Have you ever glanced down mid-trot or canter and seen your lower leg doing a full-on windscreen wiper impression? You’re not alone. I see this all the time. Novice riders trying to figure out how to stop that swinging lower leg from distracting their horse (and them!). The issue is that so often, trying to ‘fix’ your lower leg won’t…
What is it about a swinging lower leg that makes it so annoying for riders, horses, and trainers the world over?! I mean, everyone has their specific ‘riding issues’ and deals with them accordingly. And yet, a swinging lower leg has the potential to have riders stuck on a plateau forever! I don’t need to tell you how important it…
It’s probably one of the first things you were told on your first ride. It is also, for many riders, a misunderstood concept. The truth of ‘heels down’ is that once you can correctly master it, it is an absolute game-changer for everything else in your riding. It is that important. How much your heel is down will depend on…
Have you ever thought about what you can feel, in the saddle as you ride your horse? The physical connection points you have with your horse each time you’re in the saddle. Often we can become so caught up with our aids and what we ‘should’ be doing, that we forget to focus on the actual points of physical connection…
Does your horse go from 0 to 120 in half a stride whenever he sets his sights on a jump? If so, you will probably agree with me that jumping is definitely not the thing you find most enjoyable to do with your horse! In fact, very often it can feel terrifying! And I agree. Jumping with a horse who…
It is possibly one of the first things you heard when you initially took up the reins. Yet, it is one of the most enduring struggles riders have in the saddle. And even when it is mastered on the flat, it seems to crop back up again when a jump is required! Heels down is one of the most important…
