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Post by mcnaughty on Feb 10, 2015 13:44:48 GMT
I need some tips! How do you 'encourage' your kids to keep the stirrup on the ball of the foot other than gluing their boot in the right position! I am starting to get a tiny bit frustrated!
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Post by hack on Feb 10, 2015 14:24:06 GMT
Take their stirrups away!! Their leg should naturally fall in the correct position (if they want to stay on!), then they won't be so reliant on their stirrups.
I spent many a time on the lunge with no stirrups and/or reins as a kid - great for balance and stickability!! When I was much younger and showed at local level my party trick in equitation classes was to take my stirrups away for my individual show regardless of whether asked or not. Much to the horror of other competitors!
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Post by mcnaughty on Feb 10, 2015 16:03:00 GMT
I like that one hack! I will give it a go (when her leg is next out of plaster!!) what about the ball of the foot though on the stirrup??
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Post by judyh on Feb 10, 2015 17:55:22 GMT
I used to lunge my daughter when she was tiny with just a blanket ( when clipped) or a saddle pad with a sourcingle. It gave her a good, natural seat . It is far more natural to ride with no saddle at all - I still do it now I old age!!!
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Post by hack on Feb 10, 2015 18:22:09 GMT
If her leg position is correct, she should naturally put the ball of her foot in the stirrup, just check whether her leathers are too long, as this can cause riders to 'reach' for the stirrup and put too much foot through.
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Post by mollymalone on Feb 11, 2015 21:39:24 GMT
Bribe them with doughnuts! It worked with our small rider at shows last season (and me!)
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Post by maddiesmum on Feb 12, 2015 9:48:31 GMT
Yep lunge lesson works for us as I can actually see her, where as I don't feel I can so much when I am leading. We play simon says, feet out of stirrups, no reins etc just to make it fun. If none of that works I know someone who swears by the Fylde slanted stirrups to keep heels down, but I don't have experience if them.
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Post by roxy93 on Feb 12, 2015 10:00:01 GMT
We Actually purchased a pony pad for my youngest sister to ride in and she was not to ride in a saddle until she could ride in one of these. Her seat and balance was great this worked wonders and as soon as we sat her in a saddle she sat correctly, i would definitely recommend one of these if you can get hold of one, we purchased ours off ebay at a very bargain price. We actually chose to always use this at home all the time as you really have to ride in this not just sit there . X
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Post by dogandbone on Feb 12, 2015 19:40:34 GMT
I would be just as frustrated as you Mcnaughty, at all the 'helpful' tips to get your child to sit correctly, and not answer your question!!!! I do appreciate that it makes it easier for the stirrup to stay in the right place if the rider sits correctly, but I had just the same problem with my daughter as you! She sat very straight, and was a lovely rider, but it was a constant battle to keep that elusive stirrup forward and not back at her heal! It is however nearly impossible for the stirrup to slide back if the heals are down, and toe up! The length of stirrup is crucial. If too short, all the weight is on the foot for the 'up downs' and it is hard for the rider to keep their balance. Too long and as said above, they will be stretching down and again the balance will be impaired. Then encourage toes up, rather than heel down, and the stirrup will stay in the right place!! Hope this helps, it worked well for my daughter, and wasn't a constant battle! Bribery does work too haha!!
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Post by mcnaughty on Feb 13, 2015 14:37:16 GMT
Thank you everyone for some fab advice on position and thank you dogandbone for feeling my pain! I will check her leather length, shout heels down and bribe with cake! xx
I sometimes have to just walk away as I get really angry and I don't feel she is listening a jot to me! I'm going to start up her lessons as soon as her leg is better (not sure I said and I cannot be arsed to look back but she fractured it mid Jan!).
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Post by Karen, garrettponies on Feb 13, 2015 15:29:36 GMT
I feel your pain too, its still an ongoing thing here too. I suppose its easy for us, we've learned it and they are still only little and have sooo many other things to remember all at once. We have good leg, naughty leg! I swear I have no idea how she does it but she ends up lopsided and her stirrups never look level, one leg seems to have developed a life of its own and can be in a totally different position to the other! The thing is, we all ask them 'how does that feel' when stirrups are adjusted and what do they always say at their age? 'Fine!' whether it is or not, keep fiddling with stirrup length, a hole either way can make such a difference.
Hope she's on the mend Hun XX
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Post by mandmgirl0164 on Feb 14, 2015 18:43:35 GMT
My tips would be try to get joddy boots that flex easily in front of the ankle and across the foot behind the toes, if that makes sense?
Some boots look very numb and inflexible with thick soles, which must make it impossible for small riders to feel where the stirrup is on their foot, leading to the foot slipping too far through the stirrup.
Maybe second hand ones would be best,or wear in new ones around the house.
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Post by Em5 on Feb 14, 2015 19:09:48 GMT
I have this problem with my daughter and she is nearly ten. Tried everything, but have out it down to he fact she has right Achilles' tendon so cannot physically get her heals down all the time. We do dtand her on he edge of the step and stretch the heels down but her muscle is still tight. It was a ballet teacher that told me she had tight Achilles when she was little as she couldn't do pleas without reading her heels
So it maybe that your child cannot physically keep her heels down and stirrup in the ball of the foot x
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Post by Em5 on Feb 14, 2015 19:10:42 GMT
Reading her heels would be interesting, haha meant raising
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Post by lancs on Feb 15, 2015 22:33:28 GMT
Video her so she can see for herself what she looks like.
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Post by maxandpaddy on Feb 15, 2015 22:47:54 GMT
For years as a kid we were taught ''Heels down'' then the wonderful Mrs Tilly from North Wales taught us and hosted us at Pony Club Camp.... we all feared her. She was formidable and scary, wow betide getting on the wrong side of her.
But she was lovely and a great teacher ( I realised years later )
Anyway she said ''Dont listen to people telling you HEALS DOWN...FORGET THAT ALTOGETHER AND AIM FOR TOES POINTING IN!!''
By encouraging toes in, the heal automatically goes down and foot position in the stirrup improves. Plus the leg doesn't thrust forwards. Not that I dont agree with ten tonne of lunging bareback as advised above because I do! Thats how my daughter learnt to ride!
But its far better to ask of children once under saddle than the dreaded ''Heals down''
Toes in ...good luck xxx
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Post by gillwales on Feb 16, 2015 6:58:17 GMT
It does not always work teaching your own children, you tend to get far more frustrated with them than when you teach normally. Small children oftend find it difficult to balance, but you will find that if you get anyone to push their knees down then the heels automatically go down. Do lots of exercises to improve balance and try to make them fun, the more someone tenses the more the heels will come up. You cannot just work on one area of a rider's position all are linked, usually when toes go down a little one is hunched over holding on to the saddle.
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