This is a great article. One thing to keep in mind: do not attempt to push or shove your heel down. Doing that will cause your foot and leg to slide forward, leaving you in that precarious unbalanced position of chair seat.
Teach the Basics – Heels- part 4
Working to Condition Heels
Letting the weight sink into the heels is as much a mental exercise as it is physical. Riders need to picture the flow of weight from the head down to the heels. They need to think about the feeling of becoming heavy in the lower extremities. Adults, especially, carry a lot of tension between the shoulder blades.This tension cause the center of gravity to rise, which countermands many of the good things we try to achieve in lessons, including good heels. Picturing the weight flowing, not just to the seat but through the seat , into the legs and heels will help. Even the youngest students can understand the importance of having their heels down and can think about the lowering weight. Youngsters love to give vivid examples in riding class. Encourage them to describe ways of “thinking” their weight into their heels. Let them use their quality imaginations, instead of just giving them directions.
In a Nutshell
If the rider understands why heels should be down and how to get them there, normally the rider will work consistently towards developing good heels. It’s the “buy in “ factor. If students “buy in” to the principals, the principals become their own. However, if the instructor doesn’t place good heels high on the priority list, neither will the student.How to Do it
In the physical realm, tendons don’t stretch a lot but you don’t need a huge stretch in order to have good heels. Since the sustained heels down position is an unusual position for anyone to adopt when they aren’t riding, it stands to reason that a little bit of work to stretch those rather unstretchable tendons ought to pay dividends. Suppling and loosening your ankles will help your heel position and your relaxation. And strengthening your feet will help the general strength and flexibility of the ankle, heel, foot overall.
But They Only Ride Once or Twice a WeekIt’s hard for a student to become a terrific rider when their weekly hours on horseback are so limited. But a large share of riding progress is proportionate to conditioning. Conditioning makes the rider more flexible and stronger. Giving riders exercises to work with when they’re away from the horse will help a rider’s progress. Plus it develops a connection between lessons.
Stiffness in the lower back effects many parts of the body during riding, including the heels. A tight lower back diminishes the ability to raise the foot high enough to reach the stirrup and it can effect the looseness of your hips. Tight hamstrings can keep a rider from being able to drop their weight into the heels.
Un-Mounted Exercises
- Stretch Back Muscles and Hamstrings
toe touches- stand up straight, roll forward and down slowly trying to touch the floor with your fingertips. Hold to a count of 12. Roll up slowly.- Loosen Ankles and Stretch Calf Muscles
Sitting in a chair with calves vertical lift toe off floor by flexing ankle. Hold for a count on 12. Then release and lift the other toe.- Ankle Circles both directions
Rotate your foot to the left 12 times. Rotate your foot to the right 12 times.- Strengthen Arches
Holding a door frame, stand on one foot. Raise up on toes so your are standing on the ball of your foot, lower back down. An average person should be able to do this 25 consecutive times on each foot without losing strength. (this also has the added advantage of strengthening calves and thighs)- The Step Stretch
To stretch tendons and develop the sensation of having weight in the heels, stand on the bottom step of a stair and slowly stretch down into your heels. Hold the wall to keep from falling. Don’t bounce because bouncing can cause muscle tears.
If you don’t have stair you can purchase a foam half round. It works as well as a step, and it’s portable.Foam Half Round
- Stretch the Arches
Stand with the half round directly under your arches. Do this without shoes for up to 3 minutes at a time and repeat.
- Stretch the Calves
Stand about 3 feet from a wall with feet flat on the floor. Lean forward a place hands on the wall. Hold for 15 seconds. Do not over do this. Adjust the distance your feet are from the wall according to your own body.Mounted Exercises
- Standing and Balancing
Have the rider hold the mane or neck strap and rise up in the stirrups, letting the weight sink into their heels. Knees are slightly bent for shock absorbers. Be sure the seat isn’t pulled forward onto the pommel. This should be practiced at the walk and trot. This exercise has the added benefit of working on the rider’s balance and helping them to find their center.- Two Point
2 point is an exceptional exercise for heels down. Have riders hold mane or neck strap to steady themselves as the sink their weight into the heels. Don’t encourage neck leaning because this will allow weight to be taken on the hands instead of in the heels. Practice at walk, trot, and canter, also over poles.- Ankle Circles
With feet out of stirrups have riders practice the same ankle circles that were described above.- Flexions
While standing in the stirrups have riders practice rising and lowering the heels just like they did on the stairs.What Does It Take?
Developing strong basics takes work and good heel position is a very important basic, not just a cosmetic point for horse shows. Good heels help keep a rider safe, allow them to uses aids better, and help them to be balanced and supple. In order to help your students develop the habit of good heels, you need to place it high on your teaching priority list, right from the start, and you must keep your eye on it during early riding development years. It’s much easier to develop good heels from the start than it is to to correct bad heel habits later on. If you believe good heels are important it’ll be much easier to convince your students. Once your student is convinced, it’ll take practice and conditioning but in the long run, this will develop sound riding basics that will last your student a lifetime of riding, something that’s well worth the effort.This blog post is an excerpt from “Basic and Building Blocks- Curriculum for Equestrians” copyright 2010
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