Would riding with longer stirrups change how your horse holds itself?

FayeObs

New Member
Jul 20, 2008
1,323
0
0
39
Halifax
bradshawfriesians.webs.com
Question in the title really!!

Today I thought i'd try ride more "classical" with longer stirrups. Ive always ridden short! After I did, my horse seemed to totally change, she almost felt happier to be honest? It felt good for me too?

would this happen, or am i just imagining it? x
 
Your horse is your mirror and that goes for riding too. People who suffer back or hip problems from posture when riding often find that their horse does too!

Having longer stirrups probably helped you stretch out and keep your weight on the horses back, helping you become more stable rather than using the stirrups for balance.

:)
 
I see this problem alot, where people ride to short. If you ride short in order to keep your knees behind the knee rolls, your Bum gets pushed to the back of the saddle, which obviously means that you load the back of the saddle up
putting more weight back along the horses back, so the horse has to adjust and rebalance to carrying you there.
A simple exercise is to take your feet out of the stirrups and see what happens to your bum/pelvis it will go forward into the centre of the saddle, (always providing that the saddle is sat level).
So yes riding longer will help your position, and your horse will be alot happier and hopefully freer.:)
 
It "felt" right though! But now ive put them down, that feels "right" ... and going back feels horrible!!!

We got a tad wet lol, she wasnt best please! I made her walk past the pigglets too, they scare her REALLY bad lol must be the noise of them! (shrugs)
 
I ride long too, and was told years ago that with your feet out of the stirrups, the stirrups iron bottom piece should be on or just under your ankle bone, so you only life your toes 2 inches to put them in.
 
newrider.com