Uneven stirrups for uneven hips

[Mare-e]

Have recently realized that not only do my hips articulate differently, but my right hip and leg are a bit weaker. This might explain why I have more trouble keeping my right heel down, I occassionally loose my right stirrup with very bouncy horses, and have trouble moving and keeping a horse to the left. Had a lesson with a new teacher at a new school yesterday (my old school went bankrupt last week!), and he suggested I take my right stirrup leather up a notch to encourage my right heel down and to strenghen my right leg. It felt a bit weird at first but I did ride better. Is this confusing in any way to a horse? Have you ever heard this suggestion to correct uneveness?

[Blue]

I think I have a similar problem. I often lose the right stirrup, especially on bouncy horses, and can never seem to get them the correct length. I had hip problems as a baby, and have always had quite a wiggly walk (!)

One thing you might find helpful is to have the left stirrup one notch shorter than the right, if you are using old leathers. I was told that this is because if the leathers are not changed frequently, the left will stretch with the repeated strain put on it when people mount.

I will be interested to see if anyone has any theories or suggestions.

[Mare-e]

Blue,

What you said about the left stirrup leather stretching out makes sense, but it was actually the right stirrup leather that we shortened. And for the rest of that hour I did ride more securely in posting trot. I am just curious as to whether this is an appropriate way to train my legs/hips short term, or if this is a way I should always ride if it feels comfortable, or if I should concentrate on off-horse exercise to balance my body and only ride with stirrups the same lenth.

[lamprellsarah]

i think you could ride like that as long as it don't get to the point where you need to shorten another hole, if it's more comfortable something must be right, so why change? exercises off horse are always good for stregthen the muscles and getting a good position, so i would do them anyway.

[intouch]

I think the main consideration here must be the comfort and balance of the horse. If by riding one hole shorter, you are better balanced and helping the horse, OK, but if you are weighting one hip more than the other, then it is not a long term solution. Agree with the last post, off horse strengthening exercises would be good.

[floppy]

my friends mum has a probelm with her hip and walks with one hip slightly higher than the left and when she rides she has the stirrups a notch higher on one side than the other
the exercises i would agree with..why not talk to some of the peopl eon this site that have disabilities? im sur ethey could give you some really good advice rfom what they have had to learn for themsevles...now let me think who are the...hmm..i cant think...silvia?
gwellenian..i just knwo i have spellt that wrong...adn they are a few other people too i thik...

[Moonlightrider]

I ride with uneven stirrups sometimes... mostly when I had to roll them and don't feel like changing them :)... if it helps, use it.

[claireh]

I have two dodgy hips, but the right one is much worse- my riding instructor cannot believe the things I can do with my legs/hips- she says it shouldn't be physically possible!

Anyway..to get back to your question.. my right leg is slightly longer and my right hip 'falls' out of the socket a little when I ride, making my right leg quite a bit longer and causing me to collapse to the right- so I ride with my right stirrup leather two holes shorter to compensate for my naturally longer leg and to try to stop my hip 'falling out'- it works great for me, my own horse and the riding school horses!

So..if it works & isn't causing you or the horse any further problems, or compounding a problem that could be fixed with excersises etc... go for it!

[Dizzy]

I had a similar problem, mine showed its self in a similar way by I always felt as if one stirrup was longer than the other - even though I always checked before I got on by standing in front with stirrups down, then after mounting have someone else check, yet after riding for a few minutes I felt uneven. My problem was that I sat with my right hip and shoulder more advanced than my left.

My instructor gave me a check list - after mounting, stand up in my stirrups and feel an equal amount of weight falling through each leg. Sit in the saddle and have my hip bones mirror the horses shoulders. Check my shoulders are open and above my hips. Every time I feel uneven I still check (unfortunately old habits die hard). I also did alot of riding without stirrups, I found trot was best but also hardest, trotting stirrupless figures of eight or circles really shows you how your balance and weight aids influence the horse. The other exercise I did was ride in cross country position (stood up in balance astride the horse) to do this you need an equal amount of weight falling through each leg, which will put your hips in position, even I couldn't remain twisted doing this. It was very very tiring but well worth the pain.

I think (unless you have a disability) you already have the right idea that shortening one stirrup is a short term solution and not correcting the problem, it is like putting a bucket under a dripping tap.

Good luck

Lesley

[Mare-e]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Dizzy,
Yes, I did sense that uneven stirrups was perhaps "cheating" and only a short term solution. I am not disabled, merely aging slightly off balance maybe? Anyway, will continue working on and off horse to balance and strengthen. Will use the uneven stirrups with teacher's guidance where appropriate. Would maybe be appropriate to have uneven stirrups for a lengthy hack/trail ride where the best position for comfort and control would be the deciding factor.

[floppy]

definately until you get your balanced sorted i would ride with uneven stirrups because if you make them so they are even then you are going to get eithe rserious knee pain from them being too short or you are oging to keep loosing your one stirrup!:)

[Gwenllian]

I have a hip problem which leaves me with my left leg one and a half inches shorter than the right. I have encountered similar problems to yours, and theuy have continually hindered my attempts at a successful canter for many years.....until about two weeks ago.Solution number one to aid the heels down problem: Use endurance stirrups,the caged ones....OK so they might not be pretty, but they've been invaluable to me....but take a while to get used to them before you decide to write them off as a "no-no".Bit pricey too.....see if you can borrow some to try.
Number two: And this can only be done if you manage to get used to number one.I'm not sure it would be practical with ordinary stirrups.Find a friendly, cobbler/better still saddler, and get him to build up the rubber part of the appropriate stirrup which will then be for your shorter leg.This has worked wonders for me!! Has stopped my lop sidedness almost fully.If You have had this imbalance for many years......I recommend that you get your GP to measure the true difference, and then DON'T try to compensate fully.I did initially, and it gave me back-ache....afterall I had been walking around with a crooked spine for the last 40 years,Let me know how you get on!!

[Mare-e]

Gwenllian,
Nice to hear from you. My legs are the same length - both short. My hip and ankle joints just articulate a bit differently and seem to result in slightly less strength and "heel down" on the right side. It has taken two years for me to even discern the difference.

Since I use school horses and only ride once a week, I'm not sure about in investing in my own stirrups at this point. Have seen endurance stirrups in magazines. How do they change the way you ride in relation to hip differences? I have come unseated in my few attempts to cantor so am particularly interested in your comments as a possible solution to that also.

[Gwenllian]

Point taken...think I got a bit carried away-sorry!! I think it might be the fact that there is a larger bearing surface on the endurance stirrups.You can ofcourse buy then without the cages but identical in all other ways.The confidence that your feet will not slip through whatever happens, also helps psychologically, but there's more to it than that too, though i can't quite put my finger on it. They have quite pronounced grips, not severe,but prnounced.Also if you're not too hot at cantering...I can' t remember what you said now,but if you tend to bounce in the saddle at canter, and your legs bounce with you,the 'hood' effect on the stirrups, make it much harder to lose them.By and large though I'm sure it's more to do with the larger bearing surface.You have a better hold of the stirrup from the outset.I really do recommend a try,if you can possibly get hold of some.I also find that there is a very slight and pleasant amount if 'give' in the endurance stirrups which DEFINITELY reduces joint strain especially at the trot.They will however, NOT replace getting a really good deep seat for cantering.They have really helped me.I cannot urge you enough to try them if you can.Not just once though as they take a little getting used to.Where do you live,are you a long way from me??

[Mare-e]

Gwenllian,

No, you did not get carried away at all. Your advise is based on your personal experience. Think I understand what you mean about the endurance stirrups. I remember a diffference in riding with stirrups with worn treads (slippery) and nice new rubber treads and what I assume was a children's size (better grip and no place for foot to slide). Will keep it in mind.

I live in Manhattan, in New York State. Since the only decent equestrian center in the city closed last week, I am now travelling to Leonia, New Jersey to try out a stable there. Since I have no car, it takes 3 buses plus a 10 minute walk to get there. Since it takes about 1 1/2 hours each way, I can only go on weekends. This is a real test of my devotion to riding.

[floppy]

well mare-e that really is test :)
maybe if you enjoy the new stables you could look to see if anyone else 'drives pass' you on their way there..and contribute to the petrol or something if the bus gets too much...
a suggestion that has nothign to do with this thread:D

[Mare-e]

Floppy,
Appreciate the good thought. Am hoping some of the other students from the school that closed will show up at this stable and that I might chance to coordinate with someone that has lessons at the same time so we can travel together. Actually, since this is a more full service facility there is the option to eventually lease a horse which would mean I would have to travel there at least 3 times a week to make it worth my while. Not easy, but a lovely dream to look forward to once I've gotten more secure and can handle a cantor on my own.

[floppy]

sounds brillaint :) wish they had something like in the riding schools where i am...in poland they had that...but not here in germany.

[Mare-e]

Floppy,

Am surprised that they don't have all sorts of riding options in Germany. I thought they did mainly a lot of classical riding there so they would have highly schooled horses and pretty refined teaching. Maybe I'm confusing it with Vienna?

[floppy]

they do all sorts of riding here..i meant as in leasing a horse for 3 days a week or something.

[Mare-e]

Floppy,

Ah, got it now. Yes, they do have monthly lease options at this stable and someone even mentioned to me sharing a lease. But it is so very expensive that I would have to reduce my work schedule to part time so I could spend enough time with the horse to make it worth while. Kind of hard to have less money coming in just when you need more of it to pay horsey expenses. Why does this so often have to come down to money?

Just curious, what does leasing cost elsewhere? That would be for horse, use of tack, full board. The facility I am starting at charges monthly and includes I think 5 hours of lessons.

[floppy]

i have no idea how much it costs....at the moment im riding a horse 2x a week and i pay the owner $30 a month to ride it for as short a time or as long a time as i want...i can do what i like with the horse..have riding lesson etc but then i pay for that too and they are not cheap! so i have one lesson every month- 2 months there because i cant save up for my own horse dishing out on having weekly riding lessons...i get free lessons with my cousins horse...
i do know a 16yr old girl who has a lease of a private horse at the riding school 2x a week for her lessons and to do shows with but i think here for the price you pay for sharing a horse with lessons on top its cheaper to just use the riding school horses!
or to go and buy your own horse and keep it somewhere else that doesnt burn your wallet up every month!:D