Finding my seat?

[nownikki]

I'm 22 years old, and just started taking riding lessons about 5 weeks ago. Well, on my last lesson (lesson 5), I fell off...hard. My instructor had me trot without stirrups, and apparently I was squeezing too hard with my legs, because the horse took off cantering, and I hit the dirt! At any rate, my instructor told me she has her students ride without stirrups in an effort to help them "find their seat," which I believe means balance, comfort and confidence in the saddle, or something along those lines. So my question is, how long will it take me to find my seat? Will it take years? Months? I only ride once a week, and I hope to find my seat soon, as I'm not too fond of falling!

[hlstarmie]

It shouldnt take you long as long as you relax when riding. If you are tense your seat will not feel comfortable.
Is your seat comfortable at walk? Do you just feel you loose it when trot?

[fran]

Hi nownikki and welcome! Hope your fall didn't hurt you too much, or shake your confidence too badly. Trotting without stirrups is really tough to start with, but it can help to get your back muscles moving in the right way and help your position. BUT it's really important, I think, only to do a very little without stirrups at start with (better for you and the horse). Heather's book (see the bookshop page for details) is brilliant for explaining what should be happening when you sit to the trot. Hopefully your teacher will only get you to do a few strides of stirrupless trot at a time - then you can start to feel in your back what's meant to be happening. At the moment I'm riding a horse with a huge trot which I find quite difficult to sit to minus stirrups - so when in doubt I hold the front of the saddle to steady myself.

[Gilly]

I too, took a tumble recently without stirrups, even tho' I'd been doing it for some time. It's all about relaxing and not concentrating too hard on the fact that you haven't got your feet in stirrups. When you can let go of that fact and relax and that is the key word, then it becomes easier. When you begin to feel yourself bounce or slip, you naturally panic and 'grip up', which is what you did when your horse took off into canter. Let your legs hang long and low, open your pelvic muscles and let your lower back soften, flex in and out to absorb the movement of the horse, and eventually, it will all slot into place. Time and practice is what it takes. Frustrating it may be, I've been there and worn the T-shirt loads of times - but when you finally get it, it's a great feeling. Persevere!.

[Charlotte]

Is your instructor lungeing you, or are you trotting without stirrups free rein?

If you haven't been lunged, I would highly recommend it for 'stirrupless' work! You can concentrate on your seat and position without having to worry about controlling the horse. Perhaps suggest this next time you have your lesson?

[Horse Girl 5000]

All you have to do is relax! You're tense, so is the horse, You relax, the horse relaxes. Just relax and move with the horse.

[Peace]

I've not yet tried trotting w/o stirrups using a saddle, but over Christmas I rode bareback for a few lessons. If you're using a saddle, I wonder if it might not be easier for you to follow the horse's motion without one. I also think the tendency to grip is less, because without the knee rolls in the way, your legs will fit pretty securely just behind the horse's shoulders. Of course, you won't have a pommel to catch your balance, but you can always hold onto the mane. Pretty essential to have a nice, quiet, trustworthy horse for this, though. I also found out that you should refuse a bareback pad, if offered, because they slip to one side as soon as you start to trot!

[Wally]

I certainly would not expect a raw novice after just 5 lessons to be trotting around under their own steam without stirrups.
It is as much as anyone can do to keep their balance after such a short time riding, add to this controlling , what sounds like a sensitive horse, I'm not surprised you came off. It wasn't your fault.

It is necessary to do work without stirrups, but your instructor was asking a bit much.

Get your balance, independent of everything else, then once you are secure then learn to control the horse.

Don't be discouraged, you only have to fall another 6 times now, or so the old saying goes, to call yourself a rider!!

Good luck.

[minx]

it's a little bit too soon for you to do sitting trot isn't it, esp w/o stirrups?? though it's easier w/o the stirrups you'll feel more secure with them on.

rest assured, i'm not good in sitting trot either, and i've ridden for more than 6 mths. not as long as many others but i just want to tell u that trotting w/o stirrups after only 5 lessons is too high an expectation from your instructor, and it is not at all your fault that u gripped and fell. i fell 3 times and i was riding ponies! i gripped too the first few times trotting w/o stirrups and very often caused the pony to take off, which in one unfortunate incident, i fell and fractured a rib. my advice to u if u fall is to roll immediately u land on the ground. though it is sand, the impact might still cause injuries. rolling lessens the impact, i didn't even feel any pain when i fell twice more!

after some time u will eventually learn not to grip, and to find your seat (which means sitting in the centre of the saddle). in Heather's video, it is shown that u can raise both your legs and rest them directly in front of the saddle flaps(like when u want to tighten the girth when you're on your horse) and push yourself gently forwar (don't jump on the horse!), then place your legs back to their normal positions.

hope that helps!

minx

[nownikki]

Thanks for your helpful and supportive replies, everyone! The general theme seems to be that I'm a little too new at riding to be expected to ride w/o stirrups. Well, at any rate, I shall persevere and take all of your hints with me to my lesson tomorrow!

Thanks again...
Nikki