# Losing stirrups



## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

First of all, it looks as though you needn’t try raising your stirrups – a common response employed by many riders who lose their stirrups.

I’ve found most riders who lose their stirrups do so because they tighten their muscles in one form or another. This may take the form of gripping with the knees. It may also take the form of trying to hold on with their heels; this action also throws the rider off balance.

The most effective solution does not come so much through exercise as through relaxation. The advice often given to “just practice more” may appear to work because many riders begin to relax more as their experience grows. Remember however: practice in itself does not “make perfect”. Improvement comes through “correct” practice.

As you ride, try to release all unnecessary tension from your muscles. Releasing tension in the muscles above your waist allows your muscles to respond quickly and almost effortlessly to the movements of your horse while your bones support your weight. Think “balance”, not “muscular effort”. Releasing unnecessary tension in the muscles around your shoulders and elbows helps allow your hands to gently follow the actions of your horse’s head while the rest of your body is doing other things.

As you release tension in the muscles below your waist, gravity is allowed to draw your legs downward. This, in turn, holds your legs against the horse’s side without muscular effort. It holds your feet in the stirrups. It draws your heels lower than your toes.

Your non-tense muscles can more effortlessly react to the movements of your horse allowing you to freely follow the horse’s movements. Then, you will begin to feel an increased joy in riding “with” your horse.


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

You are both riding off your knee and raising the heel when you use your legs. Even just walking and cooling out, your heels should be down. 

To fix it, it'll all be about releasing the legs and letting the muscles become long.

Crossing your stirrups and letting your legs hang long. Wiggle the toes, do ankle circles. Leg swings forward and back from the hip. This will be very doable at the walk. Trot and canter will depend on your seat. Just because you can stay on without stirrups diesnt mean you are sitting correctly during it. I'm guessing the times that you lose your stirrups, you are still gripping and pinching. 

Ask your instructor if you can spend some time on the lunge line to develop your seat. A good lunge lesson will have your instructor controlling the horses gait and pace, you will have your stirrups crossed and the reins knotted/twisted up. You can hold the front of the saddle if needed, and focus on letting the legs be long. This way, you can let the legs stretch and hang without worrying about steering, speed, or bouncing off the side.

After doing good no stirrup work, your stirrups should feel much shorter. Keep that feeling. It's your muscles being long.

Another thing is two pointing at all gaits. You want all your weight to sink down into your stirrups, through your heels. You heels will be both your anchor and suspension. Don't force them down, that creates more issues, just let the tension flow down your leg and out your heel.

You can consciously ride with your knee a little off the saddle. That prevents you from pinching. When you leg is more solid, let the knee come back flat. When using your leg, don't lift the heel(easier said then done). Squeeze the calves together and down. Dont think about cueing with the heel at all. If your horse is ignoring that(as many do, which forces the rider to compensate by using the heels), back up your ask with a crop or whip behind the leg. You can also turn your heels out more, rolling your calves from the flat part to the edges creating a psuedo-spur effect. Return the leg to neutral immediately after. It becomes so much easier to keep the leg long and effective if the horse is moving off the leg.

You can also raise your stirrups one hole. There's no point in riding with long stirrups just beacuse that's where they should be. Shorten the stirrup to the point where you are secure, work on the leg, then lower it as needed. You aren't going to develop the leg if you are reaching and fishing for stirrups for most of the ride. You can have short muscles in long stirrups, and you can have long muscles in short stirrups.

The picture isn't the best to judge, but I also suspect that saddle doesn't position you well. There's only so much you can do about that with lesson horses and their tack. I also find that half chaps(or tall boots) make it easier to keep the leg quiet and where you want it.


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## Spanish Rider (May 1, 2014)

Hello, and welcome to HF! How long have you been riding?

Losing stirrups is something that we've all been through and nothing to be worried about. Yes, it will improve, especially with time.

But, as you have already said, losing your stirrups often has to do with tension in the knees, leg, seat, etc. In the posting trot, it is also a sign of using the wrong muscles to post.

In your photo, your left leg is very toe-out, meaning that you are using the muscles at the back of your thigh instead of the inner thigh to post. However, perhaps this is just the photo or a transient change in your position, because your lower leg position in your profile pic is much better.

Either way, believe it or not, what I would recommend is that you do more stirrupless work. Do you do any at all? Of course, this also depends on how long you have been riding and your ability to balance, so you should discuss whether you are ready with your instructor. But, stirrupless work (even at just a walk) makes us use a longer leg and our inner thigh muscles, which give us stability in the saddle. With that added stability and longer leg, you will develop muscle memory that will improve your leg position when you pick up your stirrups again.

I rode at a New England college, and our team practices always began with 15 minutes or so of warm-up without stirrups. However, if your horse is a bit more active at the start of class, this is something you can do during cool-down.

You should also get into the habit of stretching your legs (touch those toes!) before every ride. I am surprised at how few riders stretch, as it is an easy way to improve your riding.

Have fun!


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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

I would agree with the others, in the photo it looks like your stirrups are too long. Your heels should always be down so that when you are cantering/posting, you have some room to rise before your toes part company with the stirrup, thus preventing them from slipping out. 
If you've been riding at that length for awhile, it may feel strange at first to have them shorter so give it a ride or two to adjust, but I would suggest taking them up a notch at a time until your feet no longer come out. 
When I bought my new saddle I had to take my stirrups up higher because my feet would come out at a canter too. It only took one notch but that solved the problem and after a ride or two I no longer noticed the difference.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I have identified slightly weaker muscles on the outer surface of the thighs and hips as a cause in some people. I have no way of knowing if this is your issue (or part of it) without seeing you. But you likely cannot harm yourself by doing side kicks ( with even a 1-2# ankle weight) and squats. Some people benefit from do single leg stands, too. 

Basic caution: If it hurts to do any of those - don't do them. 

It's true it will likely get better even if you do nothing because you'll be building strength and balancing strength by riding.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

lilruffian said:


> I would agree with the others, in the photo it looks like your stirrups are too long.


Two out of three of the response posts so far have NOT recommended shortening the stirrups, but working on seat, relaxation etc. I think that's spot on. The problem isn't too-long stirrups, it's mostly about learning to relax and dissipate tension, and if a rider does that, the legs will drop.

A question for the OP: Are your soles especially slippery? That can happen, and be a bit unhelpful. Having sufficient friction between the sole and the stirrup reduces stirrup loss and makes things easier if you have to fish for them. Some riding boots soles are better than others in that respect. Ditto the stirrup tread inserts, which can get really worn.


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## Jolly101 (Jul 2, 2018)

I agree with what has already been advised  I recommend doing lots of stretches/ balance exercises when you warm up at the walk and no stirrup work is also a great way to improve. There are lots of exercises that should come up on youtube if you search. I've seen a few by yourridingsuccess that may help. 


When warming up, I like to swing my legs back and forth in opposite directions, focusing on stretching the hip and psoas muscles. Then I focus on finding my seatbones, which I usually do by lifting my knee and leg up for a second and relaxing. I repeat this exercise for a bit as it also flexes the psoas muscle and your core. Then I like to do inner leg circles, from the hip, etc. There are lots of various exercises you can try, but the main focus is finding your center of balance and preparing (relaxing + toning) the muscles you need for a proper position. 


I'd also recommend as much no stirrup work as you can handle. Lunge lessons are great for this, but you can also practice on your own walk, trot and canter. Rising trot without stirrups will particularly build leg strength for you and two point.


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

Thank you! I'll give that a try


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I too, had a problem with my feet sticking out. I had to stop thinking heels down, but rather toes up. Engaged my upper thigh better, which in turn brings your feet in.


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

Spanish Rider said:


> Hello, and welcome to HF! How long have you been riding?
> 
> Losing stirrups is something that we've all been through and nothing to be worried about. Yes, it will improve, especially with time.
> 
> ...


I've been riding for 10 years so I really have no excuse haha. This is a problem I only have with him though - I think it's because I have to do a lot more work to keep him going and straight and stuff.

I do some stirrupless work but probably not enough. I'll try doing the 15 min stirrupless stuff at the start and see how that works - thank you!


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

SueC said:


> Two out of three of the response posts so far have NOT recommended shortening the stirrups, but working on seat, relaxation etc. I think that's spot on. The problem isn't too-long stirrups, it's mostly about learning to relax and dissipate tension, and if a rider does that, the legs will drop.
> 
> A question for the OP: Are your soles especially slippery? That can happen, and be a bit unhelpful. Having sufficient friction between the sole and the stirrup reduces stirrup loss and makes things easier if you have to fish for them. Some riding boots soles are better than others in that respect. Ditto the stirrup tread inserts, which can get really worn.


That might be it - I can try swapping the stirrups treads out and see if it helps.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

it looks like the grip of your lower leg is actually causing the saddle flap to bunch up behind your calf. Is that true? or is that a visual distortion?










I think losing the stirrups comes from gripping with the calf while at the same time allowing your heel to come up and your toes to point down.
that can be part of gripping for dear life, out of anxiety and tension. OR, perhaps in your case, a long ingrained habit of constantly putting ' a leg on him". 



INstead of continually 'legging ' him with you heel. use the inside bone of your ankle to "plump" him, as if he were a pillow you were fluffing up with your ankels. you sort of 'slap ' his sides with your ankle, instead of digging your heels into his sides. And if he is dull to that, well then, spank him! wake him up to your leg, instead of pushing him every step.
Oh, and in lessons you may hear 'heels down!", but instead of thinking "heels down", think "toes up!".



It's a very natural thing to do (to grip up like this). I fight against it all the time. It takes ten thousand corrections to make it natural. I'm sure you are a dandy rider in most respects. 

Best of luck!


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

As often, I'll be the contrarian here.

No stirrup work teaches you to ride from the knee up. Your weight cannot slide into and be supported by the stirrup, so all weight must be carried from the knee up. It is good for learning how to ride without stirrups.

If you want to learn to keep your stirrups, use your stirrups. Spend time riding while standing in the stirrups. Walking, trotting - two point reduces the peak pressures on your horse's back by 20% compared to both sitting and posting - and cantering. In addition to being gentler on your horse's back, you will learn to let your weight slide past your knees and into the stirrups. You will also learn to keep your stirrups under your center of gravity. You will very quickly realize it is much easier to stand in the stirrups if your center of gravity matches your horses, and will thus learn how your horse adjusts his center of gravity while turning, accelerating, slowing, etc.

Foot position: Get a ladder. Climb up and down it a few times. Notice where you put your foot on the rungs. Use a ladder with narrow rungs to help. The place you put your foot to climb a ladder is the spot on your foot that will give you your most secure grip on the stirrup. Put that part of your foot on the front 50% of the stirrup.

You are in Australia. FWIW, I developed a love for Australian 4-bar stirrups:








Prefer riding western now and like using stirrups with a 3" deep bed.

Full disclosure: I don't teach anyone. I started riding at 50. A nagging back injury means I'll probably never use my back well. And I mostly ride on trails and NEVER ride for a judge. Other than my horse. But I can't remember the last time I lost my stirrups and I'm suggesting what has worked for me.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

OP the moment it clicked for me, keeping stirrups in canter was suddenly I found my legs relaxed but simultaneously my upper body working with the motion. I felt like I was split in two. Rub your belly and your head at the same time, that sort of feeling. Stirrupless really helps me relax my bottom half to help remember that. It never came naturally to me and I'm about as athletic as a log. I want to add... when I focused on keeping my bottom half relaxed at first my steering went to pot but one thing at a time


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Here is my take on the matter. 

To me your whole leg is wrong. You are gripping up with your lower leg which will make your heels come up and easier to loose a stirrup. 

It all stems from the thigh. I can clearly see that you are not riding with your inner thigh flat to the saddle. This turns your knee away and toe out. 

When you first mount and many times through the ride, put your hand under your thigh from behind and pull all to the back. 
This sets the immer thigh against the saddle and your knee and toe will be forward. Your knee should be in contact with the saddle but not gripping. 

It allows your lower leg to be stronger and hang under you. 

Try it and feel the difference.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I never ride on the flat of my inner thigh. As best I can tell, I don't HAVE a flat inner thigh. My toes point out as both the US Cavalry (10-45 degree recommended) and Littauer (30 degrees recommended) and (at one time) George Morris recommended. The way most western riders do. And I really don't remember ever losing my stirrups.

This is a video in slow motion of a world record barrel racer & her horse (1990s). If she keeps her stirrups riding like this, then I suspect keeping the stirrups and things like "relaxed leg" and "flat thighs" and "toes front" and "heels down" don't have a whole lot to do with keeping one's stirrups. They may or may not be good things by themselves. Don't know since "heels down" is about the only one I ever do, but the evidence suggests they have nothing to do with keeping one's stirrups.






Another slow motion run from 2009:






I realize barrel racing is not an English sport. But on the narrow issue of "keeping one's stirrups", I find them relevant.


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

Barrel racers’ riding styles provide little useful comparison for non-barrel racers. Both riders had their stirrups in the “home” position (wedged against the boot heel). The first rider, especially, rode much of her ride with her toes down – helping keep the stirrup wedged in the top of the triangle thus created. While this method may be useful when riding “hell for leather”, it lacks the ability for subtle action offered to rider’s performing other tasks with the balls of their feet on the stirrups and heels lower.


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## lostastirrup (Jan 6, 2015)

*Lostastirrup's thoughts on the losing of stirrups*

I feel required by nomenclature to have some helpful advice. Unfortunately for me- but fortunately for you- a lot of good advice has already been given. 

I'll just iterate some excercises. 

If your pony is broke and alright with you dancing about while he tawdles around, start your ride with a few excercises to help your propioception.

Take your feet out of the stirrups. Let your leg hang. Get the socket of your hips really loose. Practice opening and closing your thighs and hips and pay attention to what it does to your legs. What happens to your lower leg and heel if you put tension in your buttocks, knees, or lower back. 
My guess is you don't quite "flow" from your seat into the saddle, which tends to be what makes the legs unstable. You will find that as you soften all these "seat" muscles as opposed to letting them be tight, you'll have a quieter more stable leg. If you can trot stirrupless give those same practices a try at trot and see what they feel like. Your horse and your body will let you know that relaxed is best (I do not mean all loosey goosey, rather think of your body as a Willow- it bends in the wind but ultimately stays straight). When you've found what is "pushing your buttons" stirrupless, pick your stirrups back up. I always suggest shortening them if you have a hard time keeping them just because it is easier and why make it any harder than it has to be. With your stirrups- practice pointing your toes straight forward and not out, and stretching your leg down the thighs, through the knee and down the calf. The ankle should stay supple. Let your legs follow the movement of your horse in walk. See if you can get a good feeling of stability in your legs and looseness in your seat. Then try trot and canter. In the faster gaits we tend to bring our knees up and shorten our calf muscles, so remember looooooooooooong streeeeeeeeeeeeeetcchy legs with your toe forward. Stay down in the tack. It's much harder to be tight when you're riding in full seat. See if that helps. 


Also I'm attaching a video about ways to use the leg. It doesn't directly apply to losing stirrups, but if we use our legs correctly then we won't have as many opportunities to lose those stirrups.


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

tinyliny said:


> it looks like the grip of your lower leg is actually causing the saddle flap to bunch up behind your calf. Is that true? or is that a visual distortion?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you! I'll try switching the way I use my leg. I hadn't noticed the saddle flap bunching up and nobody's pointed it out - but I'll make sure to look out for that!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I will have to say that there are times that using a 'flutter' of your foot, from the ankle only, (which says is a no-no) , works very well to get a response from a horse. It may not look like dressage perfect, but it can work


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

Foxhunter said:


> Here is my take on the matter.
> 
> To me your whole leg is wrong. You are gripping up with your lower leg which will make your heels come up and easier to loose a stirrup.
> 
> ...


I'll give it a try! Thank you!


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

bsms said:


> As often, I'll be the contrarian here.
> 
> No stirrup work teaches you to ride from the knee up. Your weight cannot slide into and be supported by the stirrup, so all weight must be carried from the knee up. It is good for learning how to ride without stirrups.
> 
> ...


I am really bad at 2-point so that could definitely be a problem! I'll work on what you mentioned more. Thank you!


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

Check your boots, too. When I first got back to riding, I had a cheapy pair of Greenhawk Auken synthetic paddock boots (they came with a back-to-lessons bargain package) that had hard, plasticky soles. I had a devil of a time keeping my stirrups, and when I did, they'd twist around to an odd angle. Being me, I always blamed myself and my riding.

Then I got some decent Ariats with proper RUBBER soles and the stirrups stayed at the correct angle to my foot, and I lost them about 70% less often.

Edited to add: it looks, in the photo, like your stirrups are just the plain metal and have no treads? That's definitely not going to do you any favours either! Adding some treads would definitely help you, and they don't cost much. They're not "cheating;" they're pretty standard equipment.

I'm not bringing up the equipment stuff to say there isn't a riding component to all of this -- I'm sure there is -- but it definitely helps when your equipment isn't sabotaging your chances for success!


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

lostastirrup said:


> I feel required by nomenclature to have some helpful advice.


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:




bsms said:


> I never ride on the flat of my inner thigh. As best I can tell, I don't HAVE a flat inner thigh.


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I'm sorry, y'all - but you're all rupturing my diaphragm this evening. Not laughing at the constraints of the human body here, @bsms, but I did think when I read what you said above, "Nothing a bit of ironing won't fix!" :Angel:

But then, I had an idea a couple of years ago that I was going to write a little instructional book called "Cooking With An Iron". You know, steaks - cotton setting, 5 minutes each side. Toasted cheesies, ditto. Chicken - insert iron, wrap chicken in alfoil, cotton setting with steam, 4 hours. Etc.


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## duskexx (May 8, 2019)

SteadyOn said:


> Check your boots, too. When I first got back to riding, I had a cheapy pair of Greenhawk Auken synthetic paddock boots (they came with a back-to-lessons bargain package) that had hard, plasticky soles. I had a devil of a time keeping my stirrups, and when I did, they'd twist around to an odd angle. Being me, I always blamed myself and my riding.
> 
> Then I got some decent Ariats with proper RUBBER soles and the stirrups stayed at the correct angle to my foot, and I lost them about 70% less often.
> 
> ...


I rode a different horse today and he had better stirrups and it was definately easier - I did lose my stirrups a couple times but not nearly as often and it was because he tripped. I might ask if I can swap their stirrups around. There isn't much I can do about the boots if they are posing a problem because I just got them a couple months ago, but when I get new ones I'll make sure to look at the soles.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

It might be possible to paint anti-slip product on the front half of your boot soles though. It would have to be in a flexible base so it wouldn't chip off when you bend your boot, but these things are worth trying. If commercial things for boat decks, outdoor stairs etc don't work / are too expensive, you can get the abrasive powder that goes into these products from a good hardware store and mix it into shoe-goo, for example, and thinly coat the front half of your boot soles. Sanding that part of the sole lightly prior to application will give a better bond.

Or you could try self-bonding anti-slip strips, running them sideways on a clean, dry surface.


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## Spanish Rider (May 1, 2014)

> I've been riding for 10 years so I really have no excuse haha.


Yeah, well I started riding nearly 50 years ago, and I can still find penty of excuses! But, seriously, you look very young. I am sure that you have grown a lot in the past 10 years, so it's like riding with a different body!



> it looks like the grip of your lower leg is actually causing the saddle flap to bunch up behind your calf. Is that true? or is that a visual distortion?


I'm afraid I have to disagree here. To me, it simply looks like the end of your stirrup leather, although I can't really see what sort of saddle you are using.

I forgot to mention: cute horse!


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

If you're losing stirrups, there's something wrong with your leg position and/or weight distribution while riding. One common cause is the rider hunching forward and gripping with the knee. If it's just on one side, it may be that one of your legs is longer than the other-- it's common.

Don't add 'grippy' stuff-- that's dangerous. Your stirrups and boots should slide apart easily for safety. It's an issue with your balance, riding alignment, and stirrup length, most likely. Your instructor should be able to help you. If you don't have access to one, have someone video your ride and you can often see what the problem is.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Adding grippy stuff is _not_ dangerous if it gives you the right amount of grip. It's also why good stirrup treads and good riding boots offer you sufficient grip. Some riding boots do not. The right amount of friction is important for being able to retrieve stirrups quickly when necessary, and for not slipping out of stirrups, or further into them than intended. Either of those scenarios can be dangerous - slipping too far into a stirrup in a hairy situation like a spook will predispose you to a trapped foot should you come off, because it's easier to get hooked up mechanically when your foot is too far in - and this is why good boots and good treads set you up with sufficient friction.

The risk of being trapped in your stirrup as a result should not be increased, because static friction depends on there being weight on the feet - reduce the weight = reduce the friction. I've never had problems losing my stirrups if I want to, like in a fall - with one single exception when a horse and I ended up crashing into a steel gate nearly thirty years ago, and my leg was too numb to feel - and in that case, I got hooked up by having slipped too far into the stirrup before falling off. I was dragged then for a short distance, but the trick to get free is to kick at the stirrup with your free leg if that happens, and that is how I unhooked despite having an injured leg from the collision with the gate.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

@SueC what.. I think need a thread for unfortunate events that this community has experienced  

I like the idea of grippy boots - you need _something_ to help keep the foot in. Even having stirrups with some sort of tread can help instead. OP can even think about investing in your own stirrups to swap out. Correct stirrups and leathers are something you can personalise without needing to actually own the horse so I have always thought it's fine to commit to these two items (in English riding, can't comment Western never smelled a Western saddle lol!).

EDIT: I have three pairs of riding boots and one of them, my ankle boot cheapies, I might as well be standing on butter. When I switched out full knee boots which were for the yard so better grip and overall stabilisation was a game changer. Does it mean I suck without them? Yeah ... pout.


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