In the second section of this two part series, I will give you more tips on how to improve your riding skills by riding at faster gaits as well as over fences all without the aid of stirrups.
At The Trot
Once you have become comfortable riding stirrup-less at the walk it is time to move on to the sitting trot. When you have created a smooth sitting trot, take your feet out of your stirrups by gently lifting your toes and sliding your legs back. Try to make this movement as smooth as possible as this will help to keep a stable position. If you were to take you feet out by moving them off the side of the horse, you would loose the contact and your seat would slip.
When you have your feet out, check that your body is squared by checking your eyes, shoulders, hips, knees, and feet. You will also want to make sure that your hands are up off of your horse’s neck, you are looking where you want to go, and your heels are down, toes are up. Start with only riding a couple of strides at a sitting trot before you find your stirrups again. Build on that until you can easily ride the whole way around the arena. If at any time you feel like you are slipping keep your eyes up, as looking down will only throw you off balance more, as your position collapses grab mane and ask your horse to walk. Begin again once you have re-balanced.
As you become more stable, start riding changes of direction and patterns at the sitting trot. When you have mastered this it is time to try the posting trot. Posting without stirrups requires a great deal of leg strength and balance. Only try posting when you feel confident and have been riding successfully without stirrups at the walk and sitting trot first. Grip the saddle with a combination of your upper thigh, knee, and lower calf. Push down your knees and into your heels when rising. Start posting for only a few strides at a time then take a break and start again. Slowly build up the amount of time you can post until you can ride the whole way around the arena in both directions. When you are learning to post without stirrups it is very important not to hang on to the reins for balance. If you feel out of balance, hold on to your horse’s mane or return to riding stirrup-less at the sitting trot again until you have built up your muscles.
At The Canter
After you can ride the sitting and posting trot stirrup-less, advance to canter work. The canter may actually be easier to ride then the posting trot on some horses as they have a very slow balanced canter, but on others it may be much faster and more uncomfortable to ride. Ask your horse to canter and once he is relaxed slide your feet out of the stirrups as described above. Ride for a few strides then put your feet back in for a few strides. Gradually increasing the amount of time you ride with your feet out of the stirrups. When you can ride circles and patterns in the canter and can easily find your stirrups each time, you can advance to riding stirrup-less while jumping.
Over Fences
Before you begin jumping without stirrups you must learn how to ride in two point at all gaits without stirrups. When you are learning this, use a crest release pressing both hands into your horse’s mane a third of the way up his neck, then progress until you can canter easily in a two point position stirrup-less. It is also best if you have jumped medium sized fences with stirrups before you ever try jumping a small fence without them.
When you feel ready, prepare yourself by jumping a small cross rail or vertical with stirrups first. When you’re ready make sure that you are in the correct position with your eyes and hands up and your body squared. Start over a small cross rail so the horse won’t try to make a huge effort over it. Use a crest release over the jump to help you not to pull on your horse’s mouth or lose your position. Land and then canter a few strides before you pick up your stirrups. Practice jumping in both directions over the fence and gradually move on to jumping lines and small courses.
The most important thing to focus on is your position. If at any time you feel like you are losing your balance or are out of position, go back to working stirrup-less at the walk or trot until you feel more secure. Remember that this takes time. You are creating new muscle memory and strength in your legs. This process doesn’t happen over night it may take months or years before you ride the same without stirrups as you do with them.
Also, having someone lunge you while you work without stirrups will help you focus without having to steer. Taking a lunge lesson from a trainer. You can also have someone record your ride to give you feedback on what you need to work on and how you can improve. By challenging yourself with the lessons described in both articles you will improve you position and stability while riding and your horse will thank you.