Stop Gripping with your Knees!
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
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Do you find yourself gripping with your knees and/or inner thighs?
Gripping with the knees is something that many riders do in order to stay on - I mean if your legs don’t keep you on the horse and you are not supposed to hang on the reins then how do you stay on?! The problem with gripping with the knees or tightening the inner thighs is that when you do this it actually pushes your seat out of the saddle and tips you forward!
Here are some tips to improve your leg position:
The Knees - your knees should have light contact with the saddle. Your knees should not be flopping out of the saddle nor should they be pinching into the saddle.
The gluteus medius and the outer thigh muscles are what keep you in the saddle. Think of letting your legs hang over the horse like a wet washcloth.
Be sure that your toes are pointing forward. You must rotate your leg inward from the hip and get the toe pointing forward in order to activate the gluteus medius and the outer thigh muscles. If the toes are pointing out, you will have to grip with the inner thigh to stay on!
Sitting trot - Many riders grip with the knee in the sitting trot. Gripping with the knee will lock the hips and back, tip the rider forward, and the horse will stop going. Keeping the leg in position with the gluteus medius and the outer thigh will allow your hips and lower back to stay supple and moving with the horse!
Gripping with the knee also makes the lower leg ineffective. It causes the lower leg to swing and it is nearly impossible to apply and effective leg aid when gripping with the knee.
Happy riding!
Amelia
Was this video helpful?? If you are really struggling with your riding position, check out my 6 week masterclass on rider position... Use this link for 10% off!
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Thanks Amelia for all the time and effort you put into these teaching videos and courses! I have learned so much and changed so much since I have been following you. The date in the position course says it starts in Feb 2020. When we sign up do we have immediate access or is the date incorrect and it doesn’t start until Feb 2021? Thanks again for all that you do!
Marco. Ciao. ❤❤❤❤
"It sort of just all goes to shit" was probably my favorite part lol. Thanks for the great videos Amelia!
That’s what is was thinking as well... Yep, pretty much! 😂
Me too. I replayed that part. Love it.
I have experienced the....."it all goes to shit....." a few times.
since i started riding as a little kid i’ve formed a really terrible habit of clenching my seat/tightening my thighs which prevents me from stretching my legs and reaching under the horse with my calves, it also causes me to lose my stirrups constantly. i’m working to unlearn it and this video is really helpful! thank you
Glad to hear this video was helpful!
Yes, me also. I was told ‘heels down/toes in’ and nothing said about thighs, knees and not to grip! To do ‘toes-in’ one learnt to grip with one’s knees. Now I am back to riding as an adult after a million years I have to unlearn this and start over. Bummer. Or should that be thigher.
I've learned to relax a lot more in the saddle instead of tensing up so much. I think riding bareback helped me.
I wished you lived closer and did a clinic on basic level 1 dressage. I would be the first to sign up !
Thank you for this explanation. I am 67 and I have never had anyone tell me how to use the legs like you have described. I thought my balance was with gripping with the knees. I will have to try this for sure. No wonder my horses act so funny when I ask for the trot, they always leap forward.
Really enjoyed the video, I constantly find I grip with my knees without knowing I am which then ruins my leg position. Trying to constantly be mindful of this when I am riding and hopefully will slowly improve.
Constantly reminding myself thru out, not to grip & it does make a difference. Need these reminders. Thank you 😊
Amelia, I don't have enough words to thank you for what you do. You really help me with my riding and because you help me be a better rider, you help me have a better riding relationship with my horse.....(picking the rest of the comment in another video that really helped me today)
I love your demonstrating the correct and incorrect riding positions because I can really see how it affects the horse and thus my riding errors as well! Thank u so much!
this is the exact problem i'm working on now. Can't believe this video came up :) perfect timing.
Gripping will also negatively affect your ability to ask the horse for the lateral movements. Often this will also be present with other symptoms such as inappropriate use of the inside indirect rein.. Crookedness in the horse can often also cause a rider to grip and sit in an incorrect position in an instinctual attempt to compensate for the horse. Riders must constantly fight against their instinct (which is almost always wrong) and continuously check and correct their seat until they develop new muscle memory and also train their horses to be straight.
Hi! This is so true! Im a perfect example of this... its a long story to my self discovery and ah ha moment but to finally understand that my problem was my ineffective inside leg! That and then tossing the outside rein letting him just pop his shoulder in my efforts to fix the bend... I just made it worse! Amelia's courses and a new exercise program to finally strengthen the correct muscles in my lower body and help my overall balance have been huge game changers!
"it all just goes to shit" love that 🤣
Simple and easy to understand, very nice tutorial, rider confidence is always a key factor in not gripping. I really enjoyed the vid. Thank you very much
I am finally starting to get rid of my bad habit! Im not a knee gripper per se, but I do use my inner thighs too much which then makes my lower leg ineffective! Part of my rehab for my foot was starting a rider fitness program that has been a huge game changer! I cant explain it, but my legs feel "lighter" on my horse... and I finally learned that moving from my leg means move and for me to NOT fix it with my reins! I can't even tell you how excited I am to finally feel and understand these concepts! Your courses and educational videos have been incredibly helpful in my journey!
Thank you and I know my horse thanks you... well maybe not cause now he has to do more of the work himself! ☺❤
I reeeeaaallly have a problem gripping with knees & inner thighs. This is the first explanation of what muscles to use to stay on. Could you talk about saddle fit in regards to the rider. My saddle is medium/ wide twist and it seems to put a lot of strain on my back, hips, & knees. Thank you so much.
Yes! Good idea!
You can use a gel in seat saver, it helps a lot, that way you won't have to worry too much about the shock on your seat bones and you can practice without stirrups to really melt in your saddle. www.throstlenestsaddlery.co.uk/acavallo-gel-out-seat-saver-7141.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv_i1w4K97AIVmK3tCh1j2gdMEAQYGSABEgJ___D_BwE
This was really helpful Amelia, thanks for the tips. One of my biggest problems was pinching with my knees, it took my coach forever to fix it 😂 and everytime I get on a hotter horse I do and it really affects my riding. The good thing is I understand straightaway and fix it and you were so right about your lower leg becoming ineffective when we grip with our knees.
Very helpful. Just need to practice so I recognize that I'm gripping with my knees.
I definitely grip with my knees, as I do saddleseat. But this was really insightful to how I should do dressage!
I rode & competed Saddleseat for 3 years, & have now changed to Hunter. Talk about different! After 4 months of 3x a week riding, am just beginning to get my new balance, and getting my knees off & calves ON is hard!!
Please,make a video on how to correctly stand up in the stirrups
Not a pincher or a gripper. Halleluja. It's a miracle. I am celebrating all that I do correcitly. It's a good foundation to build upon. Thank you so much.
I am just riding again after 30 years off [i'm 52]. As a kid i really wasnt too bothered by form, i was more into bolting around the countryside jumping logs! I was happy if i didnt fall off! The differentiation of gripping with inner and outer thigh is a tough one for me. I know i sometimes do it properly, as it feels "right" like im part of the horse, not about to be ejected ! But its hit and miss.. I also have trouble keeping my lower leg on, and this is probably why! I like my instructor, but sometimes i dont get what she is saying. I will try this, thx!
This could be a life-changing video for me! Every instructor I've had has stressed the importance of having the majority of one's weight on the inner thighs, but they never seem to be able to explain how that's possible without gripping with the legs. None of them ever mentioned it's the outer thigh muscles that do the work.
That’s very helpful! ThAnk you Amelia for all these tips. My issue is At the trot yes but mostly at the canter i lose my right stirrups. I’ll try to practice with these tips!! I know I’m totally gripping with my knees and leaning forward. Ugh.... struggle of my whole life!
Amelia, thank you, thank you, thank you! I spent 15 years of my childhood on a horse, was a member of the US Pony Club, evented, showed, went to rallies., yadda, yadda, yadda. When I went to college, I stopped riding because I couldn't afford it anymore. While I continued to love horses, I just didn't ride anymore. Fast forward 40 years, and suddenly, I have such a desire to ride again that was a physical ache. I have been back in the tack for about a year and a half, and I have been struggling. I was feeling that I was too old to ride and just didn't have the strength and stamina to ride for long. I always felt I was working harder than the horse.
I watched your video and found it interesting. Today I had my lesson, and I told my teacher about your video, and how you said to use the muscles on the outside of your leg. It was like magic! I rode so much better, Frankie moved better I wasn't using my small groin muscles, which is exhausting, but my big thigh muscles, so much less tiring. I feel like I will be able to ride for may years to come. YAY!! Thank you so much. You are my pal.
Have you ever thought about doing a video doing western dressage I would love to see how you sit in a western saddle. Love your videos I am learning I’m 68 so it takes longer😂😂
Thank you! This was a wonderful video...I definitely grip with my knees and thighs to stay on...especially during the spooks.
Yes!!
I struggle so much with gripping with my leg! Thank you for putting up this video! I’ll try this the next time I have a lesson! 😊
keep it up Amelia!
Thanks for watching Yamani!!
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I love your comment
" it all goes to shit ". I think that in the beginning many of us have had this happen, especially if you began as a hunter/jumper rider. I also had to teach myself some tricks for relaxation, because when I got nervous before a class or Clinic I would inadvertently slip back into the old knee habit, and it did turn to shit. Old habits die hard!
I tend to grip when I'l doing the sitting trot, practising without stirrups - because my feet flop about in the stirrups. Going to try what you mentioned about the outer thigh. Thanks!
Let me know how it goes!
I totally scrunch my legs up and tighten my hip flexors. Love your videos!
The other issue with gripping with your knees is it blocks the horse's forward energy and tightens their back. Many horses will not jump into canter properly if the rider is gripping. I suspect that after a while it irritates them enough so they begin to find ways to alleviate the discomfort by flattening out, pulling, or falling on the forehand.
Totally grip with my knees....and then my legs scootch up and I’m bouncing all over the place! Work in progress!!
Thanks Amelia. Most helpful. I have a bit of a problem with gripping, mostly in the sitting trot. ❤️🇨🇦
what about the downward transition? do you sit, close your upper legs, this is what I do, it works good but I feel that it lifts me out of my saddle. suggestions?
Great tip! Not sure what I do but I am going pay better attention and see.
Wow this helps me a lot. Thank you.
Thank you so much this is exactly what I needed🙏🙏🙏
I’ve been working on this. I have been working on having a Squishy seat which helps me relax my thighs and knees
And I like the way you ride your horse and you ride so good
Thank you!!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage you are welcome
Great video! I always learn so much from your videos!
Hi! I do showjumping and I really struggle with this, however, the tips you give us in the video aren’t working for me. I think it may be because we ride with a different saddle and shorter stirrups. What can I do to avoid “bouncing” up and down?
Thank you very much, I’m learning so much!
I grip with my knees! It's a bad habit that I picked up that I am trying to extinguish.
Awesomeness
Thanks!
Very helpful!! I keep bumping out of saddle at canter and didnt know why! I am going to try this in front of mirror as I don’t like my look;(
So hard to wait...!
I ride western, and I don't know anything about English dressage. I just want to mention an additional point, and I'm sure it has an application to all disciplines somewhere. I have a very sensitive and forward horse, and if I grip with my thighs at all, she takes off running, getting faster and faster, and she wont stop. A trainer explained to me, that due to her sensitivity, she feels that slight pressure as a cue for forward motion. It also hinders the effectiveness of leg pressure for lateral movements.
You have to learn to ride lighter in the saddle. Try not to drive or pump with your seat and arms. Don't tilt your upper body forward and keep your shoulders back. When the horse responds to your leg aid and picks up the canter be sure to release your leg pressure. Amelia suggested in another video, just before you ask for the canter, it is helpful to make an exaggerated exhale to release any tension in your body and the horse will follow with a release of his tension. I have found that it really does work on the big, strong and very sensitive Swedish Warmblood I ride.
Very helpful video thank you very much 😊
I think I might be a knee gripper because sometimes when I post trot I notice my lower leg sometimes swings forward
Hello from Thailand. 😊 Thank you for the clip. You have explained it so well. I’m a beginner and my coach keeps telling me to grip my knees and I know it doesn’t work well because I keeps losing my stirrups. I am very confused and wouldn’t know what to do when my coach tells me to grip my knees next time I ride. 🥲
I have an old knee injury that totally blew up from poor riding especially in half pass
oh no! sorry to hear that.
Any tips for gripping/not gripping with a very forward horse who does NOT have the problem of slowing down when you take your leg off!!?? I think I tend to probably grip with my upper legs as I try to avoid putting my calves on her sides as she is too forward
thank you sooooo much
Great video.
Are there times when you would want to be cueing with your knees/upper thigh? My horse is trained to halt or move his shoulder over from knee pressure. So this has been confusing me for awhile. When I cue with my knees I'm supposed to sit back and also not come up out of the saddle. Otherwise I my knees are relaxed while riding.
Good point!! Yes, there are times when you close the outer upper thigh and press in with the knee. This can be helpful for a turning aid!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage ok thank you! Your videos are extremely helpful!
I’ve been taught to squeeze my thighs when asking for a downward transition. This effectively pushes my bum out of the saddle which is the opposite of sitting deep. Should I be squeezing my thigh and releasing quickly in order to sit deep or is squeezing my thigh for downward transition incorrect altogether?
You do not want to squeeze with the upper inner thigh. Rather thing of using the outer thigh muscles and glute mead to wrap your legs around the horse!
me me me 🙄 thank you 😊
I grip with ma knees but how you describe the job of the outer thighs helping to "drape" one's legs down the sides of the Horse is good imagery...for me anyways. Cheers.
What brand of saddle do you use in this video. I really like the support / legpad on it .
I like it
I find it harder to set trot from posting then if I go sitting trot from walk. What does this mean for my seat.
That's a common problem Sondra! Watch this video it should help you! ua-cam.com/video/WR72bIKMDJ4/v-deo.html
Also, subscribe to my weekly dressage tips straight to your inbox!
www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/subscribe/
Thanks for watching!
Can I ask you how do I have confidence win I ride her and I do stop her form buck ing win I tell her to go my horse wants to buck I don't want her to buck all the time thank you Nannette
When I do sitting trot I don‘t know when I should propel my horse(I don’t know if propel is even the right word tho)😅😐
Keep your horse going forward*
@@equineelli2726 exactly 🙈
It's always good to practice extending and then collecting the stride. You set the pace, then the horse should maintain self- carriage.
I can't ride because I have an EXCRUSIATING pain in my knees as the joins are pushed outside and " out of natural position" while on the horse. I was trying to figure out why. Maybe this is it?
That could be it! Have you spoke to your doctor or a chiropractor about it either?
What kind of saddle is that you are using ? I Really like it .
Anyone know what brand of saddle pad that is?
Can you pretty please make a video about impulsion? My mare is everything but sensitive and one day my trainer said she wasn't impulsed correctly, but I searched it up and I think I was doing it right... Please help me out... I don't know if I'm doing something wrong, or maybe there's another problem. Like she won't even respond to the whip(including groundwork) , nor the leg, she's always against the reins and bit and when she canters, she only picks up the right lead. I'm in desperate need of help please tell me what you're thinking 🥺🥺🤧
I do have a video on lazy horse. If you search for it it should come up!
Try Warwick Schiller. He has a lot of youtube videos and lots answers
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage watching this video has made a difference to my super lazy boy in just 3 rides by putting your instructions into practice so thank you ☺️
My problem is that my instructor keeps telling me I grip with my knees when I'm trying to keep my toes parallel to the horse, don't know what to do
My suggestion is to take away the stirrups, move your legs front to back, so relax them and let them sway with the movement of the horse, almost act like you don't have legs, and also doing stirrupples jokey position, so raising your legs above the saddle to were the pommel is, here you can practice keeping your toes in whilst not gripping with your knees! X
@@equineelli2726 will give that a try, thank you xx
I was today years old when I realized Amelia and Joseph newcomb are siblings.
This is the one thing I am really struggling with in the sitting trot. Ive only been riding for a year at 47 after not being on a horse since I was 20. And I've been having to teach myself. Then I find I lose my stirrups too! Do you sit deep in the seat for sitting trot also? Any help appreciated!! Thank you!!
So i had that problem. I started taking lessons after a 15 yr break. The best instruction i received is push down from the top of your foot onto your ball. Forget heels down. You should sit in a position that if the horse was suddenly removed you would fall flat on your feet. To sit the trot you have to relax your buttocks and engage your core. Its super hard but if you concentrate on keeping your seat soft and your core engaged it helps. Also tight circles to really emphasize core and seat (and dont lean).
@hg xob i like how you put that "knees down". Im going to try to be aware of that too.
but your feet are swinging ¿
Nice tips but I am still trying to grip with knees so that I don’t lose grip on sudden change in direction, I am not getting how to develop grip with outer thigh
same true for hunter/jumper?
What brand of saddle are you riding in?
Custom saddlery!
I want to ask: how to not swing my waist and hips when I use my legs (calf)? I found my leg aids become very feeble if I try to keep my waist quiet :(
Thigh
So my new instructor is constantly telling me to let go at the knee, I am NOT GRIPPING, certainly not on purpose, but she says it all the time- this is something my old instructor never mentioned.
Is this a hunter/jumper thing- my new instructor is focused on that discipline, while my old instructor was dressage oriented (which I vastly prefer, and want to master before jumping, but this lady is good and my old instructor retired, so...)
Is there a difference between knee contact in hunter/jumpers and dressage, because I can't fix something I don't feel myself doing- when she says to let go at the knee I just lift my knees away, and nothing changes in my seat or riding that I can discern, I am really confused...
Another thing- my seat bones are ALWAYS in good contact with the saddle, unless I am doing two point or posting trot, I can definitely feel that much, so that further supports that I am NOT GRIPPING- not with the part I am told I am gripping with, at any rate!
AND my sitting trot is pretty decent, I KNOW I am not gripping there, because to learn to sit it properly I had to go with no stirrups doing ankle circles to STOP what I could definitely feel was REAl gripping- so I know what it feels like, too, and I'm not doing it anymore...
After watching this I am more confused than ever, haha, only because I don't do any of the things you showed that gripping causes- so what is my instructor seeing that makes her think I am gripping with my knees?
I tried to tell her I don't think I am, but I sounded like I was trying to make excuses, and I hate sounding like that, and I hate being argumentive, but there are moments when I really feel I might not be wrong, you know?
But I don't want to seem disrespectful, either!
She knows a WHOLE LOT more than I will for years to come, but I am really confused about this particular critique!
Any ideas on what could be causing this difference of perception?
Love love love your videos, I don't know what I would do without them!
Try to keep the connection with your cab
Very helpful! I look forward to my riding lesson this week and can practice the advice!