What is the correct position of the rider's leg in dressage?

The correct leg position in dressage allows the rider to apply precise, isolated leg aids without gripping with the knee or thigh and without the leg position changing when the aid is applied — a stillness and stability in the leg that is the foundation of clear communication. The thigh should lie flat against the saddle with the inner thigh surface in contact rather than the back of the thigh, which positions the knee correctly against the knee roll without pinching and allows the lower leg to hang in the correct position. The knee is bent at a comfortable angle — neither excessively bent nor too straight — and is neither gripping the saddle nor flopping away from it but resting lightly in contact. The lower leg hangs from the knee with the heel down and the toe turned slightly out — no more than fifteen to twenty degrees — with the inner surface of the calf in light contact with the horse's side at the girth. The heel is the lowest point of the leg, which is achieved not by forcing the heel down but by allowing the ankle joint to be soft and flexible, with the weight dropping naturally into the heel through a relaxed ankle rather than being artificially pressed down. The leg position distinguishes between the neutral position at the girth, where the leg normally rests, and the leg-back position behind the girth where the leg is applied for canter departs and lateral movements — and the ability to move the lower leg independently into these positions without disturbing the upper leg or seat is one of the primary tests of an independent leg position. Common errors include gripping with the back of the knee, turning the toe out excessively which rotates the lower leg away from the horse, and allowing the lower leg to swing forward and lose the vertical line of the classical position.