[Golden Horse]

I have spent years being told both to fix my hands, and keep my reins the same length, and believe me I tried!

I had got it fixed in my head that soft hands, meant only gently holding the reins..not so I find, need to firmly hold reins, but be gentle else where…hence the question.

let’s start with keeping the reins the same length, see above, loose hands means they slip. My current instructor eventually cracked it for me, so I’m no longer constantly checking and fiddling with rein length. Her advice, equal weight in both reins..OH YES light bulb, I can work with that, in neutral position, equal weight, when asking something add weight, then return to neutral…game changer.

Then the horrible hands, instructor before this one went all the way to the errr seat of the problem, oh yes, sit well, soft in back, relaxed shoulders, elbows carried gently, then the hands HAVE to behave.

This all triggered by reading yesterday, this tip, that I can’t stop trying, while walking about.

Lift your chin a little so you are looking ahead, then slide your chin back, feel what happens to other parts when you try that, can’t wait to get back on my horse and give it a go.

Feel free to add your own, concentrate on this, to fix that, tips

 

[PKPoole]

I think "eyes up" is bad--it definitely confused me as a young rider. If you have a student who is looking down, it's much better to say "chin up". Once the chin is up, the eyes will follow.

 

[Dreamcatcher Arabians]

I think part of the communication problem is that we're all so individual. One person will respond to "lift your chin" and everything will fall into line. Another, like @Golden Horse, will respond to "equal weight in both reins". But, I know for a fact, another like my husband will lock his hands in one position and be afraid to move for fear of changing one ounce on the reins if he tries to picture that. I forget what suggestion worked for him, but it was something more loose and flowy that worked from shoulders down to fingers. So good instructors really have to be creative and quick thinkers and above all, really descriptive. All my life I rode with "heels down" and never had a problem, because I was used to skiing and ballet and gymnastics and having to use individual body parts and different muscles independantly. DH, on the other hand, locked up and when told "heels down" shoved his whole lower leg forward, tipped backwards in the saddle and just about flipped himself out of the saddle. He responded to "toes up" because his whole foot moved when he did that and it dropped his heel without moving his leg. I would be a lousy instructor! LOL!

 

[walkinthewalk]

THIS is a great thread👍🤠👍🤠

I am not, nor have I ever been a formal rider. I suspect if I were a new rider in today’s world, there would be instructors willing to keep taking my money, while I made no progress thanks to my structural flaws. Structural flaws that everyone of my precious horses has had to compensate for, and I wonder how many folks have a structural flaw that prevents them from being a great formal rider but they could easily accomplish being a great rider in a more informal setting.

Perfection does not always mean being perfect.

First, the “light hands”. I learned that meaning under my grandfather’s tutelage when he instructed us kids to not ride the horse’s head. I learned to ride bareback first. “Sitting on” or “riding“ the horse‘s head was a natural instinct when one is 11 and I am so grateful my grandfather broke me of that instinct.

Second, I realized in adult years that I never could be successfull in a formal riding environment because I do not sit on a horse straight, nor do my legs fall into correct position because I am structurally flawed. Riding bareback has always been more comfortable and if I do have to use a saddle, my feet are almost always out of the stirrups.

I used to argue with my lifelong trail riding buddy when she would tell me to sit straight. I insisted I was until she took a picture — and I wasn’t.

Here I am on Rusty in 2010. My eyes are between his ears as they should be. I swear to Hanna I am sitting straight because I feel like I am but it’s pretty obvious I’m not. Left leg is higher than the right leg. I am wearing a back brace that gives me stability, but doesn’t help stretch that leg out, lol.

Then there is this 2003 foto of Duke (RIP) & I in the lineup for the Christmas parade. Again the left leg- I had no idea my leg and foot were thrust at such an awful angle- I was sure my leg was down in a normal position.

I can only imagine what instructors might have to say regarding my posture; it’s a good thing I’ve always been happier sliding down a river bank, lol.

 

[Golden Horse]

I think part of the communication problem is that we're all so individual

Oh yes, that’s so true. We were talking the other day about keeping elbows tucked in, one person said they were told to hold a glove between elbow and body, and that helped them, but to me I know I would end up clamping my elbows tight, not ideal.

The trick Is to not keep repeating the same thing to a student forever, but find different ways to to describe things, as well as starting from a different point sometimes.

 

[tinyliny]

The trick Is to not keep repeating the same thing to a student forever, but find different ways to to describe things, as well as starting from a different point sometimes.

that is SO, SO true! Some people just think if they repeat the same advice, maybe LOUDER , you'll 'get' it. I guess for some things that works, in the case of just creating muscle memory when you understand what needs to be done but need many repititions to create a new habit. But if you don't understand the concept, hearing it explained the very same way 10 more times isn't going to make a whit of difference.

One thing that has helped me is to think "heels BACK" , rather than "heels down". That sometimes helps people who want to shove the whole lower leg forward when told to keep their heels down.

 

[Sumner'sAcorn]

When I do something wrong, my instructor says "This is how I show my other students to fix that when they do it too". It helps a lot with my confidence.

 

[Luna’s rider]

Visualizations! I find the tips in Centered Riding by Taylor Swift a good way to think about this a bit out of the box.

 

[Horsef]

“Heels down” - it is much easier to shout that instead of “Starting with your hip, open the angle and lengthen your leg down, let the movement flow through your leg and your heel”.

The result for most beginners is to be scrunched up like a pretzel - but with their heels down (which in that position adds even more tension to the rider)

 

[TXhorseman]

Both instructors and students should realize that communication requires understanding. Students should let instructors know if they don't understand what is being said. Instructors should also be aware that the student may not be understanding instructions correctly even without verbal feedback. In either case, the instructor should be ready to use alternative words or examples.

 

[Whinnie]

Visualizations! I find the tips in Centered Riding by Taylor Swift a good way to think about this a bit out of the box.

Did you mean Sally Swift?

 

[jaydee]

that is SO, SO true! Some people just think if they repeat the same advice, maybe LOUDER , you'll 'get' it. I guess for some things that works, in the case of just creating muscle memory when you understand what needs to be done but need many repititions to create a new habit. But if you don't understand the concept, hearing it explained the very same way 10 more times isn't going to make a whit of difference.

One thing that has helped me is to think "heels BACK" , rather than "heels down". That sometimes helps people who want to shove the whole lower leg forward when told to keep their heels down.

This immediately brings back images of my father in law, who learned to ride as an adult so it could be something he and my husband (when he was a very young child) could enjoy together.
He took on the 'heels down' instruction with such enthusiasm that his feet were usually up by the horse's shoulders, and nothing could ever change that position.

 

[Golden Horse]

Both instructors and students should realize that communication requires understanding. Students should let instructors know if they don't understand what is being said.

The problem arises when the student thinks they understand, yiu don’t know what you don’t know!

I love that I have now reached an age that I am confident to challenge my instructor, and that I now have had two in a row who are brilliant in finding alternative visualizations for me. This wonderful two way communication is easier for some than others, both students and coaches.

 

[bsms]

Heel's down was drilled into me when I started riding. I no longer see any use for it outside of jumping. And maybe not then. I'd argue "Relax your ankle" or "Let your ankle flex" would be better advice. BTW - in a western saddle, I see little harm if any in having heels forward. Having tried it myself...it doesn't seem to harm me or my horse. If a horse is likely to stop suddenly or slow and spin, then heels forward can be good advice. Truth in advertising, me riding little Cowboy:

I'd prefer: "In your default position, be able to stand in your stirrups - but move your leg forward or back as needed."

 

[Whinnie]

Instructors would do well to be sure students know the definition of terms they are using. I had not had the opportunity to takes lessons and learned the best I could by reading. One year, a weekend clinic was arranged by the local horse club which brought in an out of town instructor. We 10 riders rode around the arena with the instructor yelling at me "You on the Appy! Tighten your seat!" while I kept clenching my butt cheeks together harder and harder and replying "I AM!". Both instructor and I were exasperated. It was not until a couple of years later I ran across a definition of "seat" which was definitely NOT my butt cheeks. Many things fell into place after that revelation.

This instructor never asked me what I was doing to tighten my seat, she just thought I knew what she meant. And I thought I knew what she meant. Horse vocabulary is definitely something that should be learned by beginners if they want to understand instruction or anything else about horses.

It would sure be nice if instructors would refer students to videos and written material that backed up the lessons. I find I "get" it better if I read it or watch it instead of hearing it.

 

[boatagor]

My instructor has some good ones. I've responded well to toes up vs heels down, instead of saying "eyes up" she will tell me to look at a specific thing, instead of half halt she tells me to squeeze the reins, etc. My favorite is probably when she tells me to "turn the headlights on" which I am not going to explain but think most people can understand 😂

 

[tinyliny]

Heel's down was drilled into me when I started riding. I no longer see any use for it outside of jumping. And maybe not then. I'd argue "Relax your ankle" or "Let your ankle flex" would be better advice. BTW - in a western saddle, I see little harm if any in having heels forward. Having tried it myself...it doesn't seem to harm me or my horse. If a horse is likely to stop suddenly or slow and spin, then heels forward can be good advice. Truth in advertising, me riding little Cowboy:

I'd prefer: "In your default position, be able to stand in your stirrups - but move your leg forward or back as needed."

I see some heels down here, and I don't see leg forward either. I see pretty good alignment.
Only thing I do see is a slight cant forward. I think I've been riding more and more canted forward as I age. Not sure why .

 

[bsms]

@tinyliny , I tend to have heels down. It is habit now, although I try to think both "Knees Down" and "Flexing Ankle" instead. If I do those, then my ankles and feet fix themselves. I do a lot of two-point, which emphasizes center of gravity over the stirrups, but I also sometimes have my feet well forward. I guess I think people should learn both if riding western. And like a lot of people, how I ride isn't always how I think I should ride!

 

[DollyandAya]

Heel's down was drilled into me when I started riding. I no longer see any use for it outside of jumping. And maybe not then. I'd argue "Relax your ankle" or "Let your ankle flex" would be better advice. BTW - in a western saddle, I see little harm if any in having heels forward. Having tried it myself...it doesn't seem to harm me or my horse. If a horse is likely to stop suddenly or slow and spin, then heels forward can be good advice. Truth in advertising, me riding little Cowboy:

I'd prefer: "In your default position, be able to stand in your stirrups - but move your leg forward or back as needed."

From what I understand a rider's heels shouldn't be actually down, but parallel to the ground.
I haven't ridden in a Western saddle, so can't comment there, but if I put my feet forward in an English saddle my weight automatically tips backwards, which would put me in a very bad spot if my horse bolted or something. I guess, having horses that are equally likely to jump forward or stop suddenly, a neutral position is better. Perhaps leaning back a bit would be better for a sudden stopper or spinner, I don't know.

 

[TXhorseman]

The biggest problem I see with instructors telling students to get their heels down is that this causes most students to try to force their heels down. This can cause a variety of problems depending on the flexibility and other physical limitations of the rider. The overall problem, however, is that it causes tension. Too much muscular tension slows reaction time and causes opposing muscles to work even harder. In addition, rider tension causes the horse to become tense with similar results.

Rather than telling students to get or push their heels down, I advise them to relax and let gravity do the work. By relaxing, the rider should release any grip of the heels trying to hold onto the horse. As gravity pulls the rider's feet towards the earth, the stirrup stops the advancing ball of the foot creating good contact. The unsupported heel is drawn lower by the force of gravity with no effort on the part of the rider. How this actually looks will depend on the limitations of the rider's muscles, tendons, and even bones. But looks are less important than effects.