Training Behaviour Stable
We need to dare to think outside the box when we train with trailers
Line Hummel
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As children, it's often a diligent exercise used in teaching. When we reach the older days in our several of us don't immediately embrace the thought of riding without stirrups. Nonetheless, it's really good training, and here you can learn much more from Dressage Today’s Ann Guptill about why it's healthy to ride without stirrups.
“Then you lay the stirrups up in front of the saddle and stretch your legs down around the horse”. Did your riding instructor also often say this when you trotted off on little Dixie in the riding arena? Back then, it was a frequent exercise to ride without stirrups, and many also did it completely without a saddle – it was no problem! You just sat there, and of course, the ponies were mostly incredibly sweet. The familiar clinking sound from the metal stirrups, when everyone rode around the volte in trot, was something special. There weren't big worries about riding without stirrups, as it was a fixed part of the training.
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But why did so many of us stop riding without stirrups? There are probably many reasons, among others, the horses became more complicated to ride as we ourselves became more skilled. Then it's nice to have something that helps us sit more securely. However, this doesn't change the fact that riding without stirrups is still a good exercise, especially if you read the American dressage rider Ann Guptill’s training tips. She makes a living training dressage horses and riders and has herself participated in a ton of international and national competitions.
Riding without stirrups may seem very straightforward at first, "just take them off, and that's it" right? But no, there's a lot more to it. For example, according to Ann, you need to be very conscious of maintaining a vertical line, meaning that your head, shoulder, hip, and foot must align with each other in a vertical line. At the same time, your weight should primarily be carried by the upper part of your legs and not your seat. You should at all costs avoid the sofa position, where you lean back a lot. Remember to stretch your legs and make them as long as possible. This is precisely the opportunity to get down well around your horse, so remember to utilize it. The posture is incredibly important for the obvious reason, that one must spare the horse from discomfort and back pain – this is best done if you sit with the correct posture.
Besides the vertical line, you should also be aware not to push your weight either to the outside or inside. It might also be tempting to pull your legs up or forward, but that won't do either. The unfamiliar situation can cause most riders to clamp with their knees instead of their thighs, but this can confuse the horse, because you're asking it both to move forward and stop at the same time.
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You can't assume that your horse just knows how to handle all training without stirrups. Like everything else, your horse needs to learn it first. Therefore, you should always start with short intervals after you're sure that you and your horse are well warmed up. It could, for instance, be just a couple of minutes at a time on a volte in trot with tempo changes. Then down to walk, where you relax a bit, and then start again, possibly with some canter work.
As a child, the stirrups were always "thrown" up in front of the saddle, and this is where the nostalgic metallic sound comes into play. However, it's not quite that simple, even though the sweet riding school ponies made it seem that way. No, first of all, you need to be sure that your horse isn't scared of the clinking sound, especially if you have a young horse. Otherwise, Ann Guptill recommends that you take the stirrups completely off. If you choose to have them in front of the saddle, you should pull the buckle on the stirrup leather all the way out and away from the saddle, then you can lay the stirrups on the mane and shoulder. Be careful not to get the reins tangled in the straps.
It's no secret that if you're not used to riding without stirrups, you will be sore – really sore. It can seem like an impossible task ever to get back on your horse again after a training session with legs hanging loosely down around the horse. But remember, in the end, it's for the best for you and your horse, as you both become incredibly skilled from it. When you've accepted the worst pains, you'll be surprised at how much feeling you can have with your horse, how flexible it will make both of you, and how much more control you'll get over your balance. All indispensable in your daily riding of your horse.
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