Over the years, I have noticed, riders are constantly reminded to put their heels down. If the rider thinks about it, the heels go down. But shortly after, the rider thinks about something else, and there is no longer weight in the heel. So, the instructor says it again “heels down!” Out of all the repetitive phrases I hear and use when I teach horseback riding, this I believe is the most important to creating a stable rider.
Shock Absorber
By dropping your heel, you allow your weight to sink into your legs. The further down you bear your weight, the more stability you will have in the saddle. If the heel is up and the toe is pointing towards the ground, the rider’s weight will most likely be settled in their rear or higher, which forces them to do a balancing act on the saddle. In this scenario, if a horse jumps to the side or bucks, the rider will have a harder time keeping their balance in the middle of the saddle and will end up clenching the horse’s sides with their legs to maintain their seat. By dropping the heel, and in result lowering the area where the rider is bearing their weight, the shock is absorbed more easily, and the rider is less likely to be displaced from the saddle.
Sitting Up
Dropping the heel also encourages better position in the upper body. When the heel is down, the riders are less likely to hunch or lean forward. One of the body’s natural reactions to fear or nervousness can be to try to shrink away from the scary thing or tense up. To let your heel drop down in the stirrups and pull your shoulders back goes against what your natural instinct tells you to do. Therefore, it is one of the things that riders need to be reminded of often before it becomes second nature.
Equal Pressure
Your leg is an aid for directing and guiding your horse. If a rider’s heel pops up, oftentimes it begins to bump, dig into or clench on the horse’s side. This is not only aggravating for the horse, but confusing as well. Horses need to feel adequate pressure on their sides to go forward, stop or transition up or down. The pressure needs to come from a proper application of the entire lower leg against the horse’s side rather than a fear-induced stabbing of the heel into the innocent creature’s ribs. Keeping the heel down allows for a steady pressure and a leg that doesn’t swing out of place.
Lightness
Don’t force your heel too far down. That pushes your leg forward and stiffens your joints. You shouldn’t put much weight in your stirrups, either, because that leads to a tense leg and a bouncy rider. Think about stretching and lengthening your leg muscles, so you have weight in your heels. That’ll give you an anchor, and you won’t be fighting gravity.
Balance
As riders become more experienced, they eventually find their own balance, which comes with a certain mindfulness and control of the heel. It allows them to appear more stable in the tack, and capable of doing more things. Less experienced riders seem to struggle with exactly how much pressure to put on their heels, when to put their heels down, and when to use them to make their horses perform better. To me, heels down is about having the ability to control your balance, not necessarily a severe angle to show off the bottom of your feet but remain fluid enough so your horses respond favorably to your leg.
Good heels make for good balance. With self-awareness and self-discipline, you’ll be able to improve your body position and that will help you become a more effective rider. Good luck!
