What to do in non-stirrup trot?

[NuttyMare]

Sounds strange, but I've been doing a lot of non stirrup work lately to strengthen my leg, despite the fact that I've never acutally been TOLD what to do with my leg! Can anyone help out?

[kirstie]

i would have thought non stirrup work means working without them so crossing the right then left stirrup over then pommel or near abouts and then riding as normable like what you have been told it strengthens your leg and makes you ride without relying too much on your stirrups. It helps you learn to sit comfortably and securely and to remain near the horse's center of gravity. :)

[equestrian3241]

Whenever I work without stirrups I ride exactly like I do with stirrups. Keep your leg in the right position (so that there is a straight vertical line fron your shoulder to your hip, down into your boot) and push your heels down, then do whatever excersizes your do with stirrups.

PS) A really good way to strengthen your leg is to ride without stirrups and do a half seat (this is when your butt is out of the saddle a little bit, so you look like you are about to go over a jump. It's really hard but a really good excersize.

[ploddycob]

Open your hips up and lengthen you legs by keeping your heels downas you would if you had your stirrups. Try no stirrups whilst on the lunge until you get used to it, it really is excellent for gaining a good seat.

one thing i would say is "wear a good sports bra!" lol :)

[stormchaser]

PS) A really good way to strengthen your leg is to ride without stirrups and do a half seat (this is when your butt is out of the saddle a little bit, so you look like you are about to go over a jump. It's really hard but a really good excersize.

Woah! Souhnds tough, but I intend to give this a try!

NuttyMare, you can try rising trot without stirrups as well. You might have to grip a little with your knees and lower legs, but in moderation it's good exercise if you want to strengthen your upper thighs.

For sitting trot, generally you can either sit with your leg totally relaxed and toes down, like vaulters do. Or you can adopt the same position as with stirrups (heels down). Wrap your legs around the horse, and feel his movement as he walks ('walk with the horse') and trots. I noticed sitting trot with stirrups improves after this exercise.

If you're brave enough do no-stirrup work in canter as well.

[Hanamoon]

My RI has me drop my stirrups (not cross them over the pommel), with my feet in the same position they would be in with stirrups (heels down, etc.) but also kind with my feet sort of holding the stirrups still against the horse. I haven't seen anyone at the barn cross their stirrups, just slip their feet out, ride a bit then slip back in. Any comments? I feel bad for the horse.

Also, posting trot without stirrups.... is this really physically possible? Owwwww!

[stormchaser]

Hanamoon... same thing here at my RS... I guess they want us to have stirrups within reach just in case. But horses don't seem to object. (my legs do, however! They bang on my ankles!)

Posting without stirrups is possible. You rise very little indeed, but actually you are just rolling your hips forwards and backwards (which you ought to do in trotting with stirrups anyway). The trot is a bouncy gait, and you're pretty much going to be able to spend some 'air time'!

[Baileigh]

Without stirrups - sit deep, your legs should be in roughly the same position, although perhaps lengthened, as they are when you have stirrups. Remember to use your legs to grip, relax your body - because if you are tense, you are more liable to fall, go with the pace of the horse - and if you are totally new to non-stirrup work, and it is safe to do so - you can grip the pommel to help push yourself deep into the saddle.

Canter without stirrups I found easier than trot, simply because canter is a rolling gait and naturally you sit to it, whereas trot takes work to sit to.

Saying that, I also spent years riding bareback, so would walk, trot, canter, gallop without a saddle, would jump 3ft etc - I'm only just getting back into bareback riding, and I tend to prefer bareback to crossing my stirrups.

Oh, and unless I was just at a standstill, I generally always prefer crossing the stirrups to get them out of the way, I can't imagine the horse likes them clattering against their sides!

[tabaskoa]

When I cross my stirrups to do no-stirrup work, the leathers seem to be right underneath my upper thigh - which is very uncomfortable. Am I doing something wrong?

[teach1]

riding without stirrups is only useful if your told where your leg should be. You need to think about pushing your knees down to the ground, not into the knee roll and really opening your hips. it looks from the ground as though you are riding with a very straight leg, but this helps to really deepen your seat. it is always best to have eyes on the ground to watch for your knee creeping up to the knee roll, lots of transistions without stirrups is a good test to see weather any tension creeps into your knees / ankles.

[danielle:>]

When I cross my stirrups to do no-stirrup work, the leathers seem to be right underneath my upper thigh - which is very uncomfortable. Am I doing something wrong?

Tabaskoa, I have been taught to pull the buckle away from the saddle, as if you were going to adjust your stirrups, but then just cross them as normal. This means you don't get the uncomfortable bump under your leg. Hope this helps :)

Danielle
xxx

[macinac]

Posting with stirrups is possible, but its hard work and as I've found, teaches to grip the saddle with the knee (baddd..) I usually just do sitting trots and canters and such.