posting without stirrups

[bman1354]

Hi everyone, I'm a newcomer to this site and would welcome some advice. I have starting taking lessons again this past July. I had not ridden in 30 years! My instructor said that unless I can post without stirrups, I won't progress to learning to canter.
I find that I cannot post without stirrups unless I'm gripping with my legs. Am I doing this incorrectly? I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks.

[IrisSilverMoon]

well seeing as i'm not sure how you could post without stirrups and not grip somewhere i think you are doing it right!

you will grip with your calves though, not your knees (which can tilt you forward).

my advice is to sort of let the horse push you into the posting, you won't have to post very high so you should be able to grip lightly. The horse kind of throws you into the movement, just barely go up and down, enough so you clear your rear of the saddle, but not so high it takes a large amount of effort to do and you end up tired.

[cwb]

OK - this is actually easier than it sounds - you pivot on your thighs, using the horse's movement to lift you from the saddle, the lower leg should stay still and relaxed against the side of the horse - not gripping but you should be able to feel the warmth of the horse on your calves.

As you feel the outside hind quarter rise, let it push you up and forward, but keep your body upright so the angle between your thigh and body opens at the same time and the same amount as the angle between the thigh and lower leg opens.

The amount of lift is not great - it is the rythm that makes the ride comfortable for you and the horse.

I just love trotting without stirrups, I fact I prefer riding without stirrups to riding with them - at least I can't lose them and ALL my weight is keeping me in the saddle rather than going into the stirrups and lifting me out!

[fishiz3434]

i just had a bareback lesson and had to post for and hour in trot and my coach said it wouldn't be until my legs got tired that i would not grip and ise properly, it took ages before she said i was doing right cos i think i was a bit stonger than she had though so i gripped for longer without getting tired but once i just leg my legs rest and use the horse and my hips to post it was so easy and i barly left the horses bac and she sai it was perfect...so after that detailed speil, just dont try too hard to rise and just go with the horse with your hips and u'll naturally rise...or trot bareback for and hour and wait until your legs give in from gripping and then u'll get it and it'll never leave you :) Hope this helps

[Wally]

Your bum doesn't have to leave the saddle. just a gentle rock forwards and backwards.

[Skib]

Dont believe everything an instructor tell you. I was only once in learning to ride asked to post with no stirrups. I was far too incompetent to manage it. But I canter beautifully.
My canter is based on my sitting trot. I learned to do sitting trot with no stirrups. Then sitting trot with stirrups - which is regarded as harder. And then sitting canter.

I'd like to know whether the UK custom of asking students to rise in trot with no stirrups is to aleviate their otherwise bouncing about? Which they should not be doing in the first place? Because apart from anyting else, it isnt good for the RS horses. And it is frequently brought up as a problem on NR.

You dont even have to rise in trot with stirrups, to be able to canter smoothly. In the USA (Western) and in the UK (classical) there are riding teachers who deliberately delay teaching rising trot. Students learn to canter or lope easily who havent yet mastered rising trot at all.

[cwb]

Skib,

Rising trot without stirrups helped me a lot in developing lower leg stability and correct leg position.

Sitting trot without stirrups helped me more with deepening my seat.

Both helped in building confidence and were a significant stepping stone towards sitting to canter and riding a spook.

[bman1354]

Thanks you everyone for your excellent advice. I'm anxious to canter and I have no trouble with the sitting trot both with and without stirrups. I have a lesson today and will put all of your suggestions to use. Thanks again.