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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on August 20, 2010 at 3:20pm

If you feel safe doing it practice a lot at the two point (jumping position) with your arms stretched out to your side, first at a walk, and when you feel secure at a walk try it at a trot, and then a canter. Keep your heels and your knees down and let your weight sink down into your heel. If you fall forward your legs are too far back, if you fall back your legs are too far forward. You will have to tie the reins up (giving your horse plenty of room for his head) so you won't have to worry about the reins. If you can get someone on the ground to check you ask them to tell you if your toes are ahead of a vertical line dropped from your knees, your knees and your toes should be in the same vertical line. If the person on the ground can see the whole girth then your legs are too far back.
DO NOT pinch with your knees while you do this. Gripping with your knees is a sure way to make your lower leg go back. If you have to grip do it with the upper calf. Your knees may feel like they are not in the knee roll, this is fine. When I grip with my upper calf I find I have great liberty with properly relaxed knee and hip joints, if I grip with my knees all these joints stiffen up and my lower legs start wandering back.

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Permalink Reply by Alaina M. on August 22, 2010 at 2:52pm

Noooooo stirrups. :) It's tough, but I'd say it's probably one of the best exercises for stability and to improve your riding in general. I make myself do it fairly often and I can feel the results.

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Permalink Reply by Karleigh C on September 29, 2010 at 2:20pm

I agree about the no stirrups. If you feel safe enough to do it, it is a surefire way to improve a rider's leg.

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Permalink Reply by MagsNMe on September 29, 2010 at 3:17pm

It's important to post without stirrups, solidifies a leg for sure. If you can, get someone to longe you on a safe horse, then you only have to worry about yourself.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Gloin on October 19, 2010 at 9:46am

ride without stirrups. let you leg hang to full length, then put your foot in a neutral position. You should be sitting straight with you weight on your seat bones. then ride - don't grip with your knees, trust the motion of the horse and relax. Do both sitting trot and posting trot (and canter). Do a session everytime you ride. I still ride without stirrups to "tune up" as often as I can. You'll get so you love it :-)

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Permalink Reply by Barbara F. on October 20, 2010 at 6:10am

This has always been an issue for me. One piece of advice I would give is don't clamp to keep your leg steady, just think about feeling your calf against the sides of the horse in a steady manner. If you find you aren't strong enough to keep them there steadily, I would focus on core exercises because sometimes unsteady legs are the result of a week core and an unsteady balance.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Synnot on February 17, 2011 at 6:15pm

I have the same problem.. when I make an effort to remain flexible in my heel it seems to help everything keep still.. something to absorb the impact.

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Permalink Reply by Kathleen K on March 22, 2011 at 4:55pm

No stirrup work to strengthen your legs

 

The above link has an excellent excerise for keeping your leg steady. It is no stirrup work, which is a pain at first but once you get used to it, it can be loads of fun!

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Permalink Reply by Lexi on March 22, 2011 at 10:10pm

thanks

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Permalink Reply by Elise Weber on May 4, 2012 at 11:37pm

I spend the first ten minutes of every ride in two point. I pet my horse everywhere I can reach (under saddle pad on barrel, neck, shoulder, rump) and pet the left side with my right hand. The other thing I do is in 2 point is let my arms dangle as I close my joints and touch my chin to my horses neck while looking str8 forward. Do all these things concentrating in the steadiness of your leg. 
Also good old no stirrup work. Are your stirrups the right length? 

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