Happy Feet!!!

Do you have happy feet?   Our feet take a beating in the winter when it's cold and they are restricted in layers of socks and boots.  

We have all heard the saying "no hoof, no horse".  It is certainly the same with humans.  If your feet hurt, it can be debilitating.

I am reading a new book called "Biomechanics for the Equestrian:  Move Well to Ride Well" by Debbie Rolmanis.   It is a great book that puts together all of the things I have learned over the years about the functioning of the rider's body and how we affect how our horse moves by our position in the saddle and all of the alignment and movement principles I have learned from yoga.

One of the focuses is how shoes affect the muscles of our feet and ankles.  This is a quote from her book:

" 'Casting' a body part, such as putting feet in shoes, is the same as putting a cast on a broken bone.  When the cast comes off, your leg or arm looks really small and weak.  The tissues have not been used, so have atrophied (cell death).  This is what happens to feet that live in shoes."   Debbie Rolmanis.

It is best for the health of our feet to walk barefoot across varying terrain.  This of course is not easy, or safe to do, in most of the places where we are during the day.

The focus on our feet should be even weight on the feet front to back and side-to-side while we are standing.  And when walking the feet should point forwards and not roll in our out.  

We should feel the same connection of our feet in the stirrups.  The contact should be even side-to-side across the bar of the stirrup without the foot rolling in our out.  And no gripping or curling down of the toes. 

Yoga focuses on that same alignment in all of the standing poses.  And in poses that are standing and asymmetrical--like Lunges or Warrior Poses-- the action on the back foot helps to build strength in the foot and ankle to simulate forces on the foot from varied terrain, even on the mat.

Tight and weak muscles in the foot, also affect the ankle joint and it's mobility.  When the ankle is weak it affects it's mobility and it's ability to absorb movement in the saddle, especially in the sitting trot.

So the better we can take care of our feet, the easier time we may have in the saddle!  Sounds like a good idea to me!

I have included a video link for you and your feet.  Try it out and let me know how your "happy feet" like it!