Any harm (to horse or me) in warming up without stirrups for schooling sessions?

[jkitten]

I just find my balance and posture improve when I do, and also that once I bring the stirrups back I can drop them a bit which makes a big difference when it comes to wrapping my legs around my wide cobxID. If I don't do a bit without stirrups first I find I can't get my legs down as far and if I try to drop the stirrups anyway I become unbalanced.

(If it makes any difference I am a pretty novicey rider and inexperienced at schooling especially, but trying to improve. I do have a regular instructor.)

 

[SpeedyPony]

No reason not to, although if you bounce a lot in the trot I'd stick to mostly walk for the warm up and take stirrups back before doing too much trot work.

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

My instructor actively encourages warming up in the walk without stirrups. As far as I'm aware, you can do little harm at the walk. However, you should put your stirrups back on for warming up in trot and canter to avoid jarring your horse's back. Once warmed up, you should be able to do short periods of no stirrup work in trot or canter if you want to and it's safe to do so. Keep it short, and take a break if you're getting tired (as in start bouncing around or gripping with your legs).

 

[Skib]

We often started lessons by walking with no stirrups. We trotted with no stirrups too. But our RI told me she only did that because I have a fleshy bottom and the horse was wel covered too. She wouldnt do it with a skinny person on a TB.

 

[stangs]

Unless the horse's back is already well warmed up before you get on, I don't think it's fair to them to warm up in trot without stirrups: a) at a novice level, people tend to ask for a smaller trot when they're riding without stirrups, so the horse doesn't get to warm up properly and really start moving forward and working over their back; b) if people don't sit the trot well, the horse starts the lesson by tensing their back to avoid the discomfort, which means the ride's off to the wrong start; c) even if you do sit the trot really well, it's a big ask of a horse to ride in such a deep seat when they're still warming up.

If I were you, I'd look at warming yourself up (especially the hips) before riding instead to help with leg position. The Rider Pilates Club has a few good exercises you can do before you get on.

 

[jkitten]

Many thanks all! I'll stick to going stirrupless in walk in the warm-up and leave anything else until later in the session. Will also look into Rider Pilates, thank you Stangs!