# Are my stirrups too short?



## dynamite. (Jun 21, 2008)

Hey guys... about a month ago I put my stirrups up another hole because I was out running with a very bouncy horse and I felt that I could sit better with them a bit shorter. After that, I felt really weird having them any longer and so I've been riding like that ever since. I just wanted to know if they are too short? If I put them down anymore, I feel like I can't keep my heels down enough. I think this also might be because this mare is very round and my legs fit into her thinest part of her body when they are shorter. What do you think?


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## dynamite. (Jun 21, 2008)

ps- sorry about the short reins. The day before this she forgot that she was learning to be a barrel pony, not a bronc horse and was still a little unsure about her job, so I was ready to hold her head up.


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

I would say definitely drop them down a notch. :]


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

They are indeed a bit to short. Try dropping them a hole or two.


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## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

Yes, they do look a bit short. But you're the one who needs to be comfortable when riding. If you like your stirrups short, you like them short. Simple as that!


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## trashcanchaser (Sep 21, 2009)

they are too short but if you are only comfy like that then ride like that. a way to help tho is to try riding without them when you are just walking or relaxing on your horse. this will make you more balanced on your butt. you ride to much on your feet. you need to ride on the "W" s of your pants and find the balance that way. riding bareback does great for doin this as well. also to test and see if you ride on your "W" s correctly put your thrumb between your butt and the cantle of the saddle and make sure that your thumb feels pressure from your body the whole time. if it doesnt then you need to work on that. to make it fun you can try to ride with a piece of paper there or when bareback put it under your leg and see if you can keep it there. i would suggest lowering though because you can get thrown forward VERY easily with them that short


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## trashcanchaser (Sep 21, 2009)

your stirrups should be at your ankles when you let your feet out of them and hang your legs in a relaxed fashion. and when you stand in them you should only have about 2 to 3 inches of space between you and the saddle


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## HooverH (May 17, 2008)

I've been having problems with this too. Tomorrow I'll take pictures. 

Part of it, I'm sure, is that I ride a different saddle for my different lesson horses, but it seems like I can't get comfortable with the stirrups. If I drop them a notch, I don't feel like I'm getting much contact and tend to loose the right one. If I take them up a notch, I feel like I have too much weight in them. It's been Duke's saddle that's been throwing me recently, but I have the same problem with my saddle. It's like I need a notch in between.

They're both bevelins buckles, too, so just punching a new hole isn't easy...


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## Tillylover (Sep 24, 2009)

For western riding , i would deffintaly say just a bit to short!


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

I disagree with those who are telling you to keep them short if you're comfortable that way. You must learn to keep your seat without your stirrups. You should not ride in your feet so much that you cannot keep contact without them.

Definitely do some stirrup-less and bareback exercises to strengthen your seat. And trashcanchaser is right - you need to be riding on the pockets of your jeans.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

practicing with longer stirrups or going bareback will also help you if she goes bronc on you, you wont be thrown forward as easily, and will have better control... i say this from experience, i used to ride with short stirrups before honey launched me through the air one day and i got a bad bruise on my lung, after that i took a lot of time to ride bareback on my other horse and get a good deep seat before i got back on her, and next time i sat her bronc routine easily...


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## shesinthebarn (Aug 1, 2009)

I agree that they are too short. For western, you should ride with a DEEP seat - and from the pic of you loping, it seems you are perching rather than sitting on the W's and riding from your center. If you ride with a longer stirrup, it will help the "perching" problem. I had a hard time with this when I transitioned from english to western as a kid. It just takes practice. As your seat gets deeper, you will reach down into your stirrups and may even finding yourself wanting more length as time goes by.
Good luck!


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## dynamite. (Jun 21, 2008)

I have a question - a lot of you have been saying to ride without stirrups or ride bareback for practice. The thing is, I already do both and find it easier to sit when doing so. Are there any other ways to help me learn to ride in a longer stirrup?


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## Ink (Sep 25, 2009)

dynamite. said:


> I have a question - a lot of you have been saying to ride without stirrups or ride bareback for practice. The thing is, I already do both and find it easier to sit when doing so. Are there any other ways to help me learn to ride in a longer stirrup?


 
I would reccomend sitting in the saddle without stirrups. See where your leg falls naturally, and adjust your stirrup length accordingly. Generally when riding western you want just a slight bend in your knee, but be carefull not to go so long that you have to reach for your stirrup and can't put weight in your heel. 
It can be tricky finding the right balance of weight in your stirrups and in your seat, but longer stirrups should help keep you from jumping out of the saddle.


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

dynamite. said:


> I have a question - a lot of you have been saying to ride without stirrups or ride bareback for practice. The thing is, I already do both and find it easier to sit when doing so. Are there any other ways to help me learn to ride in a longer stirrup?


Make sure when you're riding with stirrups, that you're sinking your weight into your heels. It can be very easy to brace against your stirrups, which will cause a lot of bouncing. If your weight is in your heels, it should help you keep contact with the saddle.


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