14/ MARCH/APRIL 2011 THE RIDER Fitness for Riders: Leg Position By Heather Sansom.
We often think of the differ- ences between riding disciplines, especially when it comes to the rider’s position. Yet, when you look more closely at position, rid- ers of all disciplines share some really important commonalities. Essentially, whatever length your leg, whatever degree of forward
tip your upper body, and whatever your saddle type, we all have to find balance on a centre which balances the horse for our sport. Check online for photos of Ian Millar or Steffen Peters, two multi-Olympians from the two different worlds of jumping and dressage, and you will see the same alignment from hip to heel in spite of completely different stirrup lengths, knee angles and upper body positioning. Even jockeys have heels straight under hips. I find it a really fun exercise to search for photos of top riders on the internet, and then play around with drawing lines to ana- lyze things like centre of gravity, alignment and knee, hip and ankle angles. Ok, I am a sport geek and this is my job, and you probably have other things to do.
When you stop to think about it, we all share the need to place ourselves in a centre of bal- ance in our own body, and in rela-
tion to the horse to optimize per- formance, whether that’s going on a trail ride or jumping obstacles. We all have to maintain balance to help guide the horse, and allow his freedom of movement. While a non-rider might think we put our weight in the stirrups, you know that your weight is actually distributed through your leg and seat, just the same way the pressure of your seat bones is distributed across your horse’s back by the padding under the saddle. If you were to put a measuring device on your stirrups, you would find that the number of pounds pressure mea- surable under the balls of your feet, did not equal your body weight- even in moments like when you are in two-point, or posting trot.
The correct position for your feet has absolutely nothing to do with how pretty it looks, and everything to do with optimal
function and safety. To help us get that position, we often hear coaches give instructions like ‘put your heel down’, ‘raise your toes’, ‘move your heel back’. Regard- less of the length of your stirrup, it’s important to have soft ankles and knees and a pelvis that is able to remain upright. Having soft joints allows your body to absorb the motion of your horse as it comes up through your stirrup irons with each stride. Rigidity in your joints, such as attempting to jam your heels down or thrust your leg back because you think that’s what you’re sup- posed to do, blocks your horse’s motion. In fact, you can even push your horse onto the forehand with too much downward pressure
from your legs.
leg position. One of the easiest things you can do any- where, anytime with no equipment, and which has almost immediate results is simply to stretch. Specifically as a rider, you need to maintain flexibility in your legs so they can stay quietly where they are supposed to for your sport. Three key areas include your hamstrings (back of legs), calves and ankles, and hip flexors (groin area/psoas
1. Hip Flexor Stretch There are lots of exercises you can do to help your
One reason why yoga can be so beneficial to riders is the amount of time dedicated to each stretch. You can easily fit more flexibility into your life by stretching all the time: short and flowing stretches before or between rides, longer stretches in little break moments or at the end of the day. When your body gets used to being sup- ple, and you see the results in how your horse is going, you will find yourself needing to stretch in your day like you need to breathe: non-negotiable and all the time. With all stretching, you should go into the stretch to the point where you feel a comfortable and tolerable pull. Then wait until you feel muscle fibres gently lengthen. Then you can push another millimeter or centimeter. Overdo- ing a stretch will cause the muscle fibres to contract, not relax. Do not do long stretches where you hold the position before you ride. Do mini-ones. Long or static stretch- es will overpull mus- cle fibres before you ride, and increase your risk of tearing some- thing when the mus- cles have to contract while you are riding.
2. Calf stretch on a stair
and rectus femoris). To keep your joints soft, you need to spend long enough in stretches to work all the way through the muscle, into the ligament ends where they cross your joints.
3. Standing crossed hamstring stretch Here are three easy stretches you can use:
1. Hip flexor stretch: Also known as the runner’s lunge. Placing your hands on the ground or an object allows you to distribute some of your body weight so your hind reaching leg can relax. Your goal is to stretch the groin area muscles by reaching your heel back while pushing your hips down and forward. This photo shows a very deep stretch. You may need more bend in your back knee to start. Even though hip flexors are shortened when we
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