We’ve all heard that it can improve your riding if you spend a bit of time working without stirrups, but what benefits does it have and is it actually worthwhile? Turns out it’s a bit like eating your greens, not the tastiest part of the meal, but packed full of goodness.
Here’s a quick look into the rewards you can reap with your legs hanging loose:
- Get in tune – every horse has it’s own natural rhythm and riding without stirrups, even at a walk, can help you sync up with the movement of your horse. To really become one with your equine, let your legs hang down your horse’s sides, while letting your body relax and move with the natural flow of your horse. This is a great way to identify your horse’s way of going and give you a baseline to increase or decrease any pace from.
- Perfect your position – oftentimes riders develop poor posture, sitting like you’re in an armchair; leaning too far forward; or lifting heels up etc. When you take the support of your stirrups away, you gain a better sense of awareness of your body in relation to the horse. The ideal position is to be ‘standing over the horse’ – so if the horse was magically extracted from underneath you, you would land standing on your feet and not on your backside. Once you get this feel with no stirrups, re-create it once you have your stirrups back too.
- Balance – this is the obvious one, for a reason. Riding around with no stirrups forces you to engage your core and make continual, minor adjustments to stay tall and centred on your horse as he moves about underneath you. The more you practise riding long-legged and free, the better your overall balance will become, which is a benefit for any rider, no matter your chosen discipline!
In summary, the short answer is yes, incorporating a bit of no stirrup riding into your routine is well worth the effort. But remember, it’s perfect practise that makes perfect, so here are a couple of key points to set you on the right track:
- Regular, short bursts are much better for your horse’s back and for your body to realise actual benefit without overstraining (don’t just save it all up for one month of pain in ‘No Stirrups November’). Once or twice a week for 5-10mins a ride is a great place to start and you can build it up from there.
- Always ride to your level. You will see benefits at walk, trot and canter, but make sure you are balanced and able and your horse is calm, relaxed and in a safe environment before you take your stirrups away or start going faster. If in doubt, working with a coach is a great way to get started.
