Is This An Advanced Move

[Laura4543]

Hello,

My instructor feels I should be able to stand up (and stay up on my stirrups) in walk and trot before I canter.

It is really hard!

Is this a common move?

Can other people do it easily.

I am finding it tough and nearly went over the horses head today.

It is also a bit depressing because to me it seems very advanced but she seems to like it is not.

 

[carthorse]

She's looking to strengthen and secure your lower leg position which will make you more secure when you canter. The fact that you find it very difficult and are tipping forward highlights that you need to work on this area and that your teacher is right to focus on it.

 

[Jessey]

I wouldn't consider it advanced, it's just a balance and stability exercise and ensuring you are strong and balanced before cantering is definitely a good thing for you and the horse it's one of those things you just need to practise, once you get it you'll find it easy.

 

[Skib]

I have had to do that in walk and trot. Have a grab strap on the front of the saddle is if you need to steady yourself.
One good exercise in walk and trot is to sit, stand and then forward seat. 10 strides each.
It trains the horse too. Out hacking many RS horses think that if one sits in trot it means one wants canter.
After you have learned to canter one can alternate forward seat and sitting canter - to start with sitting down may stop the canter.

 

[Trewsers]

Sounds hideous. I have a brief recollection of being made to do similar. Glad I don't have lessons any more on that basis. Think I'd be in a & e for a week or bed. My ankles and legs wouldn't stand up to that. I pootle and potter though. Nothing strenuous.

 

[Skib]

Glad I don't have lessons any more on that basis. Think I'd be in a & e for a week or bed.

Let me reassure you Trewsers. Experienced o.a.p. riders have a lot of choice in what they do in lessons.
But on the other hande, it is us o.a.p.riders who need to stand in our stirrups sometimes in walk. Same goes for anyone younger with a bad back. Sitting a long time in walk is bad news. We walk standing in our stirrups sometimes, to loosen ourselves up before we get back to the yard and need to dismount.

 

[newforest]

I often stand in the stirrups to check my weight in them, or as part of an exercise I feel like doing.
It's great for building core strength.

 

[Trewsers]

I often stand in the stirrups to check my weight in them, or as part of an exercise I feel like doing.
It's great for building core strength.

Yes I used to that with Storm back in the days of me wriggling about and trying to get comfy lol I couldn't do a lot of it though. Don't think I've ever had much core or strength!
I don't do it with Zi, he's immediately comfortable. Or am I just worried he'll not be happy if I move?!!!

 

[chunky monkey]

I think it teaches balance. I know one of the girls that was riding with me was taught to do lots of two point in trot and canter. It definitely helped her. Shes gone on to work on a racing yard and now spends alot of time in two point canter.
I think it also helps to build your muscles and teaches balance rather than gripping.

 

[Skib]

I have never had any core.
But I have recently learned that standing in one's stirrups (a ballance exercise, as explained above, is not the same as a safe forward seat where one should still be riding the hose between leg and hand.
That is very different from the precarious forward seat I was taught out hacking.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I used to do this out hacking just to be sure I could! It's an excellent exercise.

 

[Huggy]

Sounds hideous. I have a brief recollection of being made to do similar. Glad I don't have lessons any more on that basis. Think I'd be in a & e for a week or bed. My ankles and legs wouldn't stand up to that. I pootle and potter though. Nothing strenuous.

Legging fatso on is strenuous enough for me

 

[newforest]

Legging fatso on is strenuous enough for me

I used to think that with mine until I adjusted my stirrup length. Even at her widest I can get my calf on.
I try to remember the effortless for me as she's making the effort, as oppose to effortless for her because I am.

 

[Trewsers]

Legging fatso on is strenuous enough for me

Lol lol I know the feeling. My legs are sometimes ineffective on Zi!! (think pea on a drum!!!)

 

[newforest]

How many of you have read/ replied and had a go at this.
Thanks for posting Op, because it gave me something fun to include in my schooling session.

Initially the cob on realising I hadn't sat back down just went back to walk a few times. Then she thought it would add some interest if she left the track completely.

Doing it in trot, it felt like it puts me into my jumping position.
In order to strengthen myself I may swap to changing my diagonal by standing for two strides and not sitting.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

I do it at trot if my knee is sore as it is less jolting

 

[Toz]

I have a stiff/sore Hip and lower back. I can’t do stirrupless work (id have a go on a super quiet horse but not mine!) so an instructor recommended standing as an alternative for lower leg, core balance etc.
It is hard at first but quickly becomes easy if you do it enough. I suspect that’s your problem tbh. If your only doing it in a lesson once a week or whatever. I was doing it daily. A few strides at first until I could do it as long as I wanted. Probably gone a bit backward since having Oz as I’m concentrating on staying on and going forward (or slowing things down depending on his mood!)
I wonder if there’s any similar exercise you can do off a horse at home to help?

 

[Jessey]

How many of you have read/ replied and had a go at this.
Thanks for posting Op, because it gave me something fun to include in my schooling session.

Initially the cob on realising I hadn't sat back down just went back to walk a few times. Then she thought it would add some interest if she left the track completely.

Doing it in trot, it felt like it puts me into my jumping position.
In order to strengthen myself I may swap to changing my diagonal by standing for two strides and not sitting.

I do it regularly, probably most rides, as we tend to be out for a good while I use it to stretch or when we trot a long way to change up from rising or to check for any lameness at a bigger trot than I can do sitting or to realign my body as I can get unlevel if my pain/tension is bothering me

 

[Bodshi]

How many of you have read/ replied and had a go at this.
Thanks for posting Op, because it gave me something fun to include in my schooling session.

Initially the cob on realising I hadn't sat back down just went back to walk a few times. Then she thought it would add some interest if she left the track completely.

Doing it in trot, it felt like it puts me into my jumping position.
In order to strengthen myself I may swap to changing my diagonal by standing for two strides and not sitting.

I did it on our pleasure ride yesterday to stretch out my hip flexors (think that's the correct body part). However I can imagine it's one thing doing it on a ride with other horses when Raf will just carry on keeping up with the others and quite another if I tried it in the school, where I think impulsion and steering would definitely go out of the window, we'd probably end up wandering at slow speed aimlessly towards the centre of the arena ...