No Stirrups?

[Arctic Myth]

I think I'm doing quite well trotting without stirrups, I dont exactly panic when asked but I have nearly fallen off twice. Anyone got any ideas what I can do to stop bouncing around when I have no stirrups?

[Rarah]

Well - firstly I'd say RELAX! It does get easier if you try not to think about what you're doing.

Also - some might think it's cheating a little, but if I find myself bouncing, I hold reins in one hand and hold onto my saddle with the other (just until I've steadied myself).

Have fun practising!

(Bouncing around always makes me laugh :p )

Sarah
x

[Arctic Myth]

Thanks, I tend to try and tell myself that I'm not bouncing, I'm imagining it, it words for about 5 seconds then I return to *bounce* *bounce* *bouce* it was wierd first time, feeling like all my insides being jogged up and down.:)

[Captain Equidan]

Take a deap breath, hold it for a second then just let it out and completely relax every muscle you have & empty your mind - then you can start afresh. You want to try and absorb the movement in your lower back. See if you can feel how the horse is moving underneath you and let your body follow.

If you are tense and have your back dead straight and rigid you'll be all over the shop!

[PaulaqhMax]

When I was learning to trot without stirrups I was told to relax and lean back a bit rember relax your shoulders and arms too.

[Wally]

Sitting trot is one of the most dynamic moves you will do on a horse, relaxing is not the answer, you'll become a dead weight and a sack of tatties. You need to learn to work HARD with the horse and use your body and muscles to absorb and movement with the horse, relaxing indicates no work!

Sit tall, Feel your seat bones, they are like the rockers on a rocking chair, you need to control the rocking on your seatbones along with your belly and spine muscles. Rock on your seat bones, your spine will flex in and out, you need to control this, NOT RELAX.

It is a controlled rock back and forward on your seat bones which makes you work with the horse, it will wear you out if you are doing it properly over long periods if you are not used to it.

Practice sitting trot by doing no more than 12 strides at a time, fewer if you are not fit, come back to walk, do another, back to walk and another, work up from a few strides at a time, if you bounce, come back to walk, re adjust yourself and try again.

[BackintheSaddle]

Can you feel how the horse's back moves your pelvis in walk? In trot it's not all that different. Lots more up and down, but still a side to side component as well. When I think about that, I do a better job absorbing the motion. My worst habit when working without stirrups is doing sort of a belly dance to absorb the bounce. Looks silly from the ground and holds a lot of tension in my back and makes me SORE!

[Wally]

Watch the backside of a horse in front of you, every time he steps forward with a hind leg his backside will drop on that side.....so will your hip, this is something you will have to learn too, It happens in walk and trot and canter.

[kedwards]

As Wally pointed out above, sitting the trot well actually takes quite a bit of strength (particularly through your torso). Long periods of incorrect stirrupless work in trot can be hard on the horse and rider.

I'd suggest doing just a few strides at a time. If you can only maintain 5 seconds right now, then just work on doing 5 second at a time, then going back to walk. Keep repeating and only increase the length of time in trot to a point where you can keep it smooth and balanced. Even if you are just doing 5 seconds, the frequent transitions and the balanced work will be excellent exercise for both the horse and rider, and it won't be long before you can keep up the balanced trot work for longer and longer periods.

[teapot]

Ditto about how hard work sitting trot is. Make sure you are fit and supple otherwise you'll find that the more you do, the worse it'll get.

I would recommend lunge lessons as the best way of improving the sitting trot as then you dont have to worry about controlling the horse etc

[cosmic_angel_12]

I make sure all my weight is in legs/feet. I relax my top half and go with the horse. I wrap my legs around the belly, making sure my heals are still down, this gives me a sense of security. I also recomend lunge lessons, unless your like me and you end up dangline on the side of the saddle in a thorn bush hehe :p

[Arctic Myth]

Thorn bush eh?

Well I had another lesson yesterday so I tell you how it went, we did quite a lot of stirrupless trotting with the reins in one hand and having to steer with your feet, (Btw, this horse although trained in dressage bounces up and down like a pogo stick and rarely moves off your leg....) it helped when I tried to imagine my legs were somehow stuck to the ground, pulling me onto the horse. I relax and so on, but I dont exactly 'flop' in the saddle if thats what you might be saying? My RI is good though, she can imdiately tell if one of us is having trouble and brings me or whoever back to a walk, she is very easy to get on with too!:) Aren't I lucky...

Well I hope to bring back better news net week!:rolleyes:

[palmerlover52]

I don't know why, but i find tilting my pelvis (remember to sit up straight) towards the sky is helpful :D

[burness_21]

my instructor always told me to tilt my pelvis up to the sky(but make suve you sit up straight) this realy helped me.

[Sol's mum]

Glad its not only me with this prob, I have what seems the bounciest horse on our year! The first time I did trot without stirrups I was hanging round his neck with both me and my RI laughing hysterically! (Good job it was a 1-1 lesson!) - practice is the best solution and not thinking about it to much, thinking about it makes it harder, sit and be at one with your horse. (work through the pain!) :D. I also find a lunge lesson good for this exercise and well worth it for establishing a good seat

[Arctic Myth]

Okay then, I'll try that next time I have to do sitting trot:D I seem to go from doing it effortlessly to bumping about, just gotta capture that balance:D

[stormchaser]

Arrrghhh I'm all over the place with sitting trot now and then... but some things that have been suggested to me, or I have tried and helps:

-during no-stirrup work, relax and feel the horse's movement in walk, then later try to walk with the horse with your lower back, stomach and legs. Remember this up-down-sidetoside movement when you trot. Trot without stirrups, also replicating this movement, then take your stirrups back.
-Lengthen your stirrups as much as you can. Trot trot trot till you stop bouncing and can move with the horse. Then you can start shortening them to normal length or whatever you are comfortable with.
-Read Heather Moffett :D

Like Wally said, do not relax too much! Relax only when you're trying to get a feel of the horse's movement so that you can move and syncronize your body to the movement! It's tough work, I'm not perfect at it, but I hope to master sitting trot soon.