# The stirrups... a foot rest or something to dig into?



## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

I have not done much English riding and none of it well, my last attempt was a learning experience along the line of your question though.

My daughter was watching me, she was remarking on my hands moving too much at the trot. Said she thought I was posting from my feet and that might be the cause. Told me to post using the muscles on the top of my upper leg instead. Instant improvement on the hand bobbing.

Am interested in hearing the remarks and suggestions you get from those here who do ride english well. 

Subscribing


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I ride both western & english, predominantly western. I agree with foot rest. As a kid to test us my mom would make us ride with marshmallows or raw eggs under our boots in our stirrups. It really taught me to rely on my seat.
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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

I ride western and I've heard to have 30% in the stirrups and 70% in your seat. You don't lock your ankles or knees. If you use more with your feet and the horse stops, you'll get thrown forward.
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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Interesting topic.

Can't wait to hear more opinions.
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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

Heelsdown said:


> At this point, they are totally more than a "foot rest" to me. As I'm posting, I'm using the stirrup to lift myself up. Is that wrong?


That is part of the reason work without stirrups is so important to English riding, not only for balance but so you don't use your stirrups as a crutch. You are supposed to use your inner thigh muscles to lift and support you when you post, not your feet. 

Ideally you should be able to take the stirrups off your saddle and ride in the exact same way you would with them. (This is rarely the case, if the stirrups are there, most people do in fact use them as a crutch and use their muscles less than they should.)

Also consider what kind of shape you'd be in if you were to lose a stirrup, or have one break. If the horse decided to play up and you did not have the leg strength to hold your position, you wouldn't stay on very long.


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## Puddintat (Jul 24, 2010)

I use my stirrups as a rest predominately. I try to keep my heels down and but not put force on the stirrups bc otherwise I end up bracing and I bounce out of the saddle. (I ride western btw) However, the other day when Dancer did a quarter horse turn and tossed me, I was told I should pushed my feet forward and braced. Not that I had time to react this way, but I've always thought that putting weight in my heels would keep my seat better than pushing into the stirrup.


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## thegoldenpony (Mar 5, 2011)

I ride English and agree with the foot rest concept. Yes, your weight should be in your heels but that doesn't mean that you should be bracing. With posting, you just be using you upper leg to lift yourself, so your lower leg should stay still and again, don't brace against the stirrups. 

I know it's easier said than done, I'm still struggling a tad with this, it gets pretty tiring after a bit! :?


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

In dressage, its more of a foot rest for me.

However, in jumping, you HAVE to have weight in your stirrups. Where else are you going to place it over the jump? I disagree that is causes you to lock your ankles. You UNLOCK your ankles, then the weight flows down into your heel and it absorbs the shock so that you don't bounce. 

I also put a little more pressure in the stirrups while posting. If I didn't, I'd probably compensate by gripping with my knee.


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## Marisa (Aug 21, 2011)

I always post and push myself by stirrups as well. But I was always taught to only have my toes in stirrups and it made me have less weight on themthem


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## Heelsdown (Jun 5, 2011)

I'm can easily walk without stirrups and I know I don't put much pressure on the stirrups at the walk.
But at the trot, I always use my stirrups to push into to post. And that's probably wrong. 
I was talking to this one girl at the barn months ago who is on the equestrian team at her college. She said one of their warm up exercises is posting and doing the 2 point without stirrups. 
I'm sure I'm relying on the stirrups more than I should. I'm going to ask for more work without them. I think that is the only way to not rely on using them and using my legs more. 
I know there are a lot of purist riders who believe that a good rider should be able to hop on a horse and ride sans tack and that it's the tack that ends up contributing to injuries. I definitely see what they mean. I know I need to use my body against the horse's body to ride but as mentioned, easier said then done! lol


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

Heelsdown said:


> But at the trot, I always use my stirrups to push into to post. And that's probably wrong.


Not really. It just depends on how much you are pushing off your stirrups/feet. Posting is sort of a pelvic thrust motion, more forward/down rather than up/down. I *think* I use some of the muscle on the top of my thigh, but I'm not sure. That doesn't mean grip with the knee, though.

It is not incorrect to use your stirrups when posting. Riding without stirrups is irrelevant. Sure, it strengthens the leg but just because you can post without stirrups doesn't make it incorrect to use the stirrups when you have them.

A good way to think about it is posting from your heel.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I brace my stirrups so hard. I don't realize I'm doing it until my wonky right knee starts aching out of nowhere. I'll drop my stirrups for a minute or so to let my knee completely relax, then put them back and be fine for a few minutes..annnd then slowly start bracing again. 

I'm getting better about it, I think, because I'm trotting more. If I brace my stirrups, I bounce all over. But I'm working on it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

When I ride (western or dressage) I think of my stirrups somewhat like my reins; I can have a firm contact or a light contact and I should be able to change seamlessly from one to the other as needed. So, if I am walking, I only "feel" my stirrups. Someitmes , just for fun, I'll kind of "pet " them with the ball of my foot, reposition my foot and experiement with differen angles and feels. It's kind of a dialogue with the stirrup. Even while trotting along and posting, I should be able to make some minor repositioning of my stirrjup without losing it. 

I do put weight down into my heel, but it doesn't stop at the stirrup; it goes THROUH the stirrup. The stirrup helps me to keep the front of my foot up and the rear (heel) more down but I think of the whole leg as going downward and backward with my heel linked to the horse's hind feet (mentally linked).

If one puts pressure into the stirrup so much and at such a forward angle that you counter the natural line that the stirrup leather or fender would take if it was freely hanging, then you are bracing. Other than jumping, I think that sort of bracing is not good. even jumping maybe not good. JUmpers?


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## Tymer (Dec 28, 2009)

I have so much support from my legs that I lose my stirrups at the canter. Its not that my heels aren't down. My legs actually rise at the canter to go with the horse's motion. To keep them I have to "brace" a little by sinking my weight a tad bit deeper into my heels.
But I do put weight in my stirrups, absolutely. I can only ride for so long without stirrups!


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## Heelsdown (Jun 5, 2011)

I can't wait for my next lesson now. 

I wasn't understanding how I could sink my weight into my heels and yet not dig into the stirrups using them for balance. But I think I get it now. 
Of course what works in my head doesn't always go so well in the saddle. 

I know that the faster I'm going, I've often had one foot end up shoved into the stirrup which scares the crap out of me. If I fall, I don't want to be hanging by one foot. So I'm thinking somehow my weight is shifting from my heels into the ball of my foot. I have to keep my weight into my heels only.

It will be nice when I've been doing this long enough I don't have to think it and I can just have my muscle memory take over.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I can relate to that. I used to lose my right stirrup at the canter all the time. I still do from time to time, but it means I am gripping up with the calf and that is not a good thing. Just gotta keep thinking, "down the weight, up the eyes"


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

^
Oh me too! And now my body is doing this new thing where my upper body is in line but my hips shift. So on a circle or something my outside leg gets really loose at the canter and I lose the stirrup! 

If its not one thing; its another


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

As far as I can tell, the answer depends on who you ask. I've made the mistake of taking dressage clinics from too many different people. I've heard the entire spectrum of foot rest to sinking all of my weight into them. It's very confusing. I kind of stopped listening to anyone and just try to put enough weight into them to where I feel secure in terms of anchoring myself into the saddle and light enough to not use them to post off of. I find I use more weight for jumping and less for dressage. I stopped worrying about what's right and going more with what works for me.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Well, having just watched a schooling show yesterday, too many of the riders (training and first level mostly in this case) have their stirrups too long. They have no weight in their stirrup and end up "fishing" for them with toe down and heel up. They then post really poorly, lever off the knee and being unable to drop their knee because it's pinched, and losing the alignment.

Look at the pictures of classical riders. There is a good bend in the knee, not a straight line.


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## Courtney (May 20, 2011)

I use my stirrups as a foot rest primarily. I'm used to riding bareback and stirrups are still a little foreign to me, but I do enjoy them for the simple fact they give me something to balance the balls of my feet against while I focus on my heels being down. I have a shoddy leg position and I find that they help remind me where my legs should be.


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## kayleeloveslaneandlana (Apr 10, 2011)

I ride with my stirrups so long I can barley touch them. Atleast once a week or even a few times during the lesson I like to just not ride with stirrups to get my balance back. I almost never post unless I am breaking a young horse, but that's a different subject . Anyway, I don't really use my stirrups for anything they are just there.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

I barrel race and when we are really getting down and turning a barrel we rely heavily on our stirrups. It helps keep your weight balanced and not throw your horse off their stride trying to stay under you.. I will say that it is extremely important to know when to use just your upper legs and know what you are doing with your legs and lower body. This meaning hips, thighs, calves, ankels, and feet and not have to have pressure in the stirrups while you are in the saddle. I do a good bit of bareback riding at home and you can really get the feel of the horse and you learn how to use your legs, body, and balance as you should. It's also a good way to learn not to rely on your stirrups for the time you are in the saddle. You don't have stirrups to rely on (when bareback) so you can teach your self not to depend on them the whole ride... I think it really depends on your riding style, situation, and level of riding...It doesn't lock up your ankels either.

And, just a weird thought... When people started making saddles, they obviously decided to add them for a reason. Just something to think about?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Stirrups are a relatively late addition to saddles. In Asia they used them way back (they did a lot of archery from horse back and it helped to have them, AND the Mongols ride their ponies standing int the stirrups when the pony trots or canters. They don't post, they stand, in fact I heard they stand kind of sideways.

In the West, stirrups didn't exist during the whole of the Roman empire. I think I remember reading that they were first seen in the West sometime in the 600's? But not in common use for a long time after that. They were instrumental in allowing knights to ride wearing their very heavy armor. The stirrup was originally nothing more than ONE leather loop used to help the ride mount.


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## Day Mares (Jul 16, 2011)

I rode Sienna for six months bareback before a horsewoman who lives up the road gave me a fully mounted Bates AP saddle. :lol: I know, right? 

I lose my right stirrup when transitioning to canter quite regularly.  I keep my seat but man is it annoying, I have to slow to a walk to regain it. 

Seems I have Mongolian influences in my riding style because I love to stand in the stirrups when trotting long distances and cantering on the trail. Dunno why I just find it more comfortable. 

In terms of posting/rising to the trot I think you will know when you have got it right (if you don't already). You will be able to feel it.  

For me it just suddenly felt natural one day and I thought to myself "Oh so this is how you are meant to do it". :-o


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

Ooh. Tinyliny that is really cool stuff.. I've never looked into anything like that but that's really neat stuff. Thanks for posting, that makes me want to investigate a little. I love stuff like that.
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## DejaVu (Jul 6, 2011)

Foot rest.

When I hear sink my heels, I do- Put I don't dig into the irons. I pick the front part of my foot up, and put my heels down that way. I'm not leaning on the stirrup to put my heels down, I'm balancing through my seat, although my heel is still my anchor, since it's lowering me into the seat. But it doesn't change stirrupless. Because I'm not relying on the stirrups.


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## emeraldstar642 (Jul 16, 2011)

I somewhat agree with the stirrup/footrest idea, but not completely. When I ride with stirrups, I use them to help me sink my heel waay down. Though I do not depend on them, they do help me jam the weight into my heel nice and low. However, once my heel is down, the ball of my foot rests at a firm and constant pressure, enabling me to use my leg and seat to their full extent while also teaching me to keep my weight down. Thus, the stirrups serve as much more than a foot rest.

What I do believe to be true is that stirrups should not be used as a crutch. Though I think that a good amount of weight should be put into them, the weight should be applied solely through the heel and not the ball of the foot. The point of keeping the heel down is to form a secure base that will absorb the horse's motion; however the knee, ankle, leg and seat should be kept loose so that they can move with the motion and give the nescessary aids.

BUT, it is still always good to do lots of no-stirrup work. There is a difference between _relying_ on the stirrups and using them as an aid to lower your weight, and you do not want to fall into bad habits. So in theory, if you are correctly using your legs and seat, it should be just as easy to ride with as without stirrups. Balance comes from the seat, and stirrups are simply a 'teacher' that should make it easier to use your seat, if used correctly. Don't take advantage of them.


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## IslandWave (Nov 25, 2009)

I primarily ride dressage and have been taught that the stirrups are just a shelf to rest your foot on.


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## paigeyluvv (Aug 26, 2011)

everyone makes great point. in my training, i keep just my toes in the stirrups an d when i post i am told to sink my wait into my heels. but while doing this i am finding i am using my legs very much but not putting too much wait in the stirrups. if ur girth is too loose to much weight on one side could make u slide to that side!


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## Buzzby (Aug 29, 2011)

I'm English so have ridden english all my life, Stirrups are far more than foot rests, The aid balance and help to distribute weight evenly, who ever made the original statement is talking bollocks.


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