Back up your Heel Position

Do you have trouble keeping your heels down? Do they creep up even when you jam them down? Are you tired of your instructor yelling at you to get your ‘heels down' because it doesn't seem to help? Does one heel come up more than the other? Do you feel like your legs are too short? Do you wish you could do something about it? Here's a quick tip to help you lengthen your leg and keep your heels deep without bracing.

Next time you ride notice what happens to your heels. Are they above, at or below the level of your stirrup? Does your heel deepen when you shorten your stirrup or stay the same level? Do you brace against the stirrup in order to get your heels down? Does one heel always feel higher than the other? Do you stiffen all over trying to keep your heels where they belong? Do you feel unsteady no matter how deep you get your heels?

Unfortunately most riders are taught right from the beginning to force their heels down. They are told "heels down" without any explanation so they try any means possible to accomplish what they think the instructor is asking for. Typically riders end up leaning forward with their upper body, jamming the lower leg forward and bracing their foot against the stirrup. This is not heels down. If you brace your lower leg forward or jam your foot against the stirrup you are only teaching yourself to stiffen your joints. This creates a tremendous amount of tension that ultimately has to be resolved in order to have a solid deep heel.

The heels down which is secure, providing the rider with a solid base of support comes from a solid back position, and supple, relaxed joints particularly the hip, knee and ankle. If these joints are stiff you won't be able to get your weight into your heels no matter how hard you try. Your leg weight must 'fall' through the heel in a direction towards the horse's hind foot with your knee bent in order to have your heels down. How deep your heel actually goes is much less important than the way in which your weight is in your heel.

Here's an exercise derived from Bones for Life to help you understand the connection between your lower back, hip, knee and ankle. Stand with your feet in a step position, one foot is ahead of the other about hip width apart. Place the back of one hand on your lower back. Hollow your back and notice where you feel your weight in your feet. Notice how your weight moved towards the front of your foot. Now flatten your back and feel how the weight transfers into your heel.

Next shift your body over your front foot and feel how this tends to hollow your back again transferring your weight to the front of your feet. Change your foot position and see what happens with the other foot forward.

In step position lift the front of your foot and feel what happened to your lower back. Does it tend to hollow your back? Notice that jamming your heel into the ground causes your lower back to hollow and causes you to push back bracing your knee. This will push you seat back in the saddle and hollow your back. Instead of your weight sinking into your heels you wind up pushing yourself back and out of the saddle.

Use this Murdoch Minute to feel the connection from your back to your heel. Next time you are fighting to get your heels down remind yourself to flatten your back to move the weight into your heels. And remember to Enjoy the ride!

Wendy Murdoch resides in Washington, VA and is an international riding instructor/clinician. She travels worldwide teaching riders of all levels and disciplines how to improve the horse's performance by improving their body position. Her book, Simplify Your Riding and DVDs Simplify Your Riding - Ride Like A Natural Part 1-3 are available at www.murdochmethod.com.