09/08/2026
An interesting read!
🧐A lot of riders will look at these and immediately look at which one has their heels down. But we need to look a little closer at what is actually happening between the foot and the stirrup.
In A, the ball of the foot is supported on the stirrup, the foot is relaxed and the stirrup is relatively level. The ankle sits around the middle of its available range, meaning there is still movement available when needed for shock absorption.
In B, the ball of the foot is still on the stirrup, but the heel has dropped further and pushed the stirrup forwards into an angled position. The ankle is now closer to the end of its dorsiflexion range. How quickly this happens depends on individual ankle mobility, but being closer to end range means less movement is available to absorb the horse’s movement.
In C, the stirrup has moved onto the toes. The toes are held in extension, tensioning the plantar fascia underneath the foot. The rider now has a smaller area of support and is loading a part of the foot that isn’t optimised to provide the same stable weight-bearing base.
We spend so much time looking at whether a rider’s heel is down that we can miss what has happened to the foot and stirrup to achieve it.
And that matters because the stirrup isn’t just somewhere to put your foot. It’s part of your base of support.
Tomorrow I’ll explain why the position of the stirrup matters, how it changes the forces acting through your leg and why a lower heel doesn’t necessarily mean a more stable lower leg.
If you want to understand your position rather than just being told where your body should be, that’s exactly what we work through in Riding Ready - understanding the biomechanics, recognising what your body is doing and developing the strength and control to change it.
Join Riding Ready and start understanding the why behind your position.
