no stirrups, canter to trot.. HELP!

[fimonkey]

How on earth do you do it? I hack out (rarely school due to lack of facilities) and have been trying to do some work without stirrups to improve my riding. I can sit to the trot (and rise without stirrups for about 1/2 minute before my legs complain harshly) but when I try to come back from canter without stirrups (which I can sit very comfortable) to a trot I bounce about all over the place and sometimes have to grab the pommel.

I do try and sit back and lengthen my legs as we come back down a pace, but it seems impossible, anyone got any tips? Is it using completely different muscles from sitting at teh canter?

Thanks

[fitz]

I think thats something thats difficult to master even when you do have stirrups;) Schooling would be the way to approach this, but you have limited facilites. You should be seeking to practice transitions with your horse and improve the horses balance.

[piftisha]

Horses usually have a nice forward working trot when coming out of canter, so it is really much easier to post until you have them back down into a sit-able (new word!) trot.

Lots and lots of posting without stirrups will make it so you can do this. Or just do Walk-Canter-Walk transitions when you're working without stirrups until you build up your leg muscles.

[xxxkristinaxxx]

Yes horses do have a fast trot when coming out of canter.
Use a few half halts to make the trot slower and more balanced.

[Skib]

This is not something that is compulsory? Or necessary? Downward transiton from canter to trot is known to be difficult without stirrups, so why do it?
My RI doesnt let me do it as she says in my case there is no benefit to justify the risk.

[Iron Maiden]

In my experience it's a flippin useful thing to be able to do, being someone who specialises in losing stirrups in a variety of circumstances! If you know that you can ride without them, you don't panic if you do lose an iron or 2, instead you stay focused and it's much easier to ride through whatever problem caused the stirrup loss in the first place. Best tip I can suggest is relax, relax, relax! The stiffer you are, the higher you will bounce!! If you anticipate a horrible, bumpy downward transition the chances are you will tense up & make matters worse so try to visualise something lovely & smooth and stay as relaxed as possible through the transition.

[julia gulia]

I have to agree with Iron Maiden on this..I think it is a very beneficial thing to master. When transitioning down from the canter, breath out slowly, stretch up and relax.:)

[Skib]

My RI has other (less risky) ways of teaching one to learn to ride with no stirrups. I learned by riding bareback in walk and trot.
I did once lose a stirrup when my horse cantered off after a spook and turn. But it didnt seem a problem to me. Especially as a saddle is less slippery than a naked horse.

[coverblown]

Seems a useful thing to be able to do; but is there a problem with holding on to the pommel, or mane, or neck strap (as long as you don't get pulled, or tip, forward)...

A.

[Crazyhorse]

A lot depends on the type of trot the horse you are riding has. I do this exercise quite a lot at my RS on a variety of horses and the bouncy horses are definetely a challenge! A different RI I used to have used to make me canter without stirrups but instead of crossing them would make me just take my feet out and then before the canter -trot transition put my feet back in. She also used to make me put me feet in and out during the canter as she believed this was more realistic if you lost your stirrups out hacking etc. I have to say both ways have been valuable to me, and aside from any other benefit it improves your confidence so that you don't panic when you lose stirrups.

[Trio]

definitely a good thing to practise as you never know when you may need to do this for real. also it does depend on the horse/pony- soem are so smooth it makes it seem easy but then you always get the bouncy arab or TB who makes it seem impossible- as everyone had said- relax, sit back and if in doubt grab the pommel/neck rein to stabilise yourself.

[ponylover88]

When preparing to come back down to trot, keep your leg on but half halt to steady the horse up into more of a collected canter, then when you ask for trot the transition wont be so bouncy.

I hate riding with stirrups, will go without when possible ... im strange! Theres one horse at college who i love riding without stirrups so much its unbelievable! - Ok many horses, and i love riding my own without too!

ETA:: The only real way to 'get' the transition is practise. :)

[fitz]

I'm not sure if practising this on badly schooled riding school horses is a beneficial thing to anyone to be honest. Fair enough if the horse is very smooth and balanced.. otherwise its just going to be riders bouncing around on the horses back and the horse hollowing even further to avoid the discomfort of this. I'd do this at home on my own horse if I thought they were able for it.. but otherwise, I just dont really see the point.

[coss]

canter will give the horse more energy so when you come back to trot the horse has more energy to lose and they give you a bouncier a trot, you can either cheat and do canter to walk - therefore missing out the bounciness and then ask for trot and you should manage or you have to really bounce your bum. was riding yesterday and my RI came down for a chat and was saying that the new way she's come up with thinking about sitting trot is to imagine you're on a space hopper, you have to move your hips and pelvis to get the thing to bounce... you have to move your hips and pelvis to successfully "bounce" with the horse.