Losing my Stirrups - help

[Gorgeous George]

The last week or so when I ride in my dressage saddle I have had the feeling that my stirrups are a fraction too long, and I keep losing them. I rode for 45mins in the school yesterday and by the time I finished I was worn out and my hips were really sore .

I haven’t changed George’s saddle, numnah, leathers or stirrups, and I know they are on their usual hole as it is the last hole on the leathers (which is why I didn’t just shorten them). I am completely flummoxed, but needless to say I feel like my riding has gone completely to pot (which is bad as it wasn’t that great to start with!)

So other than buying some new leathers (which I may well do anyway), does anyone have any bright ideas?

Thanks.

 

[milliepops]

Have you been feeling stressed or wound up about anything? I always find that if I'm slightly tense (sometimes I don't know I am ) then I find it harder to relax my hips and legs around the horse, and always need to put my stirrups up a hole.

I automatically ride a hole shorter at shows because of this. Maybe just find the hole punch and go with it for a day or 2.

...or, have you got new boots? I had some with a really thin sole - it's amazing how much difference it made to me having to reach for my stirrups

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

do work with no stirrups, then they will feel the perfect length if not short ! if you have not changed the length of them etc, sounds like you are gripping more these days.

x

 

[Gorgeous George]

Hmm maybe I am just tense, in the process of trying to sell our house and buy a new one at the moment so hardly a relaxing time. Will see if someone's got a hole punch I can borrow and try them a fraction shorter - but yes I really should do more work without stirrups

 

[Dreckly]

Hi GG. The other thing to consider is perhaps getting yourself checked out with a chiropractor. When I had problems with loosing stirrups a little while ago, which also caused me pain in the hips, my instructor said it was possible my pelvis was out - she was right. I had a few treatments to straighten everything up and have not had a probem since - might be worth checking this out.

 

[buckaroo2010]

It's possible that simply your stirrups have stretched over time and you just need to shorten them a hole. I regularly switch my stirrups over because of stretching and my whole number changes regularly. It's a good suggestion to work without stirrups as it makes you appreciate them when you get them back and they often feel shorter.