Foot Slipping through stirrup in trot

kellybee

kellybee

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Hi folks, I have a 15.2 standardbred ex trotter, been brought back into work recently after taking the winter off (I've had him since December). We're doing great and he's working nicely, but I've found that when trotting maybe because he's so blinkin bouncy I keep losing my right foot through the stirrup. I'ts almost impossible to stop it from slipping and I'm not entirely sure why this is happening. I'm having lessons on him and have mentioned to my instructor but she just says not to worry about that at this stage, the important thing is to keep him going forward.

Can anyone offer any kind of advice?
 
Put your stirrups up a hole? I have to do this for hacks, as my boy's trot is fast and I end up losing them! Sure someone will have better advice, but as a quick fix for now it might work.
 
It won't be your foot that's the problem, almost certainly you will be 'behind the movement' causing your lower leg to slip forwards, and your heel to creep up making your toe slide forwards in the stirrup.
Concentrate on your upper body position, ear-shoulder-hip-heel.

Get someone to film you if you can and some lunge lessons would probably be helpful.
 
As said, shorten your stirrups for a quick fix, then lunge lessons without stirrups will help to develop your core muscles which as Patterdale explained are what are really causing the problem.
Lessons on a mechanical horse or really sensible RS horse might help as then you will be able to concentrate purely on you without worrying about how the horse is going.
 
Thanks, I've struggled with balance etc because he's just so different to anything else I've ever ridden. We bought him as a happy hacker but he's got so much more in him... After 25yrs of owning ponies this is a big transition for me but am enjoying it and want to get it right. Instructor is concentrating on Ollie rather than me at the moment but we're making progress. She's open to suggestion in terms of what we do in lessons so I'll ask her for a lunge lesson on him or my smaller boy next week.

Thanks again
K
 
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