Do you ride without stirrups on a regular basis? It's been 7 years since I started riding without stirrups, save for when I go down the trail and spend a significant amount of time posting and two-point.
Riding without stirrups for me came from a pact I made with a great friend of mine to encourage one another to improve our balance in the saddle. We even had a “removal of the stirrups” ceremony and from then on my stirrups only hang from the saddle rack in my tack room.
Yes, stirrups have a purpose when you are jumping, posting, racing, playing polo, etc. But for riding on the flat their benefit is minimal and rarely outweighs the drawbacks.
Braced Legs
Ever felt pain in your knees after riding? Or felt like you had to struggle to keep your legs from inching forwards seemingly with a mind of their own? Stirrups work to pull your leg into alignment with the stirrup bar, which in many cases is so far forward you cannot maintain correct riding position AND be in alignment with the stirrup bar.
What results is your leg moving forward and your posture falling apart with it.
Lost Stirrups
To avoid the inching forward, many riders will lengthen their stirrups. Then they begin to lose their stirrups or are constantly working to keep the ball of their foot where it belongs.
Chair Seat
If you've tired of losing your stirrups you can always shorten them and gradually find yourself in a chair seat.
Trying to find a happy medium is a struggle. And all the time spent trying to get your feet in the stirrups and in the right alignment takes away from your ability to focus on the other aids – your hands, seat, and the correct use of your legs.
Finding your balance
Riding without stirrups immediately gives away your dependence on the stirrups and reins for your balance. This is no different than riding with one rein shows where you are too strong and using the other rein to correct your mistakes.
The more you practice (ie. every ride) riding in a way that shows all your flaws, the better you will get at riding to minimize those flaws. If you never see them how can you correct them? Many of these flaws will also lead to bigger problems down the road like lost balance, miscommunication with the horse and even falling off because you didn't know your balance or position was putting you at risk until it was put to the real test.
The purpose of stirrups
An honest confession – although I have the capability of posting and two-point sans stirrups I am not self-loathing enough to force myself to do long periods of either unless necessary.
Stirrups DO have a purpose. They help minimize the work you do when posting or otherwise standing up out of the saddle. For jockeys they are a necessity or they wouldn't be able to stand up for the gallop. They ARE not built to maintain your balance when sitting or in posting trot however, that must come from correct posture and position.
But I'm scared!
I was both terrified and a little exhilarated when I was first presented with the idea of riding without stirrups. I remember watching a lesson at the barn I ended up interning at in Washington, the first day I arrived. A teenage girl was going through the paces warming up her Thoroughbred gelding. Walk, trot and canter both directions, some lateral work and stretching. She went through her own paces of some basic seat exercises. All off the lunge, balance perfectly maintained. Her horse was with her and her communication with him was flawless. No stirrups to be found.
Of course riding without stirrups was standard fare at the farm, because every rider started out with classical seat lessons on the lunge, and stirrups were absolutely forbidden during all the seat work. Many students came to HATE stirrups so much when it came time to work them back into the lessons that they begged us not to make them ride with stirrups.
When I made the pact with my friend there was a thought of fear, “but I won't have my stirrups to fall back on for security.” But I had already been doing so much work without stirrups that it was only that, a fear. Letting go of them permanently has not only improved my riding, it allowed me to overcome a basic fear in the process.
Where are YOUR stirrups?
What would your first thoughts be if you could no longer ride with stirrups? Would you be more willing if your personal circumstances were different (younger or older, the training level of your horse, riding environment)?
I'm not entirely sure I would have had the courage to give up my stirrups solo if faced with it today. It really helped to have my friend there to help encourage me and also put on a confident face to encourage her in return.
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Erica, can this be done in a western saddle? My stirrups are always too long for me and it seems the are as short as they can go so I’m always reaching. If I could learn to ride without them…. Problem solved.
Patricia
Patricia,
Certainly – the issue that will come into play is that removing stirrups from a western saddle is not so simple as removing them from an English one. You may need to get in touch with a local saddler to have it done and keep in mind that once they are off you will have to have help putting them back on as well. If there is anyone in your area that you can take seat lessons with to develop your position and balance in the saddle that will help out a lot. There is more to riding without stirrups than just removing your stirrups from the saddle and it begins with your basic position in the saddle. If you want you can email me and I’ll send you some details about exercises you can practice and stretches that help as well. And never be afraid to make use of the horn on your saddle if you feel your balance compromised. The idea is to improve, not to learn by falling off! 🙂
Cheers,
Erica
I do have several English saddles. I just never did much riding in them. I do quite a bit of bareback riding around the farm. Do you give hands on lessons in centered riding? You live in southern Wisconsin and I live in very northern Illinois. Patricia
Hi Patricia,
I do give lessons, to clarify any confusion right off I am not connected with “Centered Riding” as in Sally Swift’s certification. I do give lessons on the lunge and off to develop the rider’s seat according to their own body type and center of balance (we are all different, which is why trying to ride in a mechanical position is so difficult if you don’t fit the ideal body type).
I will have lessons opening up once again the end of March, give me a ring on my cell phone and we can talk about setting up a time that works for you come spring – 608-359-3731.
Cheers,
Erica
No, I would not adopt riding without stirrups. Stirrups have been one of the most important inventions in equestrian history, I can’t see a reason why one would choose doing without them.
It is true that habits are often enemies to our self-perception, they can easily blunt our sensory abilities. The rider should not allow himself to rely just on ‘aids’. And what I mean by aids, are the aids to the rider’s comfort of riding (stirrups and spurs, or even saddle and reins). So choose to ride some days in a month without stirrups; similarly without spurs. Even if a riders has earned the use of spurs with his/her controlled seat and correct posture (a very rare thing nowadays), even if s/he understands that the use of spurs is an auxiliary and not a basic aid, s/he can only realise how s/he can do without them only when s/he tries without them. Body habits are strong; our bodies have an economy ‘intelligence” of taking on habits that make it the easiest for them. But the (good) rider should always strive to keep his/her musculature alert and adaptive.
Good seat and posture do not rely on stirrups; a lost stirrup shouldn’t normally off balance a good seat.
I ride and teach without stirrups about half the time. I have a bum knee, so straight up bareback is pretty much an impossibility, but no stirrups helps me check my leg and balance. I am no longer unbalanced by losing or dropping a stirrup, and all my students spend quite a bit of time stirrupless, on and off the longe, as it helps develop balance and independence. Once they get over their “But I *need* the stirrups…” they often find they are more comfortable and can communicate more easily without than with.
Hi Erica!
I rather like riding without stirrups, and have been doing quite a bit of it lately. Don’t know if I’d want to do a long trail ride without them, but for the regular riding I do around the barn and in the ring – yes, I think it’s great in many ways! I don’t even use my saddle anymore either – I have a bareback pad that I prefer to use. I feel that everyone should be able to ride without stirrups. I’m not saying that everyone SHOULD always ride without them, but that they should be ABLE to ride without them. Just my opinion!!
Love reading your writings Erica! And don’t let anyone try to bring you down with negative comments. (I read one on here that was out of line, to say the least)
Oh, how I wish you lived in Portland 🙂 If you know anyone here who would love to have a volunteer stall-cleaner / feeder / pamperer, please respond. I don’t have a ton of money. I’m a professional curriculum developer and musician, and I know no one with horses here, after growing up in Salinas, California, and being around them all the time. I have lots of “shoveling” experience… 😉
Lots of equestrians in that region. I lived in Seattle for several years. Search around, Thomas Ritter (classical dressage) used to be based near Portland, OR so I imagine there are several students of his in that area. Also Craig Stevens is north-east of Seattle and has a large following of classically-taught students in the Upper NW area. 🙂
Thank you Erica. 🙂
I am a couple hours north of you but have lots of horses to share. One of witch will be moving to much closer to you.
Thanks Sarah. You’re welcome to contact me personally at [email protected]. Very best, Naiya
I am a couple hours north of you but have lots of horses to share. One of witch will be moving to much closer to you.
Thanks Sarah. You’re welcome to contact me personally at [email protected]. Very best, Naiya
Thanks. Good to know. I’m just now reaching out again. Been a long time. I’d be happy just to come hang out and work for you for a day, or maybe even on a regular basis. I often volunteer with animal organizations. No longer with FCCO (Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon) so I do have a little time on my hands. Please do let me know. I’m in Southeast Portland, Oregon. Would it be weird if I posted to craigslist or something? I don’t want every person on earth calling to exploit me for free labor, but I do want to help someone out who just needs an extra set of hands sometimes. ~Naiya
Thanks. Good to know. I’m just now reaching out again. Been a long time. I’d be happy just to come hang out and work for you for a day, or maybe even on a regular basis. I often volunteer with animal organizations. No longer with FCCO (Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon) so I do have a little time on my hands. Please do let me know. I’m in Southeast Portland, Oregon. Would it be weird if I posted to craigslist or something? I don’t want every person on earth calling to exploit me for free labor, but I do want to help someone out who just needs an extra set of hands sometimes. ~Naiya
Riding without stirrups seems like a very interesting idea. I recently lengthened my stirrups as my new trainer preferred, and have come to like them. We often do courses and I will lose a stirrup and can continue cleanly without fault, but when I lose two is when I start sliding. Are here any exercises you can recommend to improve my seat?