Horse Riding & Training Tips: No Stirrups. Many Tips in the Description 👇

How often do you go without stirrups??? This Training Tips post will focus on going without stirrups. It’s not just for No-Stirrup November! Occasionally riding without stirrups can improve your position, balance, core stability/strength, and body awareness. The best way to start with no-stirrup work if you haven’t before is on a lunge line with an instructor or trusted friend. In fact, even advanced riders should do this whenever they can. I used to have a grand prix level instructor that had her working student lunge her often! -Try going without stirrups during your walk warmup. Warm yourself up with gentle leg swings to loosen your legs from the hip. Try tucking your knees up and back down (see my video), rolling your ankles, and work your calves by pointing your toes up and down. -After your horse is warmed up, try doing some sitting trot without stirrups. Start out with a very slow and easy trot and gradually increase once you get the hang of it. -If you are ready for it, try canter work without stirrups. Challenge yourself with canter transitions and the more advanced horses and riders can play with changes or tempis. See if you can do more from your seat bones/hips than from your legs/hands. -After you’ve had some no stirrup work, take your stirrups back and see if you feel a difference. -Other than the warmup up where you're moving your legs, try to keep your legs in generally the same position you would as if you still had the stirrups. Try hard to not grip with your knees or thighs. Think about draping the leg around the horse and use more of your core for balance. Hunt seat and jumping riders can use more calf pressure than we would for dressage. Those riders can challenge themselves riding in half seat and posting without stirrups. -It’s always best to do this supervised if you’re new to it. ——Tell me below how often if ever do you go without stirrups, what works for you or what you’d like to try!