Is there anyway to train this?

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ohdearme

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I have a lovely 10yo mare, she’s super sensitive and unfortunately, I imagine didn’t have the best start in life. I’ve had her 3 years, done lots of everything, and she has definitely made me a better rider!

However… she massively reacts to rider losing balance (which is generally a lost stirrup). This has only happened a handful of times while I’ve had her but always ends in me off, as she blind panics and seems to bolt/take off.

At a recent arena hire, I lost my stirrup after a jump and she took off flat out gallop around the arena. I was so determined to stay on this time, I ended up putting all my weight into other foot while trying to steer/stay on/not panic which led to foot being wedged in stirrup… cue even more panic about eventually falling/being dragged!! She is NOT the type to stop if you come off. Somehow managed to get lost stirrup back and she stopped nearly of her own accord, as if she senses it.

Determined not to end on bad note, I leant down to unwedge my other foot (well and truly stuck!!), calmed us both down then redid the jump. Blow me down … exact same situation happened again!! Laps of gallop, a firmly stuck foot, and trying to manage my terror. Didn’t get my stirrup back this time, but did eventually stop her after god knows how many laps of the arena. Both very shaken, took a break then popped a tiny X to finish with lots of praise.

Other than looking into safety stirrups (what a minefield!!), is there anything else I could do training wise? I’ve considered asking an experienced friend rider to “pretend” to lose their stirrup but don’t want anyone hurt if they do come off.

Has seriously damaged my confidence with her which is such a shame as she’s such a sweetie most of the time! But I have to be realistic - that could’ve ended very badly, and I am likely to lose my stirrup again at some point (especially on a spicy mare!).

PS - No idea why I lost my stirrup twice at the same point after the same jump!! Only thing different to normal was me wearing spurs which I rarely do but can’t see how that would impact it. Please no suggestions about no stirrup work - Id love to, but think it may blow her brain
 
Can you not in walk take alternate feet in and out of stirrup and build from there? Eventually progressing to same on trot? Can you lunge her with stirrups down? Is that ok?

Also in walk rider changes in balance? Circling arms, touching toes? Turn around world? (Need helper)

Baby steps staying safe but building up to get her feeling ok with it.
 
Sounds like your the one that needs some training on a less sensitive horse to improve your overall balance in whatever discipline you're attempting. Lunge lessons without stirrups can help tremendously as well as helping you improve your overall position and security.

A lost stirrup should not really have any impact on the horse because your leg should automatically return to the position it should be in. And you should be able to remain in balance.

Get that right and your horse should be more secure underneath you.

And obviously no spurs until you've addressed your lower leg issues.
 
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Have you considered that it might be more your reaction to losing the stirrup eg subconsciously gripping with your legs than the actual loss of the stirrups themselves?

I have a terrible habit of unconsciously tensing one calf when my sensitive mare starts getting wound up. Of course having one of my legs fixed like that just winds her up even more. Any time we've had a very tense ride it's turned out the problem has been the rider rather than the horse! As with so many problems with horses. Now if she starts to get tense I work on making sure I am fully relaxed. It stops the situation escalating.

If you are subconsciously gripping with your legs when you lose a stirrup it makes sense the problem is exacerbated when you wear spurs. Are the spurs really required? I certainly wouldn't dream of wearing them on my sensitive mare whose idea of a firm leg aid is for me to twitch my calf muscle, think I'd be in the next county before I could pull up if I applied spurs 😂
 
Interesting my mare was the same. She is now much better and can cope with a little unbalanced rider. She improved no end when I stopped using a martingale . My lower leg is not good enough to wear spurs but they would be a total no . I can not carry any sort of stick even though you can rub her body with one . Even my much more balanced instructor does not use spurs or stick.
She has since been found to have ulcers and has a very acid stomach. Which could account for some of the over reaction.
So maybe treat her like an ulcer horse feed some chaff immediately before riding, make sure her diet is ulcer kind . Maybe put your stirrups up one hole will make them easier to keep? Luckily mine has stopped the blind panic bolt when things go wrong. I always give her a treat when it is over which may seem like a reward but she was always genuinely scared .
Good luck.
 
If she's reacting to small changes in your balance on landing, I'd consider a physical reason for that too - saddle fit, or other problems.

Without seeing it, it's hard to know if it's a "you" problem - insufficient balance, holding on to her mouth - or if she's over-reacting to stimuli, which is always a red flag.
 
Do you think it's the shift in balance, or the stirrup banging against her? If the latter, you can do groundwork to get her used to things flapping against her side. If the former, I'd agree with other posters that there may be a physical problem.

First things first though, I think you need new stirrups. You shouldn't be getting your foot wedged so easily. No riding until that is fixed, you're right that it's a major safety issue.
 
I’d just start at halt possibly with a helper and just try lifting the weight out of your foot to start with whilst keeping your stirrup. Build from there to see if she can cope with you fully
losing stirrups, you moving about in the saddle , lean side to side , tip forwards and back etc. Perhaps even buld
Up to be able to do round the worlds. Then start all over against the walk a helper/leader might be useful here too. You might find it’s all fine until you get to point x which might give you a hint as to the cause.
 
Lots of things going on here. I would absolutely consider physical issues. Mainly ulcers and pain from the saddle and/or girth that may make her more sensitive to lost stirrups and shifts in balance.

You also need to get stirrups that your foot won't be wedged in.

Then, I'd treat her like a horse I'm preparing to be backed. I'd walk her around with and lunge her with the stirrups down. I don't love making them go around with stuff clanging about in their sides, but they have to learn that it's nothing to panic over. I might even start with the stirrups half rolled up and let them fall/slip down as the horse goes around. I also stand on the mounting block or on the ground and flap the stirrups about, drop them on their sides, jump up and down, and whatever else.

I do have an exercise ball that I put on my horses back and let it roll off in whatever direction. Sometimes I'll find something else (a stuffed toy, maybe, or a feed bag) and place it on their back. As they move the thing moves and/or falls off. They have to stay calm during all of that or stop when it falls.

I then lean over them at the mounting block in different ways touching different parts of their body and faffing with stirrups and the saddle.

After that, you could have someone at her head, or on the other end of a line, while you're aboard shifting your weight, touching her, and eventually dropping and picking up your stirrups.

One of the biggest things is having a definite stop/halt. Mine are Spanish so they've always been taught to stop by whistling (either by me or someone else earlier in life). They know the command inside and out. It is definite and it means stop your feet. Come down a gait, slow down, and wait. So if I'm about to do something and the horse is about to react, I'll whistle to remind them to be still. Or I'll bring them back with the whistle. So having that solid command helps.

In addition to that, when riders lose stirrups some tend to grip tightly or then rely on the reins more. Some horses can panic with this additional pressure applied. So that could easily cause her reaction too. It's hard, because it can be a "natural" reaction when your body is trying to stay aboard. I think if you ride more with no stirrups (perhaps on another horse) you'll be a bit more comfortable and less likely to grip.
 
I am surprised you are only now posting about this problem if you have had her three years and done a lot with her as you say. Is this only a recent thing or have you been regularly falling off her since day one? If a very recent thing I would definitely be checking her saddle fit etc. If not, and this has been happening right through your three years of ownership may I very politely suggest a decent trainer to watch you ride her and see if you might be the problem, and not the horse? If the latter I am amazed you haven't broken any bones yet or been dragged with your foot caught like that, please be careful as feet stuck in stirrups is a real disaster waiting to happen.
 
There was a video recently on Facebook by the rider confidence group about practicing being in different places on your horse. Well worth training her to accept you shifting weight. It was the Karl Greenwood page.
Also often wondered if you put a plain ordinary elastic band around your boot then onto the side of a stirrup to help keep it from coming out. Would snap obviously in a fall so not fastening feet in place. Does that make any sense?
 
Thanks all for replies and suggestions! I do agree that part of it is likely me gripping with legs or jolting from lost balance, but have also wondered about the stirrup clanging about - will try lunging her with them down.

As to why I’m only posting now - I’ve only lost my stirrup/come off a handful of times in the years I’ve owned her so isn’t a really frequent problem, think it was just the stuck foot that has really rattled me and brought home the serious risks.

Re: physical - she has previously had ulcers & scoped clear after treatment, is fed appropriately, and has saddle fit/back checks more than any other horse on my yard.

She is well schooled, will stop from voice commands when lunging/schooling, and will let me move/clang about/adjust stirrups at halt and walk - just seems to be when moving faster or something spooks her, her go-to is to shoot off.

Lastly - the spurs. I very very rarely wear, and won’t be again! I don’t think they were cause of the taking off, as she’s done this before minus spurs, but I’m sure didn’t help, and I’ve wondered if they were somehow related to losing stirrup or foot getting stuck.

Anyway, thanks again for all suggestions and I will crack on with them. Thank you to those who have been kind with their responses, I am my own worst critic and it’s an awful place to be in when questioning your ability/confidence/relationship with horse, and having an incident which massively knocks your confidence and love for the sport. I have a trainer, and am not a novice rider, but not an Olympian either - I’m sure we’ve all lost balance/stirrups and hit the deck before! This horse is sensitive and likely mistreated previously, I love her and am trying to do right by her rather than giving up and passing her on.
 
ohdearme said:
She is well schooled, will stop from voice commands when lunging/schooling, and will let me move/clang about/adjust stirrups at halt and walk - just seems to be when moving faster or something spooks her, her go-to is to shoot off.
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Adrenaline rises with increased speeds, shifts in gait, so triggers that are manageable in walk my send a horse over threshold in trot or canter. Also horses perceive 'threats' very differently at halt/walk. Eg what might feel like no big deal in halt/walk suddenly feels like a threat at higher gaits. I am preparing my 3yo for backing at the moment and all the work at halt with the flag and ropes had to be repeated at walk. And no doubt will have to be repated again at trot. The feel of the flag on her - which was totally fine at halt - sent her into complete meltdown initially when she was moving.

I'd echo everything Cantering Carrot said plus go back to foundational groundwork and start from where she CAN cope, then slowly build from there. Sounds like there are holes in her foundation (preparation for ridden work) from when she was started in the first place, and helping her feel much calmer and more relaxed is important. Unless there is a physical reason for a loss of balance to tweak something, eg in al ill-fitting saddle, it sounds much more line a panic reaction to something she should be much more comfortable with. Yes some horses are more sensitive to others but all riders lose balance, lose stirrups, make 'noise' - she needs to be ok with that. Good luck x
 
Ambers Echo said:
Adrenaline rises with increased speeds, shifts in gait, so triggers that are manageable in walk my send a horse over threshold in trot or canter. Also horses perceive 'threats' very differently at halt/walk. Eg what might feel like no big deal in halt/walk suddenly feels like a threat at higher gaits. I am preparing my 3yo for backing at the moment and all the work at halt with the flag and ropes had to be repeated at walk. And no doubt will have to be repated again at trot. The feel of the flag on her - which was totally fine at halt - sent her into complete meltdown initially when she was moving.

I'd echo everything Cantering Carrot said plus go back to foundational groundwork and start from where she CAN cope, then slowly build from there. Sounds like there are holes in her foundation (preparation for ridden work) from when she was started in the first place, and helping her feel much calmer and more relaxed is important. Unless there is a physical reason for a loss of balance to tweak something, eg in al ill-fitting saddle, it sounds much more line a panic reaction to something she should be much more comfortable with. Yes some horses are more sensitive to others but all riders lose balance, lose stirrups, make 'noise' - she needs to be ok with that. Good luck x
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This 100%

Just because she is fine at walk/halt does not mean she should be ok at the other speeds.
 
There is either a gap in her education or pain. My money would probably be on pain.

Can you get an experienced rider to school her and "play" at losing balance to see if it happens again? Rule out the variables. 1. Rider 2. Knowledge 3. Pain (not necessarily that order)
 
We’ve had ponies who panicked when anything was different (e.g. lost stirrup) and what we did was pop a super confident and sticky rider on and trigger them deliberately, again and again until they realised it was no big deal. By the time one was outgrown and ready to move on to another family, she’d gone from complete panic to couldn’t care less whatever you did - kids could leap on her randomly in the field, lie all over her, round the world, hang off the side, do silly things in trot and canter and just mess around. She ignored them then waited for the inevitable carrots at the end!

My little cob apparently does this too, but I haven’t yet managed to trigger her - even when I hacked out bareback, failed to sit a massive spook and ended up hanging off the side trying to decide if I should try to climb back on or let go and fall!

If it’s only been a few times in three years and otherwise perfect, I would think less likely to be a sudden ouch from a field injury or similar. But still possible.
 
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