Dog and Frog

From fhotd member foxjumper
http://fhotd64476.yuku.com/topic/16117?page=2

We used to do a thing called "Dog and Frog". We'd first do this in the walk and then the trot. It can also be used at the canter.

It'll seem kind of awkward and funny, but it really does help if you get past that.

At the walk, take your feet out of your stirrups and turn your knees away from the horse. Alternate raising and lowering them as the horse walks. The visual is as if a dog was peeing, or a frog was jumping. This will help you gain flexibility in your abductors and adductors (the muscles that help move your legs together and apart sideways) and will start to develop muscle memory in keeping your knees away from the horse. When you feel confident enough, you can do both legs at the same time.

Start the trot without stirrups, and since you might be a little off balance without the use of your legs, I would also alternate this instead of doing both legs at the same time until you gain the coordination. The motion is a lot quicker than the walk. Eventually when you pick your stirrups up, you'll begin to feel that your knee comes away from the saddle when you sit in the post, and when you rise, your knee is still turned out, also giving you the proper foot angle. Your balance would have improved since you weren't using your knees to steady yourself at the walk and trot and this allows for more knee joint freedom in the gait.

Do lots of two point work, stay out of the saddle! Keep repeating the phrase "I want to see daylight between the saddle and my knee" and when you look down, daylight you should see. Out of the saddle work will strengthen your lower leg and, if the knee isn't pinching, your calf should slip into a more forward position.

Starting over jumps, the best thing I've told myself while trying to fix my lower leg is to drop my weight into my heels and shove my heels forward. You might exagerate this, but thats alright. Eventually you won't have to and you'll be able to tuck that hip under you and steady your lower leg at the same time.