Do you ride without stirrups on a regular basis? It has been 7 years since I began riding without stirrups, with one exception – when I go down the trail and spend a significant amount of time posting and two-point. This began as a pact with a good friend of mine to encourage one another to better our balance in the saddle and so we had a semi-official “removal of the stirrups” occasion and from then on my stirrups hand from their leathers off the saddle rack in my tack room.
The benefits of riding without stirrups go beyond the traditional hour long longe lesson. There are a number of subtleties present communicating to the horse with your hands, legs and seat and by separating the aids (i.e. hands without legs, legs without hands) you clarify to the horse your exact intentions as well as simplifying the work you do. Riding without stirrups immediately makes evident just how much you balance on the stirrups and the reins just the same as riding with one rein gives away how much you are correcting your one hand aid with the other hand.
Have you ever known a rider, or been one yourself, who has had an awkward moment on their horse resulting in losing a stirrup and either directly or through trying to regain their lost stirrup they come unseated and end up on the ground? I’ve witnessed it and nearly made it there myself before. Relying on the stirrups can put you in a dangerous position and in order to move on to more advanced riding it is important to remove as many obstacles and chances for failure or injury as possible. The same for removing as many distractions as you can which can impede communication with the horse. What does it say to the horse when we struggle to maintain or regain our foot’s placement in the stirrup during a ride or press into them side to side to maintain our position in the middle of the saddle?
I was riding Jobi last night, ponying Aligarh with Jason aboard when I began thinking about this out of the blue. At some point I recall realizing that riding with stirrups now feels more awkward than riding without, a large reason why I only reach for them when I’m faced with a 12 mile trail ride consistently largely of trotting. 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.
I was also thinking about the initial trepidation I felt with the thought, “I won’t have my stirrups to fall back on for security,” in 2005.
What might your thoughts or reservations be if you were faced with the idea of never riding with stirrups again? Do you think that you would be more willing to do it if some circumstance were different (if you were a teenager, if you had a quieter horse, if you rode in an enclosed area only, etc)? I’m not sure I would have been so open minded to relinquishing my stirrups were I faced with the decision today vs seven years ago – but then again I also had a fellow friend and rider to keep me motivated in doing so in the beginning. Love to hear your thoughts…
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)