Re-training the Innate.

I have been riding a looonnng time. And after you have been riding quite some time, things like, posting the trot, half seat, two point or swaying your hips to keep with the canter are things you don't even have to think about anymore. It just happens like it is ingrained, instinctive or innate.

Whatever you want to call it, changing or altering something you don't 'conciously' do is beyond difficult and takes a very dedicated mindset to commit the adaptation to mind.

I have noticed a slight, let us call it, weakness, to my leg position. I knew it was there but I have merely ignored it because I can achieve my objective in other ways.

Stemming, I am sure, from my entire life of hunter training, I tend to get extremely deep in my heels and allow my toe to turn out a bit more than ideal.
While this creates a very secure base and steady position when I am in half seat or traveling over fences, it doesn't lend much help when I am training the minute details on the flat. Ie; shoulder-in, half pass etc.
For sake of reference, we will call this, 'hunter leg'.
When I am using my 'hunter leg' position, only a small portion of my calf is applied to Paloma's barrel so my aids are not as effective as they could be.
I find I need to apply a greater amount of force to achieve the same objective as when I consciously think 'heels out' (a slight bit) and my calf is turned so so a greater area of my calf is resting against her barrel. I also find that this slight 'heels out' allows my leg to be a bit more passive so when I do apply my leg, Paloma quickly interprets a change/request.


Last night I made a conscious effort to work on this issue so I dropped my stirrups two holes so I couldn't brace against the stirrup. This also seems to correct the position of my leg/calf.
I was shocked at the difference. Pal was much less resistive and stiff, she softened and travelled into the bridle without effort on my part and all of a sudden she was sensitive to my aids without me making dramatic changes.

Now, I honestly believe, thinking back, that bracing against the stirrup was the issue here and the 'heels out' was just enough to knock me from bracing but I don't know how I am going to be able to re-learn my leg position.
I think to myself, is it even possible to re-train the brain?
Well, of course I know it is. But the path to ingraining this new way feels near impossible....


Again, I am reminded that training of horse AND rider is never done. We are forever 'green'.