So how do you actually use more leg?

[alexsmum]

I had one of those really wierd revelationary moments this week (think Saul on the way to damascus level !). I have struggled and stuggled for oh so long with my horse,had very 'good' trainers (including Pyramid trains half the BYRDS squad  level )but never really got anywhere.  I know know know Im supposed to get my horse forward, rounding up and supple. I have ended up with one that is backwards, hollow backed and stiff :'(.  Soooo...

Got young lad on the yard (hes 15 left school already and doing a modern apprentiship at a riding school, he mainly show jumps) to ride my horse twice to se what horse is doing. Of course horsey went incredibly well for him.  What young lad did was as follows:

He held his hands quite low (wither level) like a show jumper,
He was firm but sympathetic,
he said he had to 'keep the leg on really stongly'

its the later bit that is /was revelutonary to me.  I have been told 'leg,leg,leg' by numerous trainers that appreared to translate to either tap,tap , tap to a bloody hard pony club boot with the heels.

I asked him what he meant by lots of legs, i.e. kick, kick as he didnt kick once. he said 'no' you sort of wrap ypur legs around and squeeze strongly.

So tonight after much experimenting (and new , well s/hand wh  saddle) I sought of cuddled/squeezed with my legs all the way down and suddenly had a round and forward horse.  So, is keeping the leg on sort of drape leg round and squeeze cos that seems to work then relax until horse stops doing what you want then squeeze again, or is it the dressage tap , tap with the heels? 

[Claire]

keep the leg on draped......only tap with your heels when you actively want something (says she, who nags too much herself but is working on not doing so...)

[Heather]

Frankly I never ever even tap with the heels, folks. And the leg aid is an inwards and very slightly forwards roll of the calf muscles, not a strong squeeze. The leg should be used in walk, with the swing of the belly, so close leg as belly swings away, and release ( but without the leg pinging off the side) as the belly swings towards. In trot, think of closing the legs on the first beat of trot, releasing on the second, in canter, again close on the first beat, release for the other two, in a sort of pulsing action of the lower leg.

You need strong calf muscles to do this, not for strength to squeeze, but strength in order to have the control to make small muscle contractions, which will produce an aid that will not be seen by an onlooker. The legs should appear to remain almost still, the only perceptible aid being when the lower leg is taken slightly back for lateral work or bends/circles, but even then the movement is so small as not to be obtrusive to the onlooker.

If you keep your legs on strongly all of the time, it would be like you wearing a tight corset! The ribcage must be able to swing or the horse cannot work through his back. If the legs are clamped on the ribcage will be blocked by the rider. I dont think that your young friend was explaining himself very well! I dont think that your horse would be going as well for him if the legs were clamped on.

The Germans say that the leg should cling like a wet cloth, that is, always ready to use, but never gripping or squeezing all the time.

Heather

[Sherbertdip]

that's interesting reading, thanks. 

[issywizz]

Brilliantly put Heather!!! I hope that is in the new book!
I have a young girl who may be riding my medium level,very sensitive NF.She has come to me from a riding school and I  let her ride under my supervision for the first time.I was pleased with her competence,her position wasnt bad,but I was utterly shocked to see her KICK!!!! to ask him to go! 
I spent a good half hour with her just showing her over and over again how to give the leg aids,she found it really hard to stop kicking.I have to confess I was utterly horrified,I guess I had forgotten that people actually do this,its really odd as none of my horses would respond well to a kick but they go beautifully from a squeeze from the inner calf.

[Heather]

Now you know WHY I have written a book for beginners, Sarah,who will of course be at riding schools, where most of the kicking is sadly taught :(.

It still shocks me every time I go near a riding school, and have to be led away straightjacketed and gibbering, in case I do the instructor a mischief!!

Heather

[issywizz]

straightjacketed and gibbering Heather?! 
I would let you loose! they reaaly need a kick up the proverbial if this is what they are teaching. :(
She is a good kid and has obviously worked hard to do as she has been taught,but Im not exaggerating when I say I could hear the whack of her boots from the other end of the school when she asked for canter. :(All you actually need to do is slightly bring your outside leg back,it barely needs applying. :'(

[Sherbertdip]

sorry, don't know if this will be hijacking but whilst you're both here anyway, isn't there some sort of campaign we can launch against these riding schools? it is really niggling me. they are teaching people to abuse horses and not only that, they are producing animals unfit for the job.

erm, also, sorry i know this is really ignorant of me but what is the book for beginners called? we like reading up.

[TashaKat]

The problem is that a lot of riding schools use the 'kick em' method  :(  The horses become immune to the kicks so it's 'kick 'em harder'  :(  Then they wonder why the horses aren't responsive or label them as 'plods' or 'beginner' horses :(  'Pony Club Kick' seems to be a good thing to do in some circles   

It's not just riding schools, though.  I watched a friend having a lesson on her ex share horse.  The owner didn't like to use whips so she wasn't allowed to carry one.  The horse (privately owned) just wouldn't budge.  The RI (a BHSAI) got on, lifted her legs to 90 degrees, turned her heels in and booted the poor horse in the ribs several times.  I was gobsmacked and said that surely it would be better to use a small tap of the whip and should I get one.  The answer was no (I obviously didn't know what I was talking about  ).  Because of the politics of the situation I had to walk away, I just couldn't watch the rest of the lesson  :'(  The thing is that the poor horse didn't even respond to that so was obviously used to it.


The book is Heather's e-book that should be due out soon   I'm not sure which title she decided on in the end, it should be a good book though

[OliverG]

i agree with the kicking thing. Although i too have been guilty of that when frustration took hold! However teaching at a riding school on typical rc horses i can kind of see the other side of coin. All riding instructors at our place are freelance and the horses are used for maybe two lessons a day some days. I insist all pupils carry a schooling whip and always spend first ten mins after warm up reminding horse to move off the leg from smallest of aids. I will even help more novice riders using lunge whip as visual encouragement for the horse to remain as forwards as is safe for that rider. All horses show a hundred and ten percent improvement in lesson and will perform walk to canter with just the lightest aid. My pupils now know what is expected of them. And none kick. But other instructors allow it so the horses will of had six lessons a week with a novice kicking before my lesson. I can see how demotivated bored and many other types will quickly accept kicking as a means to an end and so the cycle begins. I feel for my pupils because they are paying good money to school someones horse! The problem is if you watch half these instructors ride you see kicky-pullies in action with look how good i am attitude to go with it! I think regular mystery shoppers with reports published for all to see (bit like ofsted) who are looking for riding schools will encourage establishments to increase instructor training and provide feedback that can be used to improve. The main problem is who they will get in to do it. As many big names still can be heard saying "big kick" and into canter!

[Casey76]

As Lynne and George have said it does tend to be a vicious circle with some RS horses.  The more they are kicked and pulled into action, the more dead to the leg they get.

Pinto is so light off the leg, and he gets most disgruntled if you use anything but a slight squeeze.  I would say in the past I have used a firm leg aid (hard nudge) only 2 or 3 times when he has napped slightly or more recently as other riders have allowed him to walk or stop as he poos  and he is perfectly able to trot and poo at the same time. But I have never, ever kicked him.  Goodness knows where I would end up if i did!

When I first switched back to RS horses in October I was utterly shocked at how little use my legs were. 

[DaffyDilly]

I still find myself using my heels sometimes. Not kicking, but nudging.

I found the best way to learn to squeeze wth my calf was to scrunch my toes - it tenses your calves. Amanda taught me that, I found it easier to focus on that than moving my leg at all. It might not be correct, but it does work with Daffy, and I know the feeling I'm aiming for now. I think.

[Flashback]

The problem is that a lot of riding schools use the 'kick em' method  :(  The horses become immune to the kicks so it's 'kick 'em harder'  :(  Then they wonder why the horses aren't responsive or label them as 'plods' or 'beginner' horses :(  'Pony Club Kick' seems to be a good thing to do in some circles  

couldnt agree more Lynne .... reminds me of when Liz and I were riding out a while back, past the local *kick 'n tug* .... instructor yelling *kick kick kick*

Liz and I yelled back *dont kick squeeze* 

instructor went very quiet!

dont suppose the silence lasted long though

[NickeringNotions]

The problem is that a lot of riding schools use the 'kick em' method  :(  The horses become immune to the kicks so it's 'kick 'em harder'  :(  Then they wonder why the horses aren't responsive or label them as 'plods' or 'beginner' horses :(  'Pony Club Kick' seems to be a good thing to do in some circles   

so true! when an instructor rode Woodz a couple of weeks ago ( ) she told me he was *too* sensitive to the leg!   


erm...no he's not! if he was sensitive, he would try and get you on the floor whenever you touched him with your leg

[Heather]

My new ebook isnt going to be popular with riding schools! I have advised readers to complain if made to kick and pull and not to be intimidated by the fact that they are beginners! I have told them that a horse is a living, breathing sentient being, and therefore, not to be kicked and pulled around, and if their instructor thinks it is ok to do so then there is a lot wrong with their instruction!

Patrick Print has asked to read it- I will await his comments!! It is very nearly ready- just a couple of days if the servers act fast.

Heather