lot of them a bad name...

LMAO.
I may be in a different situation because I think I'm slightly older, and I have what can be referred to as a "smart mouth", but I would just go along with it.
I probably would have responded to that with something like "YEAH I KNOW RIGHT LULZ STIRRUPZ R SO BAD FOR HORSES THEY CAUSE CANCER!" and go about my daily business. She can't say I was being rude because I agreed with her in a sincere tone, but I've still pissed her off enough (hopefully) that she won't talk to me ever again.
It's a great strategy in situations when you're dealing with idiots that have no power, or other say about anything relative to you. Now, were she the BO I'd probably shut my mouth and leave and never come back.

OK MY BAD. I just re-read, she is the BO. Run away quickly before she tries to sue you, or send animal protection services after you.

Lol! Yeah I wish I said something like that but she's all "I've been riding for 40 years!" I ride at the barn literally next door and they do not like each other at all. I'm trying to get my friend to move her horse (She is new to horse ownership.). And she says that carrots and apples are horrible for horses. I was wondering where exactly she found all of this stuff lol!

{{shuddering}}

Look on the bright side... If your friend believes everything this woman says, and I'm sure the BO will tell her how you were "hurting" her horse, she'll probably NEVER ask you to ride her horse again and you won't have to go back there!

Apples are not so good, high sugar. But carrots are quite harmless. A cushings/IR horse I know only gets carrots for treats!!
You know what else is bad for horses. Bedding. We shouldn't bed their stalls because it isn't natural. They should just be stalled in dirt so they can live in their own urine and feces like they would in the wild were they in a 20x20 box.
*rolleyes*

I'm so glad other people see it the way I do! I have ridden her horse for a while at her other barn and I actually gave her lessons so she thinks I am a great rider :) She hurt her back so I ride him for her a lot. Yeah, apples are not the greatest but its not like an apple once a week after a ride is going to hurt him! :) She is just crazy, I'm glad others believe me