RIDING WITHOUT STIRRUPS

A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOUR

It may surprise you to hear that riding with stirrups is not a form of torture devised by your instructor to ensure that you can’t walk for the next week, but instead, a VERY valuable exercise practised by lots of professional riders at the top of the sport.

Riding regularly without stirrups really improves your riding, and if you want to get better in the saddle, you're going to need to give it a try!

This practice helps you develop a good position, balance and an independent seat, and these are the foundations of good riding, whatever discipline you enjoy competing or riding in.

Getting started

1. Take your feet out of your stirrups, pull the buckles down and cross them over your pony’s withers. Always cross the right stirrup over his wither first, followed by your left. This is so that if you get off (on purpose or by accident!), you only need to take one stirrup down to get back on!

2. Make sure you relax! Whatever gait you are moving in, you need to make sure you stay relaxed. If you are tense, your pony will speed up, and you’ll push yourself out of the saddle and start to bounce! This is not comfortable (and, yes, we can tell you this from experience).

3. Try and ride with long legs and a straight back, with your shoulders and hands down. It is also important to make sure that you push your hands forwards, so you don’t lean on your hands for balance.

4. Ride as normal. Just because you don’t have stirrups doesn’t mean that all other instructions can be forgotten.

5. Start in the walk. Spend time getting your confidence up in walk and making sure that you are sitting as well as you can in the saddle. When you are ready, move into a sitting trot, but be aware that the transition will be particularly bumpy until you get used to the feel of the trot. If you need to, ride with one hand holding onto the saddle, and the other on the reins to help you feel safe. Canter is usually easier than trot because it is much smoother, but watch out when you return to trot, as this can be pretty bouncy for a few strides.