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Gripping is often not just a bad habit!
One of the most common riding struggles is gripping with the legs. Riders are often told to "stop gripping," "relax the legs," or "open the hip/knee," but few explanations go beyond that. The truth is, gripping isn’t just a bad habit—it’s a response to instability or anxiety in the saddle. Simply dropping stirrups or riding bareback won’t magically fix it. Instead, the key is understanding the difference between gripping and the right kind of leg tension, so you can ride effectively without unnecessary strain on you or your horse.
The Toothpaste Tube Analogy
Think of your legs like holding a tube of toothpaste. If you squeeze too hard (gripping), everything tenses up, and you lose control, much like when the toothpaste shoots out uncontrollably. On the other hand, if you hold the tube with just enough pressure to stop it from falling to the floor, you maintain control while keeping things functional—just like having the right level of engagement in your legs when riding. If someone tries to pull the tube out of your hand, you know how much to squeeze to keep holding it without toothpaste shooting out of the end. That’s what you need your legs to do in riding—react to what you want or the situation you are in.
Gripping happens when you try to keep yourself upright in the saddle. It is the body’s way of stopping you from landing on the floor. And it’s not what we want as riders—but simply being told not to do it is like telling someone who is angry to "calm down"—not always helpful! Gripping often leads to altered position/alignment (and vice versa), stiffness, ineffective aids, and even blocking the horse’s movement. But we also don’t want riders with floppy legs and no tone—also not helpful. So, it’s about maintaining the right amount of leg activation for stability without tension, keeping your legs soft yet responsive.
Interestingly, this was brought up in a recent post I did, where people said they needed to grip at certain times. But feeling like you are gripping is subjective—what one person feels is a bear hug, another may feel as just a light hug. I had one rider who, after explaining her leg position and movement, said, "Oh, you want me to grip with my legs!" Now, that’s not what I wanted her to do, but in her head, that’s what she needed to do because she had been told to take her legs off completely, which meant she had a swinging lower leg. But back to the comments—were they gripping, or were they just riding? Were they altering the level of tension needed without altering balance, position, or alignment? Who knows? Without analyzing a video of them, it would be hard to say.
Gripping: A Symptom, Not the Problem
Many riders get frustrated when they realise they’re gripping and try to force themselves to stop, as well as being repeatedly told to relax—which, as we have said, often makes things worse, not better! But gripping isn’t the problem or just a bad habit—it’s a symptom of something deeper. It usually stems from:
Instability: If a rider feels unbalanced, the natural reaction is to hold on with the legs (even if they don’t feel unstable). This can happen due to:
Anxiety or fear: When a rider lacks confidence, gripping provides a false sense of security. The tighter I hold on, the safer I will be.
Weakness, tightness, stiffness, or lack of body awareness leading to an altered posture and alignment.
If these issues aren’t addressed, simply riding without stirrups or going bareback won’t fix gripping. Instead, it can increase instability and anxiety, making the problem worse.
This rider hadn’t realised how her anteriorly tilted pelvis caused her body to tip forward, bringing her legs forward and up as a way to stabilise herself and prevent falling onto the horse’s neck. She also didn’t realise that being on her toes made her grip with her lower leg to keep it still. In the middle photo, she has shifted her weight back onto her seat bones, her foot is better supported on the ball of her foot allowing her to sit more upright. However, since we only adjusted her pelvis and foot position, she is now positioned towards the back of the saddle, and as it is a new position for her has overcompensated slightly and shoulder is slightly out of alignment. However in the photo on the right, she has brought herself into the centre of the saddle and naturally found a balanced position with good alignment.
How to Replace Gripping with Effective Tension
It’s about analysing why you do what you do. I have recently done some analysis for new subscribers (part of the video subscription), and the riders replied:
"OMG, that’s soooo incredibly helpful. All so true when you say it like that!"
"Wow, Jen, the level of details!"
"I just watched the video—very helpful, makes so much sense!"
I had given them the answer to the problems they had been trying to work on, such as tipping and gripping, and had been able to recommend which exercises to do off-horse to help. These weren’t beginner riders but riders who had been seeking answers to their problems and hadn’t had them answered in traditional riding lessons.
The Key Takeaway
Know why you are doing what you do, understand how it happens, and learn what you need to do to help yourself.
Gripping with your legs isn’t just a bad habit—it’s a response to underlying instability or tension. Instead of trying to force yourself to stop gripping, address the root cause by working on core stability, balance, and confidence. Developing the right kind of leg engagement will allow you to ride with control and softness, improving your connection with the horse and your overall effectiveness in the saddle.
Neither is just stretching- read last weeks blog about why stretching is always the answer to tight muscles.
Get Your Riding & Position Analysed!
Want to improve your balance, stability, and riding effectiveness? Sign up for my Rider Physio Video Subscription where you can get a personalised riding and position analysis. I’ll help you understand exactly what’s happening in your body and give you tailored exercises to improve your riding.
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