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 work. This is because your lower leg is not the issue… It’s just the most visible side effect of something else that’s going on in your riding…
Whether you ride with a sensitive horse who thinks you’re asking for more speed. Or a fairly laid-back horse who simply tunes you out, this issue can quickly throw a spanner in the works. So today, let’s get right to the root of it, and more importantly, figure out how to fix it in a way that works long term.
What Is a Swinging Lower Leg
First off, let’s be clear on what we’re talking about here. A swinging lower leg is when your leg below the knee moves excessively while you ride. It often swings or flaps forward and back like a pendulum. Or a windscreen wiper! It usually shows up during trot (especially rising/posting) or canter.
It might look like:
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Your leg shooting forward when you rise, then swinging back as you sit.
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Your lower leg losing all contact during canter and flapping uselessly.
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Your aids becoming inconsistent—or even unintentionally sending the wrong signals.
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And while it’s easy to focus only on that swinging lower leg, the truth is this: the lower leg is rarely the actual problem. It’s a symptom of something else going on in your riding.
The Real Reason Your Leg is Swinging
Here’s the hard truth that most riders miss; your lower leg is swinging because something else is out of sync. It’s not about gripping harder or squeezing your leg tighter. In fact, doing that will very often make things worse.
Instead, think of your body like a kinetic chain. When one link (your seat, your core, your shoulders) is unstable or misaligned, the result often shows up in your lower leg. So rather than treating the symptom, we’re going to dig deeper and fix the actual cause.
To do this, first you have to figure out when your leg is swinging…
Step 1: When Does It Happen?
Get curious about when this is happening for you in your riding. Become a bit of a detective! If you ride alone, the only way to really know for sure is to capture your riding on video.
First, check what happens in the trot. Particularly the rising trot. For many riders, the swinging lower leg pops up when they are posting. You’ll see that your lower leg (below the knee) shoots forward every time you rise. Instead of being underneath you (as in the Click Your Fingers Rule), it will be somewhere up at your horse’s shoulder or elbow. Then, as you sit back in the saddle, it will swing back under you again.
I then suggest testing yourself in the canter. You might find that things are fine for you in the trot, but as soon as you transition into canter, that swinging lower leg makes itself known! It’s like your leg develops a life and mind of its own! Doing its own thing! And, unfortunately, usually either causing your horse to increase speed or tension, or completely ignore you altogether!
So grab your phone, whip out your Pivo, or get a friend to record you riding. Look closely. When exactly does the swing begin? Is it the trot? Or maybe it’s the canter for you…
Fixing the Swing in Rising Trot
Let’s start with trot. If you’ve got a swinging lower leg here, chances are your rising or posting technique needs to be revisited and updated. Most riders learn to post by being told “up-down, up-down.” Combine that with “heels down,” and what you get is standing up on your stirrups. That forward push causes your leg to swing because you’re using the wrong parts of your body to post.
Instead, here’s a better way to think about it:
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Imagine squeezing your glutes (your bum cheeks!)
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Let your belly button travel forward and slightly upward towards your horse’s ears
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Focus on moving diagonally with the horse, not up and down like a piston
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This subtle shift changes everything. Now, you’re not standing up on your stirrups, you’re moving with your horse’s motion. Your seat stays connected, and your lower leg stops swinging like it’s trying to escape. This also allows your lower leg to become an effective aid when you need it.
Fixing the Swing in Canter
Now, if you’ve got a swinging lower leg in the catner, there are a couple of different reasons this is happening.
1. Are You Gripping with Your Knees?
Gripping with your thighs or knees turns you into a human clothes peg! And not only does this cause your lower leg to swing, it can also cause your horse to feel uncomfortable.
Instead, allow your thigh and knee to stay soft and open. Think of your legs ‘draping’ over the saddle. Let your seat move with your horse. And keep your lower leg gently against your horse’s side. No clamping, just resting against your horse’s side, ready for when you want to use your aid.
2. What Are Your Shoulders Doing?
This one surprises a lot of riders. But I’ll say it; your shoulders and your lower leg are very often just doing their own thing in the canter! And this is an issue, because it actually STOPS your seat from moving with your horse.
If you’re doing any of the following in the canter:
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Circling your shoulders
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Rocking back and forth like you’re on a swing
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Collapsing through your upper body
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…then guess what? That movement is disrupting your balance, and your lower leg is paying the price.
Instead, keep your shoulders steady and aligned. Think tall, soft, and grounded. Let your seat follow your horse, and trust that you don’t need to ‘ride the canter’ with your shoulders. Let your seat do the talking.
In the canter, your shoulders and lower leg remain ‘consistent’ while your seat and hands move with or follow your horse…
Why Holding Your Leg Still Won’t Work
A quick reminder here: you can’t force your leg to be still by gripping harder or focusing solely on it. That approach kills suppleness, flow, and the energy that needs to move through you and your horse.
Instead, your goal is to create consistency through your upper and lower body, while allowing your seat to follow your horse’s movement.
How to Train a Secure Lower Leg – Without Burning Out
Like any new habit, improving your leg position takes time and consistency. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Here’s how to start smart:
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Break it into short, focused blocks. Choose two 8–10 minute sessions within your ride to specifically focus on your lower leg.
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Start in the walk. Then move to trot or canter – not both. If both gaits are an issue, focus on trot first until that improves.
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Use video. Every few rides, film yourself again. You’ll be amazed at the progress once you train your awareness and refine your feel.
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This is not about “riding better for the whole ride.” That will come. Riding now, if you have a swinging lower leg, you need deliberate, short bursts of effort. This will help you to rewire the habit. To upgrade this ‘basic’ in your riding so that it serves you as the rider you are now.
It’s a simple (but not always easy) swap. Change the old basic that got you this far, and replace it with a more refined basic that takes you to the next level.
If you’re dealing with a swinging lower leg, don’t just accept it as something you have to deal with forever. Your swinging lower leg is simply a signal that it’s time to upgrade some of the foundational skills that got you started – but aren’t serving you anymore. The good news? This is fixable. And it starts with consistent, intentional focus during your rides.
3 Action Steps for a Swinging Lower Leg
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Record yourself riding this week – identify exactly when and where the swinging leg appears
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Tweak your rising/posting in trot – aim diagonally forward with your seat, not straight up
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Check your shoulders in canter – be consistent with your shoulders and lower leg, and let your seat follow and move with your horse
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If you’re ready to take the next step and refine all those basics that are holding you back, pop over to www.returningtoriding.com and join the waitlist for my free training. I’ll help you make sense of it all so you can go from frustrated passenger to confident rider.
Happy Riding
Lorna
Online Training to Help Your Riding
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- Daily Strides Premium – Audio Horse Riding Lessons for Riders
- Information on Virtual Horse Riding Lessons
- Pivo Motion Tracking Software (*affiliate link for 10% off your purchase)
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Connect with Lorna online:-
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- Connect in the Daily Strides Podcast Online Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/dailystridespodcast
- Connect in the Virtual Stable Lounge Private Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499737810323191
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