Jumping without stirrups

LauraBR

LauraBR

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I took my stirrups off my saddle last week and vowed not to put them on for a week to help my position and esp secure my seat. Did 3 days normal walk/trot/canter schooling without them but had to put them back on for jumping lesson and hack out accompanying another horse today. Really noticed a difference hacking out today- felt totally 'plugged in' and my friend even commented on how I looked much more secure.

So, I want to carry on- with the aim being to be able to pop a jump with no stirrups.

Wondered whether anyone had any advice re when to know I'll be secure enough, and how best to go about it????

Oh- and be interested to hear others' stirrupless stories and achievements- I always have CCJ's vid of jumping Chocx bareback in my mind everytime I do work without stirrups...
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the time you'll know is wen your horse puts a nasty drop the shoulder and refusel in one, if you stay on then your secure like velcro lmao
 
Not sure it would have any benefit really- prob just make you grip up with your legs and less willing to give with the hands!
 
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Not sure it would have any benefit really- prob just make you grip up with your legs and less willing to give with the hands!

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Really? But isn't the idea that your legs/seat are so secure it wouldn't affect your hands at all?
 
Stirrupless riding is a good way of improving your seat but I found it a step backwards where my jumping was concerned. You cannot obtain the balance in your ankles as you would so a lot of people tend to grip with their inner thighs and regrettably the knees. Because you feel quite insecure subconciously you are clinging on for dear life with your knees and usually dont give the horse enough hand wise because you don't feel secure enough.
 
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the time you'll know is wen your horse puts a nasty drop the shoulder and refusel in one, if you stay on then your secure like velcro lmao

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Well a) I'd have to attempt a jump to ascertain that, and b) if I thought for a second my horse would do that over a tiny jump at home I wouldn't be stupid enough to consider doing it lol!
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i also thought the idea was that.
And jumping wihtout giving your hands can really hurt your horse,
and not allow it to stretch, causing the horse to no jump to its fulll potential?
 
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Stirrupless riding is a good way of improving your seat but I found it a step backwards where my jumping was concerned. You cannot obtain the balance in your ankles as you would so a lot of people tend to grip with their inner thighs and regrettably the knees. Because you feel quite insecure subconciously you are clinging on for dear life with your knees and usually dont give the horse enough hand wise because you don't feel secure enough.

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OK, that makes sense... sounding more and more like a bad idea perhaps...
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What I did find useful was getting my mum to put me on a lunge, take my stirrups and send me over pole grids without the stirrups.
 
Try a raised trot pole and increase size. Having a neckstrap is definatly a good idea as it makes sure you don't balance on their mouth. If you feel totally secure riding without stirrups on the flat you are probably ready. I once had four hours ( 4 lessons over 2 weeks, I think) of no stirrups and afterwards my position was so much better and when I had stirrups I found it so easy to keep my lowerleg still and I rode lighter as well
 
We used to go down the jumping lane in old riding school, no stirrups and no reins, once in the lane only one way out so it was safe
 
Well Lou has those cups that raise the pole a tiny disance off of the floor so you take them as poles on the floor but the horse has to put a greater expression into their movement so it encourages yet more balance in your seat, if you understand my shite explaination.
 
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Well Lou has those cups that raise the pole a tiny disance off of the floor so you take them as poles on the floor but the horse has to put a greater expression into their movement so it encourages yet more balance in your seat, if you understand my shite explaination.

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No, that makes perfect sense- raised trotting poles?
 
Yes, they sell them, I can't remember the name though, they are ace, lock together to create bigger sizes, as you can imagine some of Lou Whit's grade A sjers need a larger raised pole than my little lot but the principle remains the same. The object isn't to jump but to simply encourage a bigger movement from the horse whilst learning to comfortably ride that movement without the use of stirrups, it is a very effective exercise, you just have to go into it knowing that is will take a few sessions to break through it. Rob Whit showed me the idea first last year when he explained that it teaches the horse caution and awareness of the poles in the cases of young horses and he does still do that warm up (allbeit with sirrups) before the big classes. When I started having lessons with his sister she simply changed the exercise to centre around and help the rider, but whilst teaching the horse awarenes of poles at the same time.
 
We used to do grid work with out stirrups. The jumping was fine, I just couldn't turn the corner at the end and fell off every time!!!
 
Popping a few little fences without stirrups will help your confidence, so long as your confidence is good enough in the first place so that you dont pull your horse in the mouth. If you trust him/her not to put in a cat leap and to jump nicely then you should be ok - its just like a canter stride.

I once jumped round a 3'3" XC course bareback.....(Have developed a sense of self preservation since then!!!)
 
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I once jumped round a 3'3" XC course bareback.....(Have developed a sense of self preservation since then!!!)

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Nutter!!!!
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You could try quitting and crossing your stirrups and popping over a little fence??

The last time I did non stirrups jumping my instructor made me canter round with my hands on my head and then turn into a jump, this makes you use your legs and seat more and the jumping bit was fine you just go forwards. I used to grip with my knees when doing that but smack into a fence taught me not too.

Good luck if you do try it!!
 
Junping without stirrups and reins did me the world of good as it taught me to balance in the saddle. You soon learn not to grip up as you fall off!! It taught me to go more with the horse and I stopped anticipating and going forward to early, pushing myself out of the saddle too far etc.

I also had a horse who would tank into fences. Got an instructor in who made me jump with no reins and horse very quickly stopped tanking. I had to learn to give with my hands.

So be careful that by removing stirrups you dont start to balance yourself through the reins.

I rarely jump now but if I did I would be quite confident to jump if I lost a stirrup.

But I would only do it in an indoor school at first and only with someone else there! Unless you are absolutely sure your horse wont jump out of the arena
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And I dont think Id do it on a novice horse or one that stopped! (I did but it wasnt easy!)
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I have to agree with those that said whilst whithout stirrups is great for flatwork it really isn't so great for jumping. Where I used to teach one of the instructors had her classes do this all the time, and what I noticed most about her clients when I taught them was that they gripped a stupid amount with their knees. A much better exercise for jumping stability is to do it without reins - I don't suggest you fling yourself around a course with no reins however, a lunge lesson over jumps is a better idea, having you move your hands forwards, up, backwards, out etc over the fences, so you are moving your upper body but staying secure in your lower body. If you have an enclosed jumping land and a sensible horse, that is another option, but the lunge is really the safest way to try it out.
 
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