strange post but can i have pictures of your stirrup lengths??

[Janah]

Hacking length, please excuse overbent pony (he moved and over bent is his best evasion) and too tight martingale. Just leapt on for pics and didn't have time for tack checks.

Jane

 

[blood_magik]

this is my jumping length:

i usually drop them 2 holes for hacking and then about another two holes for flatwork.
I have really short legs, which doesn't help for flatwork

 

[Cyberchick]

It depends what i'm riding to be honest. My horse is boingy but can bounce about like bambi at times and I prefer to be shorter on him as I can keep my balance better. I don't have a picture but I tend to have flatwork length, one hole up for hacking and another hole up for jumping. He is ridden in a jumping saddle.
The other horse I ride is a bit more settled in life and has a dressage saddle and a gp saddle. I probably ride him the same as my boy for hacking and jumping but I am certainly a lot longer in leg on the dressage saddle ( still 4 holes shorter than his owner! I'm such a short arse lol )

 

[KittyJay]

are mine painfully short? i hate the 'reaching' feeling!

 

[criso]

No pictures but I have a schooling length, then hacking is two holes up and jumping another 2 holes.
If I've planning on doing faster work on a hack I may be almost at the jumping length as I prefer to be up and out of the saddle when going faster.
However if I hack in my dressage saddle, I may only put the stirrups up one hole as the shape of the saddle encourages a longer length than my GP.

 

[Cuppatea]

Think mine might be a bit shorter than most.....

 

[RhennyRocky]

I don't know how to do pictures but hopfully that worked?

I put them up 3 holes for jumping, Stay the same for hacking, if it's fast work they'll go to either jumping length or a bit longer

 

[Brambridge04]

I have moved mine up another 1/2 a hole, i feel more comfortable in the saddle now!

 

[Brambridge04]

Now back down 1/2 a hole..... and feel WAY to long, so put them back up 1/2 a hole and feel to short! gah!

 

[Jade&Syrah]

My stirrup length, I was jumping small fences when I had this picture taken. Sometimes my stirrup length changes from horse to horse.

 

[Dancing Queen]

OP- do you know how to calculate what your stirrup length should be? Obv for jumping they should be a little shorter.

 

[Shandys_mum]

OP- do you know how to calculate what your stirrup length should be? Obv for jumping they should be a little shorter.

Just want I was thinking

 

[horseless jorge!]

Dressage length.

 

[animal]

I always read that galloping length should be about 2 holes up from jumping.

Tbh i never change my length much. I'm happy to ride at a few lengths and just go for what feels "right".
I do try to make a conscience effort not to have them too short. I would do loads more without stirrup work, but i have a sometimes hyper pony and no school, only a field. My pony is also not THAT fit, still needs a bit more muscle so i feel a bit bad doing lots of sitting trot work, so i don't.

I think the type of saddle has a huge impact also. One thing i can't stand is that "swinging" when my stirrups are REALLY long!
Sometimes i school deliberatly with long stirrups, to try and lengthen my leg (!).
However, it's hard with ponies as you really can't have your legs way past their bellies!

 

[xRobyn]

I only shorten mine one hole for jumping, but then we don't jump particularly high!

Jumping- (Scuse the chicken position!)

Flatwork -

Looking at the photos I think I could easily drop them another hole for flatwork, but if I did any more than one hole up my knees would end up over the flaps

 

[hannahmurphy]

Usually have them a hole longer but been doing lots of jumping this week so my legs have shrunk

 

[Brambridge04]

I dont know how to calculate it no. But i always thought so they hit ur ankle bone but i cant never seem to get the right lol

 

[Shandys_mum]

I dont know how to calculate it no. But i always thought so they hit ur ankle bone but i cant never seem to get the right lol

I was taught by my father (ex household cavalry) that for flat work before mounting you pull down your stirrups and they should be the same length as your fingertips to arm pit.

Jumping a few holes shorter than flat work.

 

[Brambridge04]

Thanks, i have done this and ended up punching a hole inbetween 2 holes and now feels perfect!

 

[Shandys_mum]

Thanks, i have done this and ended up punching a hole inbetween 2 holes and now feels perfect!

Glad it helped

 

[Brambridge04]

Great, got a snide comment of, gosh for a 14.1 dont u ride her short!

For gods sake, im 5ft1 with short stumpy legs and finally got the whole must ride longer must ride longer thing out of my head and found a length that felt great and got told that.

Does it really matter!?

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

as a rough guide, i was taught that

with your stirrups run down (attached to saddle!), with finger tips at the top of the buckle, arm straight, the bottom of the stirrup should reach your arm pit. for standard flat work.

1 or 2 holes shorter for jumping

Although that was 30 years ago !!! but gives you a good starting pint !

although dont get me wrong i ride long, horse is a bucker, longer helps me brace for the buck and stay with it. plus a dodgy knee !

x

 

[Brambridge04]

i dont have a rearer or bucker, but she is very green and only been broken a few months.

 

[Shandys_mum]

Great, got a snide comment of, gosh for a 14.1 dont u ride her short!

For gods sake, im 5ft1 with short stumpy legs and finally got the whole must ride longer must ride longer thing out of my head and found a length that felt great and got told that.

Does it really matter!?

For hacking and doing your own groundwork - no I don't think it does matter

 

[cob&onion]

I was taught by my father (ex household cavalry) that for flat work before mounting you pull down your stirrups and they should be the same length as your fingertips to arm pit.

Jumping a few holes shorter than flat work.

I have heard about both these methods.
However i just ride how i feel comfortable, normally quite long.
TB pics, 16.2hh (just shy of) me 5ft 9.5 to be precise
TB dressage saddle:

TB hunter trails/xc jumping length

14.2/14.3 cob - slightly shorter (pls excuse my hands )

 

[madmav]

I was taught by my father (ex household cavalry) that for flat work before mounting you pull down your stirrups and they should be the same length as your fingertips to arm pit.

Jumping a few holes shorter than flat work.

This works if you have evenly proportioned limbs. I have short arms but long legs!!!!

 

[Kaylum]

I was taught by my father (ex household cavalry) that for flat work before mounting you pull down your stirrups and they should be the same length as your fingertips to arm pit.

Jumping a few holes shorter than flat work.

Was taught the same by a Yorkshire Riding Centre instructor many years ago. LOL!

 

[soulfull]

are mine painfully short? i hate the 'reaching' feeling!

These are perfect length. most of us ride too long and too far forward instead of having ankle bone underneath our hip bone joint with a good angle in between the knee I have been working on this and must say it has made a massive difference to my riding security

 

[china]

i ride abit longer, i ride in a dressage saddle though. I find it to uncomfortable to ride shorter, its kills my ankles and knees!

 

[Brambridge04]

Feel much better now x