Quick Tip Tuesday: Angled or Straight?
Which is better for you?
When I first started out riding, the instructor would tease
me "You have the Hilda Gurney toe." Did I
know Hilda Gurney toe? No. I was just using the irons
in a way I could get my heel down. What I did know was
incredibly tight calves. My heels weren't even coming
close to level with the ground. Let's just skip over
the wisdom of the era. It didn't help.
Fast forward to the 90's and I find Centered Riding and
learn about the Bubbling Spring.
YAY!!!
Among many other things, the Bubbling Spring is a balance
point for the foot and by extension the whole body.
When you place the Bubbling Spring on the iron, the body
feels like it is in balance. Which is good because it
isn't griping the horse for dear life! Which is good
because you don't need so much muscle to stay on. Which is good because released muscles can work
only as and when needed and otherwise move easily with the
horse. Win win win.
Now you experiment with it!
 There are
"two" options
for placing he Bubbling Spring on the iron.
straight across
a slight
diagonal.
Because I had such tight calves, the slight diagonal
worked best for me.
You may be wondering -- Bubbling Spring? What? Where
is that?
I invite you to take hold of you foot, sans shoes, and use
your thumbs to feel around the spot indicated by the circle
in the picture. The Bubbling Spring is somewhere near
there. You will know you're on it when the tissue feels
a lot like the sweet spot in a tennis racket. There's a
sort of give to the area.
Play with your iron position finding the position that
works best for you now, keeping in mind there may be an even
better position in the future.
And as an added bonus, if you ever need to 'drain excess' from
your body, you can let it go through this point.
When you find the magic spot, because your body has quit
screaming about it's immediate demise, you'll find it's
easier to stay on and you'll be more in tune with the horse.
Lynn
5/2/23
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