No Stirrups November - will it help your riding?

[@JENGSTROM]

My trainer has me participate in no stirrups in small increments every lesson. Right now with no stirrups I am working on a posting trot. Which has really helped my jumping position. By learning to grip with thighs and the lower leg.

[@Captain-Palsy]

As a rider with Cerebral Palsy I do ride without stirrups for help with my Balance in short bursts.

[@algypsy17]

I think it depends on the horse. Some horses have such a nice trot that you can easily sit without stirrups for quite a long time, others are more difficult to sit and you better try to manage to do a bit without bouncing and get back your stirrups before you grip. Also better keep your stirrups if your horse is young or in a bad spooky mood day, no need to take risks. Otherwise riding bareback once a week I think is great, you naturally learn to do sitting trot and cannot grip, otherwise you will loose your balance as you slip.

[@jeffbobinski5766]

No Way. "No stirrup November" is followed by "Sign my cast December"!

[@ClaireDoesTooMuch]

😂

[@ondreaculp1215]

I am 64 yrs. old, had lower back surgery almost 6 months ago & have a balance problem due to a brain abnormality, but I persist in the never ending quest to become a good rider. I have the horse from HEAVEN - a rescued mare that I adore & for her I want to be the best rider I can. I think I would totally enjoy bareback & going without stirrups, but as you suggested only for VERY short periods. The becoming off balance & tensing ruins the entire ride. I cannot afford to fall off & b/c of that I also NEVER canter. I cannot seem to get the feel of moving my hips /lower torso w/my horses's movement. In all my yrs. of riding no one has been ever able to stop my extreme bouncing in the saddle. Banging on the saddle is TORTUROUS for my very forgiving mare and my weak back. DEPRESSING :-(

[@bdudhjdk4769]

I always ride bareback so I Guess I'm participating…? But can you make a video on bareback riding?

[@Horselover01948]

Karoline she already has

[@kchajka]

I'd like to see this video too on bareback

[@amandabonfante8863]

When I first started doing no stirrup work it was a few minutes posting and then a few minutes sitting. I really enjoyed and learned a lot when my trainer would put me on a lunge line so I could focus on my balance and not worry about steering the horse as well. Now I do full hour lessons regularly with no stirrups. It’s such great practice! Really improves your riding!

[@ast5515]

I ride bareback. It's also nice to get warmed by the horse in the weather we have over here. I think that counts. What I'm working on is having softer hands. By that I mean using less force, because the horse responds even at those lower pressures.

[@chamadenso7648]

Excellent analysis. I would add that no stirrups exercises should lead to get stirrups longer (hole by hole).

[@erinelder5845]

I have a tendency to lean forward in the saddle, or sit back too much and end up pushing my legs in front. I will try dropping my stirrups a hole, so we'll see !

[@jcarroccio7844]

Super advice, I did this the other day. A short burst of riding without stirrups. I tend to grip especially when asking for trot as he likes to buck (that is another story). I am in the process of retraining and have watched your video about a resistant horse and am working on that! Thanks for sharing this information.

[@ingridblohm-hyde805]

I am still reeling from my accident 3 months ago when I was told by my instructor to ride without stirrups and pick up a trot. I fell off the horse and had a horrific accident with broken ribs so bad I was completely helpless - not ever doing that again!

[@mhg4721]

I do no stirrup November and I haaaaate it, we also do it alloooot during the rest of the year

[@laineys2431]

I had a lesson today and she made me trot with no stirrups and I loved it its probably my favorite thing so far 😊

[@petlovers5973]

Ohhh, my plan is to work out with half seat (or 2point seat). Not easy for tall girl to find perfect balanss spot in my body to not fall constantly either to horse’s neck or back in full seat.. kind a having problem to catch perfect foot position while practising half seat as well. And last but not least- first jumping practise (makes me smile every time when mini jump is good, but still- lot of playing ahead to become in shape where all works out nicley :)

[@petlovers5973]

P.s. About no stirrup month- i should probably do the oposite, because im pretty perfectly riding without stirrups, but when im trying to use them for lets say canter- always loosing them.. trying to keep in my mind everything what im doing without them, but when my feet are in stirrups- nothing works so good.. it drives my trainer crazy😇🤣

[@kchajka]

I have started to learn in hand work, would love to see more on this

[@veranikakvitko9632]

My trainer also participates in this, and ive almost fallen off 3 times in one no stirrup-less lesson soo..

[@spo_ky]

Im going to try some more dressage this month on top of a lot of no-stirrup work

[@chesnoodle]

Thank you this is so helpful! I am not participating in No Stirrups November this year because my horse wasn't taught to collect himself therefore he carries himself very hollow (just started free leasing him this summer). Since he is always so hollow his trot is difficult to ride in the first place so we are practicing riding in a more collected way before I try and drop the stirrups but I will keep all of this information in mind when I do!

[@chesnoodle]

Just thought of a question, what do you think of dropping one stirrup and posting like that for a few strides then switching and repeating the process? my trainer has had me do this with my old horse and I actually find it more difficult than posting with no stirrups.

[@omniasamy651]

Thanks for your video, I am working this month on cantering with no stirrups, hoping to get more balance . If there's any video that can help, I'LL appreciate that

[@eleanorlightcloud7383]

I personal do Bare back and no stirrups, but bare back more often than not.

[@maryannwettstein-stoothoff1154]

I just did a lesson on another horse and my trainer had me ride for 20 minutes without stirrups. I felt like I did fine and she seemed genuinely impressed with how well I did. This horse was about 15 + in size, however, my guy is 17.3 and it's a totally different scenario. I'm curious if I'm just more nervous as my horse is more unpredictable and it makes me a bit more nervous. Is this one of those situations where I should push myself beyond my comfort zone? (I'm 67 years old and had a bad fall from my guy back in April.

[@marh122]

I am confused little bit :/ I know every trainer is different so here is my question: I saw at Spanish Riding School in Vienna this sentence: ,,For one to two years the trainee trains at longeing and perfecting his seat without stirrups." ... But when I train and asked my trainer to ride without stirrups he said its not very helpful because its only for strengthening your inner muscles, so its like a gym. You say in this video that you can do it for just a while and then come back. So there is no right path I guess, but which should I take ?

[@cathyheffernan7825]

would love a video on helping your horse to stand quietly..

[@lynnes11]

love no stirrups! and agree its best in small bites. love the brow band on that bridle, where is it from?

[@maddyequestrian1197]

For no stirrup November we just get a bareback pad but we are western

[@MJennifer]

My core!

[@42x3]

Oddly, I am better at leg yields without stirrups then with them. It’s not something I was trained to do, it’s more of a natural occurrence . I was trained to do it with stirrups. Same with posting, while my feet are in the stirrups, however I am not using my feet or ankles to generate the upwards motion. Come to think of it, I think I have been desensitized in regards to stirrups. Similar to shoes. You have them on while you’re out and about, but you’re so use to them that you forgot they where there.

[@jennywalker2251]

hahahah i tried to do no stirrup november and fell off

[@honnabowen1110]

You tried...the most important part!

[@jennywalker2251]

@@honnabowen1110 yep!

[@puyoromi]

Anyone have tips to keep me on the horse? I always get panicked and slow down to a walk, but I feel like I'm in the air and practically sliding off, help?

[@mantisamygdala]

Your horse shows signs of pain (in the back), especially in the moment, when you dropped the stirrups and brought more weight into the saddle. (kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4bdp4yiqr6midE). And you should not sit so long while the horse is standing still, your saddle isn't made for that. In Western saddles that may be easier for the horse, but in general without movement the horse has trouble to bear the rider.