Short Stirrups

lizijj

lizijj

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 August 2008
Messages
260
Visit site
Hi, I've always ridden in very short stirrups and feel more secure in my seat the shorter they are - however, I keep reading that longer stirrups make a more secure seat. Any ideas? (even when I've competed in the States in western classes I have to have child's stirrup leathers!) I'm 5ft 2 but other riders my height on my horses ride a lot longer.
 
Depends on the depth of your seat! and on the style of your saddle too :)

I ride short on naughty horses and longer on well behaved horses, when I can sit deeper. I am more secure with shorter stirrups, as I can put the weight in my stirrups, and balance through the flexion in my ankle/knee/hip joints, and I tend to sit more lightly. With longer stirrups, my weight is more in my seat with my legs hanging down from my hips and the movement absorbed through my lower back.

If you want to deepen your seat and lengthen your stirrup leathers, I strongly recommend lunge lessons, or riding without stirrups to get your weight in your bum :)
 
Thanks for your reply. I spent a lot of time in my youth riding without stirrups and even jumping bareback in competitions (they don't seem to allow that now!), so I know my seat 'was' secure - my horses at present are young and green and I do get nervous - thus why when my stirrups are short I feel safer as I can balance more should a buck or stop be put in - does that make sense or am I making more work for myself??
 
I'm terrible for riding with shorter stirrups than I probably should so I am concious of having to lengthen them a bit. Since getting my boy I don't bother to lengthen them because I also feel more secure should anything happen :o I think I'll have to start lengthening them again though, It'll help my riding I think.
 
I spent 5years in ireland riding racehorses and the lads always called me the eventer cos I rode longish, finally got the hang of riding short and yes i found it much easy to sit naughty horses with shortish stirrups but now im back eventing my dressage position is so much more secure, and my legs are much stronger. I actually find it easier to ride dressage length after riding racehorses.
I think riding racehorses has helped my riding alot, i have always ridden bareback from child so my balance/ seat was always ok, just now im more stronger in my postion.
 
I sit deep...mega deep, with long stirrups... If the horse starts bouncing I find it more secure to wrap legs and sit into it... With shorter stirrups I feel a bit more exposed or perched and easier to dislodge... Maybe my legs just don't work well on the stirrups to absorb the movements...

Probably totally illogical reasoning and these days I'd much rather plod... But when young TB spooked and panicked at a bin of bones that had been dumped near the yard I discovered I still burrow my bum down deep into the saddle and cling like a limpet with the legs... :eek:
 
spacefaer said:
I am more secure with shorter stirrups, as I can put the weight in my stirrups, and balance through the flexion in my ankle/knee/hip joints, and I tend to sit more lightly. With longer stirrups, my weight is more in my seat with my legs hanging down from my hips and the movement absorbed through my lower back.

If you want to deepen your seat and lengthen your stirrup leathers, I strongly recommend lunge lessons, or riding without stirrups to get your weight in your bum :)
Click to expand...

Explained far more eloquently than my dismal effort... Plus my weight finds my bum rather easily... :D
 
I normally like to ride a hole shorter, being a show jumper, but it also depends on the size of the horse. If its a huge warmblood then I like to have my stirrups down a bit to feel him properly, but whereas if it was a small pony I like to have my stirrups shortened so my legs aren't dangling around everywhere!
 
I too probably ride a couple of holes shorter than I should but I feel safer like that! However my dad spent his life as a jockey and then a trainer and he always use to warn me about riding "too short" he used to tell me that when they were riding youngsters or riding something especially crazy they would wrench there stirrups up and if it crashed and burnt they'd be safely catapulted out the saddle sharpish!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top