Stirrup Length how it looks and does it matter?

[Supanova]

Not so! That's just a very basic learning to ride stirrup length.

You have shorter stirrups for general riding so that you can get off the horses back for a good canter or pop over a log in the woods.

For dressage you are working on developing a deeper seat. As you progress up the levels the trot work you do is all sitting and not easy if your knees are too far ahead of you.

Each time you ride do some work without stirrups, warm horse up first for at least 10 mins, before taking stirrups away. As you get used to the longer leg feel you'll find your stirrups too short. Do only take them down one hole at a time, to go two cold turkey will not be easy.

You will see i later corrected myself on the 45 degree angle thing!! It was meant to be a 45 degree angle between thigh and ground.

 

[*hic*]

Sorry but i think i win on the stumpy legs, and riding shorter makes me look even stumpier, im 5'1" with a 29" inside leg! my girl is around 15h.

So im definately not built for riding LOL

Nope I get you on that - 29" inside leg, 5'7" tall and built roughly like a rugby ball. Not a good look for riding. Luckily I have not passed the short legs to my daughters!

 

[Joyous70]

Nope I get you on that - 29" inside leg, 5'7" tall and built roughly like a rugby ball. Not a good look for riding. Luckily I have not passed the short legs to my daughters!

I need picutres! how can you possibly get 29" inside leg in a 5'7" frame?

 

[Red-1]

I need picutres! how can you possibly get 29" inside leg in a 5'7" frame?

My husband is 6', with a 29" leg. He is long in the body and short in the leg. He is also an ex prop forward, so I guess he would be happy if I said he is also built like a rugby ball. Didn't stop him having a dabble in dressage though with the Charlie-horse.

I did get fed up with other trainers telling him to put his stirrups down. Although I am a trainer myself it seemed better to avioid husband/wife training, so he paid for instruction. Many others did not seem to realise that when your legs are more bulky, the angle behind the knee will appear the more acute than the actual bones inside, as the muscles and fat take up the space.

 

[Tnavas]

My instructor has been putting my stirrups up and up as my legs get stronger, it's working really well and I feel I have a much stronger base of support, if I drop them down to where I would naturally want them I get a bit unstable, I'm on the top hole of my leathers now! I like to do work without stirrups too though. My horse is very wide so this is probably the major factor in shortening the stirrups up.

As an instructor I find this very strange. When you first learn to ride you have stirrups at a length that helps you to keep your balance. As you progress you work with no stirrups to increase the depth and strength of your seat. Eventually you ride on the flat with long stirrups and take them up for jumping, I go up 8 holes.

Putting them up allows you to have your thigh ahead of you which makes you more secure for jumping. It also means that you may not be able to use your legs to the same degree as you did on the flat.

What is the reasoning behind your instructor raising your stirrups? As it certainly will do nothing to make your overall position stronger.