Jul
Asymmetrical? Aren’t we all?
We have great news!
I don’t know about you but I am less than symmetrical when it comes to walking due to old injuries. Having spent some time with the lovely Olivia Cornick from Rider Strength I am also now also well aware how one sided I am and where my limitations lie thanks to all her wonderful gadgets and measuring equipment – I do have exercises to help now 😊. This lack of symmetry is all well and good when I am under my own steam but it has massive implications when I get on my horse.
For some reason once we get on our horses we seem to think that our own imperfections disappear but nothing could be further from the truth. I truly understand that it is me 99% of the time that is causing the issue with my horse, I look to myself as the piece of the partnership that should can do better but only I can correct it.
Knowing this fact and doing something about it are 2 totally different things as your brain works in patterns and you have to train your brain to move and alter your position – not these easiest of things to do. Telling your brain to do something and actually physically making your body do it is well – challenging.
As you all know this has been one of our pet subjects, and we are constantly on the lookout for revolutionary equipment that can help us be better riders – this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do the strengthen work to make us more symmetrical – most of us are asymmetrical, that doesn’t help our horses no matter the discipline.
WOW do we have a hack for you.
Stirrups!!
We have found in Sweden the next, next, next generation of stirrups!!
We all know there should be a vertical line from your ear, through to your shoulder, hip and heel but how many of us can actually achieve that? If we don’t get our feet right then the whole thing goes out of the window before we even start.
So here comes RYDE
They are next level clever and hugely comfortable. I lent my pair to Alice and I can’t get them back!! Tip – don’t lend them out to anyone.
As I try to event I am always worried about what may happen if I come off, as I really don’t want to be dragged again, once was enough. The sides of these things simply let you go irrespective of which way you fall, back, front or side door, a massive bonus for me. I have not being convinced by safety stirrups I have seen in the past as they didn’t release quickly enough in my opinion nor in any direction. But these, unbelievable with 360 degree release.
Now this is clever
The footplate encompass your feet and seem to hug them, instantly making your feet comfortable and happy to be there. Somehow your feet just seem to feel relaxed, balanced and dare I say happy? The footplate follows bicycle technology so is perforated so no dirt gets in the way to potentially compromise grip and there are little spikes that make sure that you foot is not going anywhere.
But this is where it starts to get very, very clever.
Clever 1: you can adjust the angle of the footplate! you can ensure that the angle is absolutely right to allow you to balance your self centrally over your horse. Having the stirrup right beneath you means your balance is improved. Ankle injuries are accounted for – very helpful for me and I think a ton of other riders out there.
Clever 2: You can fully adjust the angle that your stirrup leather is held. This allows the stirrup to mimic and follow your natural toe direction. Oh yes!! Tension is removed from your knees and lower legs and you then have your feet in full contact with the footplate.
Clever 3: you guessed it you can adjust the angle that the stirrup hangs laterally. This is all about making sure your foot gets the most support it can from the baseplate. As we said the brain works in patterns, the brain is told that you balanced which makes you stable, straighter and far more receptive to what you horse has been trying to tell you. When you are laterally balanced, the muscles in your core are activated and suddenly you are in a far better position and place to communicate correctly with your horse.
This sounds complicated? I hear you say.
Nope say I, they are easy to adjust and it is more about what you feel and what feels comfortable. Setting these stirrups is pretty easy you just need to adjust according to what feels comfortable and getting you straight.
For example my left ankle is, to put it mildly, a mess. By adjusting the foot plate I can get stability for my left foot, by angling the stirrup leather it stops me “grabbing” for the footplate and the sideways adjustment allows me to ensure that my knee is going in which it does if I don’t have these stirrups sending weird messages to my horse in the process. My right stirrup isn’t positioned anything like my left stirrup and that is because I have different issues there.
The end result is that once my stirrups were set up, my balance and position were dramatically improved (even from what I had before and I thought they were a revelation), my legs in the correct place to communicate effectively suddenly getting the correct posture was not so difficult.
My new Rydes are now set up, under lock and key in my tackroom, no one is getting near them again.
RYDE Adjustable Stirrups – Black
