How to keep legs still

[hoppy]

I have 12 year old daughter, who legs won't keep still! She trys her best as she has a lazy pony. Any ideas? I have tried no stirrup to see if helps, no a major differences.

[piaffe]

sound harsh but tie her stirrups to the girth then she wont be able to flap her legs about. But make sure she has saftey irons incase of any accidents !

[snowflake]

Lessons without stirrups! It really helps.. may make your child feel safer if they start on the lunge that way they don't have to worry about controlling the pony as much, & can concentrate on their position & feeling down with their legs, & using the muscle in the top of their legs & bottom, rather than flapping! Even if it's just walk & trot on the lunge, it really makes you a better rider, you can feel how much deeper you sit in the saddle & it's near impossible to kick!

[Pheobe]

I used to have my stirrups tied to the girth when i was younger and it does work. x

[mandmfan]

Equilibrium used to make some symmetry lower leg training straps that attached from girth to stirrup. They had a built in safely release so probably safer than baling string but I am not sure they are still available anymore.

[GinaGeo]

I'd have her on the lunge (so you're keeping the pony moving) and she can concentrate on her position. I'd take her stirrups away too. Or if you're feeling really cruel you could have her do some work on the lunge bareback. That'll make her stretch her legs down That's how I learnt, although without the lunge line ;D

I'd also maybe think about long lining the pony so you can teach him to be more responisve to the leg so the rider doesn't need to kick so much. Schooling the pony will be a big help.

[sageandonion]

It really is impossible to have a beautiful leg and look gorgeous on a lazy toad, even for an adult. I would work on the pony firstly. I wouldn't tie my own legs to keep them still for fear of killing myself so I certainly wouldn't do that to a child. If there was an injury caused by legs tied to any part of the saddle that wouldn't be an accident, that would be caused by the parent.

[LMSmith]

I must agree with S&O on this one, I would not be opting for the tie the leg to the girth option just incase something terrible happened.

I have a lazy pony and the best way to sort the problem is to try and encourage the pony to go more forward so she does not have to use her leg so much. This leaves her free to try and concentrate on keeping her legs still rather than keeping her pony moving

[motown]

i have a similer problem my 4 year connie can be so lazy at times and i look like im taking off im flapping that much and i lose my postition and it all goes out the window. im having lessons and the more he is learning to go forward the better my legs are getting and im getting stronger in the right places! its team work from horse and rider, no quick fixes but practice makes perfect. Good luck to you and your daughter i get so frustered when it happens as i know what to do but its a combonation thing! :-)

[watchbank]

I had this issue as a child, my mother taught me too hide my leg well so just to push on with the leg the judge couldnt see giving the impression of still legs when really, 1 is still the other is moving

[catkin]

I am with S&O on this one. A lazy pony makes it virtually impossible for a child to ride correctly

[rubydoo]

drop her stirrups a hole and give her a schooling whip , if the pony is not responsive to the riders aids back it up with a tap behind the girth and keep repeating , dont let the rider work harder than the pony.

[stumpedmum]

with S&O and the rest, Echo is a true lazy toad, Joe was constantly swinging from the knee, flapping away at him, so I lunged and long reined, and had an older, more experienced rider hop on a few times, to teach him to go forwards As Joe is tiny on Echo ( legs only just off saddle job) I also gave him a crop. After only a week, they went from fighting to get into canter, and only getting a few strides at that, to happily popping into canter and carrying on. At no point did we get harsh with him, and they are both much happier without the constant nagging. Joe still drops into swinging occasionally, but he is learning that he doesn't need to do it anymore The occasional tap from a crop when Echo tries to drop back is all that he needs, and that is rare now.