No stirrup problem - help!

[Hollymead]

Ok guys, my problem is with sitting trot, which gets worse when I'm stirrupless. I just feel SO insecure. I have been riding for 13 years now ( :eek: has it really been that long) so it's not like I'm a beginner. When I did my first year of uni we rode 3 times a week, and then I could walk, trot and canter fine without stirrups. Now, it just feels horrible.

My friend kindly gave me a lunge lesson (my first ever :o ) on her lovely gelding the other week and after a warm-up took my stirrups away. On the left rein I could only do working trot when holding on to the front of the saddle with one hand, whilst on the right ren I had to use both hands and felt majorly insecure.

Her gelding is very bouncy - on some of the horse at my ridng school I can do no-stirrup work without holding on, but then again, it's probably not at a true working pace.

My friend said my position was basically good - no leaning forward/backward, sound shoulder/hip/heel line, heels down, straight back, good shoulder/hand/bit line. When I trotted she noticed I tensed my shoulders and ankles and gripped with my thigh. When she pointed this out I made a conscious effort to relax and not grip, but then I bounced even more and it so felt like any second I would get bounced off. Such a vicious circle!

Any ideas?

[Funky MeerKAT]

It sounds like you are trying to get it all together at once, sitting on a big bouncy trot. Try to break it up into smaller bits, smaller goals.

Lungeing is very good, just start in walk and do lots of excercises to get really relaxed in the saddle, swing your legs, touch your toes and do windmills with your arms etc.

Once you are feeling really relaxed and stretched you can start trotting. With no stirrups is best, hold onto the front of the saddle and try not to think about it too much, it can help if you close your eyes and picture yourself somewhere else, try to think in slow motion. I find a great excercise is to go rising trot for five strides (yes, without stirrups!!) and then sitting for five strides. then gradually increase the number of sitting strides.

Start with the horse doing a really slow collected trot and then build up as you get better to a working trot. You can also start to do the excercises that you did in walk.

Don't try to do too much at once, set yourself small and realistic goals for each session and take your time. If its not happening that day, don't get upset, just finish before you get frustrated and try again the next day.

It may take up to a month, or less, or more. But you will get there!!

[Bay Mare]

When I trotted she noticed I tensed my shoulders and ankles and gripped with my thigh. When she pointed this out I made a conscious effort to relax and not grip, but then I bounced even more and it so felt like any second I would get bounced off. Such a vicious circle!

Any ideas?

This is probably the main problem and making an effort to relax may be making it worse. If you're stiff through your back then you can't absorb the movement so the only way to go is to bounce.

Try and get her to lunge you again but chat to you all the time. Not about what you're doing but just general stuff, this can help you to relax. Not exactly scientific but it works for me! It's difficult to chat and be tense at the same time http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/froehlich/a020.gif

It may also be a good idea to do lots of transitions so that you're not actually doing trot for long periods which will only make it get worse and worse. Build up slowly, it's better to do two strides without bouncing today, 3 tomorrow and 4 next week than try to sit to the trot for 5 minutes at a time bouncing all the way http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/froehlich/e035.gif

How's your sitting trot with stirrups? Do you get the same thing?

[Hollymead]

Bay Mare - sitting trot with stirrups I can maintain at a working pace without holding on, but I don't feel very comfortable or stylish, and I don't feel that I'm doing the horses' back much good either :o
I think you're both right about trying to do too much - we were at working pace from the start, and doing several circles at a time. It's virtually impossible to get in a regular session with Frankie (that's the horse) because I work very odd shifts that change week on week. Frankie is also helping with my jumping (lots of nerves, postion needs improvement), so what I'll probably do is alternate a jump ride with a lunge ride.
Funky MeerKAT - rising trot without stirrups is no problem, I can do that for ages :rolleyes: :D

[Trewsers]

My instructor does what funkymeercat suggested, we start off by getting relaxed - touching toes, letting arms out windmill stylie etc. It really does help unwind the tenseness - which doesn't help your position. With me, I find its all a matter of taking it slowly and not rushing and trying to fit it all in in one lesson - my teacher is brilliant, cos she knows exactly when to leave it and when to push for a bit more (I'm lucky :) ). By the way, you must have legs of iron if you can do rising trot no problem without stirrups - I salute you :D

[Hollymead]

By the way, you must have legs of iron if you can do rising trot no problem without stirrups - I salute you :D

:D He he, my friends are always going on about how strong I am despite my size (I'm 5'3'' and a size 10). Although I think that it can cause me problems sometimes as when I panic and grip, I GRIP :o It does stop me from falling off sometimes (I once jumped a 2'3'' double hanging off the side of a horse using only my right leg, which was behind the saddle flap, to stay on :eek: And no, I wasn't supposed to be jumping the double half out the side door!)

[wildponies]

Start practising with a slower sitting trot. You're probably going too fast, collect the pony into a nice jog rather than a lively trot. Just sit up and 'feel it', think SLOW! :)