# Losing stirrups



## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Hmmm - I would have to see video footage to see what it is that is going on, but I am going to say that it is possible you are not using your body efficiantly while in the saddle.

We all know about gravity. What goes up, must come down. So, lets put that into you being in the saddle. When you are in the saddle, that gravity must beable to occur naturally and efficiantly. The weight must be allowed to flow from your head, down to your shoulders, to your core, to your seat, to your legs, and lastly into your heels. It must occur for you to be solid in your tack.

The moment you block that flow from occuring - you get what you are encountering. So, if you are tense in your seat, your thighs, your knees - if you are gripping or pinching somewhere...you are blocking that flow from occuring.

Your heels, must always be your anchor. They must, must, must beable to do their job. When your heels are able to absorb your bodies weight, they are doing their job, but they cannot the moment you block that natural weight flow from happening.

So, close your eyes, and try to think of how you are while you are in your tack. There is something going, that you are doing, to cause you to loose your irons. My suspicion is you are not allowing your bodies weight to flow from your head into your heels.

When you sit in your saddle, open everything up, allow your seat to really be in your saddle, feel it, and allow that weight to flow down into your heels. Allow your legs to stretch, and heels to deepen. No gripping, no pinching, no tensing - allow that flow to occur.


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

Great post, MIE!
I know that I had this problem when I first started riding hunter. My heels were down, but the came up as I used my legs because my weight was not properly sunk into my heels. It makes a huge difference of everything you do when you're riding! 

So really try to feel your weight in your heels, and don't just force them down. That's the only thing I could think of that's happening. Like I said, MIE gave you a good reply.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

I always kick my feet out of the stirrups without realizing it. I've always mostly ridden bareback and suddenly I will look down and not have realized that I done it.


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## SlapLeather (Oct 7, 2010)

Also, try to feel the weight a little on the inside of the balls of your feet where the stirrups are...with your heels down and toes out a bit...and pressing out...pressing out a little from the inside of your feet. The feel of your legs, thighs, feet..being "open" toward the forward motion of your horse. But with legs directly under you or a little forward.

You are posting INTO your legs and feet, not ahead of them. Don't concentrate so much on your weight into your heels, as much as the feel of pressing your feet out...pressing the stirrups out...from the inside of your feet.

But at the same time...most of your weight should be in your seat...rump, thighs, core, spine...IN the saddle. From the thighs down into your feet...it is just a supple shock absorber. 

Picture your weight going from your head down through your spine to the insides of your feet. Your weight should NOT go outside feet. This is proper balance.

Make sure your stirups are not too long, as well.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

Maybe take a video of your riding. Look at it yourself and see if you can spot why, and perhaps post it on here.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Losing stirrups is often a sign that you are grabbing the horse with your knees. This causes the lower leg to creep up the horses sides, since there is little or no weight in your stirrups and no flexibility in your ankle. Let go with your knees, feel contact with the INSIDE, not the back of your calf. Do not grip too much with any part of your leg but sink your weight into your stirrups and keep your ankle soft and flexible. Use your ankle as a shock absorber.

This will allow your leg to drape along the sides of the horse. It will really help with the stirrup problem, believe me. It is one of the most common problems I see in my students early on and the first thing I must fix. Without a good lower leg, there will be little or no security with the upper body.


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## mooney (Sep 20, 2010)

thanks for all the replies, a few of you probably are right, I can't put my weight into my irons. it is more a physical problem though, my ankles have no flexablity now after years of accidents and arithritis in them. Stretching has only brought back a small amount or use, and to much strain offend leads me not being able to walk well the couple days. I can't pinch with my knees, that would just about kill me if I hadn't taken pain relievers. 

Just out of high school and complaining about arithritis in all my joints. Lol. I'll try out some suggests.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

mooney said:


> thanks for all the replies, a few of you probably are right, I can't put my weight into my irons. it is more a physical problem though, my ankles have no flexablity now after years of accidents and arithritis in them. Stretching has only brought back a small amount or use, and to much strain offend leads me not being able to walk well the couple days. I can't pinch with my knees, that would just about kill me if I hadn't taken pain relievers.
> 
> Just out of high school and complaining about arithritis in all my joints. Lol. I'll try out some suggests.


 First off, I feel ya on the arthritis lol...I have it in my neck from a fall from my horse and I'm only 30!! :lol: 

Anyway this used to happen to me and what others are saying is true...I wasn't REALLY sinking into my stirrups, I was gripping with my knee a little too much and didn't even realize I was doing it!

The next time you ride, when you trot try to think of moving your pelvis forward rather than standing up/sitting down. I found that when I thought of the post as me standing up, then sitting down, I was gripping with my knees a little too much (not even noticeable either, I honestly didn't think I was doing it!) and that was causing me to lose the stirrups. But when I stopped thinking about standing when I was posting, and pictured myself thrusting my pelvis forward instead, it kept me anchored better and actually made it much easier to post with the horse too 

Hope that helps, but I think the advice on here so far is spot on...although it would be easier if we saw video of it of course! :wink:


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## mooney (Sep 20, 2010)

wish I could get a video , but I don't anything that can take one and I offend ride by myself.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Could you set up a camera on a tripod?


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

It isn't about pushing your heels down, every rider have different heel angles. That isn't the issue - what it is that you want to achieve is, allowing your heels to do their job which is = anchoring you.

Think of it like this - a sailor will drop the boats anchor to keep the boat in place. To secure the boats position, to ensure that the boat doesn't float off or end up somewhere it shouldn't be.

Now, put that with your heels. Your heels cannot anchor you in your tack, if you aren't allowing them to. Your bodies weight must beable to sink, remember gravity...from your head down into your heels for your heels to beable to aid in keeping your body solidified in your tack.

You can only do that, by allowing the weight to naturally flow from top, to bottom. So back with the gripping and the pinching. Think of it this way - the weight flows from your head, into your chest, into your core, into your seat naturally......just tickity boo. From your seat, it is trying to flow down even more, into your lower leg...BUT if you, the rider blocks that flow from happening because you've gripped with your knees, or with your thighs or your calves.....you've blocked it from beable to sink down. So it stops at that pressure point you've created.

Now your heels cannot do their job, because they aren't getting the weight flow they need to beable to anchor you in your tack - so you have to make a concious effort, to make sure you are allowing that weight flow to naturally take its course - from head, to heel.

Make sure you aren't pushing your weight into your toes either - it's in your heels. Again, they don't have to be at a 90 degree angle, nor even a 50 degree angle, allow your body to do what it can do, the best it can do. Just so long as your heels are taking in that weight flow.

There are many great books out there as well, to help you out with this dillema, focusing on exercises to strengthen you and your body parts to. You can get into pilates, bally ball exercises - there are many ways to help you out to strengthen your body so that you can be that much more efficiant while in your tack.


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## SlapLeather (Oct 7, 2010)

Great explanation. I like this; it helps me too. Gives me something to work on today. I am still trying to get really comfortable in the saddle. Sometimes I feel like I'm bouncing out of the saddle too much at a gallop...until the gallop is a full out run. But i think I grip to stay on and this causes tension, then I start bouncing because I'm too ridgid. I need to trust the gravity and stay deep in the seat...relaxed.

Suggestions...?


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## mooney (Sep 20, 2010)

Hey thanks for the advice, I have a question though, I understand I need to get my weight into my heels, but if it wasn't wouldn't there be other side effects? Like bouncing in the saddle? Legs moving up or forward? I haven't had an instructor point there things out (okay when I first rode english ...). But I am really trying last time I rode, so thanks for the advice and hopefully I'll see some improvement.


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## daviddwilson (Oct 10, 2010)

mooney said:


> thanks for all the replies, a few of you probably are right, I can't put my weight into my irons. it is more a physical problem though, my ankles have no flexablity now after years of accidents and arithritis in them. Stretching has only brought back a small amount or use, and to much strain offend leads me not being able to walk well the couple days. I can't pinch with my knees, that would just about kill me if I hadn't taken pain relievers.
> 
> Just out of high school and complaining about arithritis in all my joints. Lol. I'll try out some suggests.


The next time you ride, when you trot try to think of moving your pelvis forward rather than standing up/sitting down. I found that when I thought of the post as me standing up, then sitting down, I was gripping with my knees a little too much (not even noticeable either, I honestly didn't think I was doing it!) and that was causing me to lose the stirrups. But when I stopped thinking about standing when I was posting, and pictured myself thrusting my pelvis forward instead, it kept me anchored better and actually made it much easier to post with the horse too


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

david did you mean to quote my quote there? 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Shenandoah (Aug 9, 2010)

When my heels start coming up (more often than they should - years of bareback riding meant just letting my feet hang free), my instructor has me get up into the 2-point position and ride that way a moment. Then she tells me to sit down in the saddle without changing the position or feel of my legs.
It works for me. Until I forget and they start coming up again :lol:


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## EmilyandNikki (Sep 7, 2010)

So, I have an old ankle injury, and for the first time in a year of riding, I put my weight properly in my feet, and in the English saddle, it felt like I was sitting in a "chair" my legs were "locked"(not really but it felt like they were grounded) and I had balance! I wasn't leaning forward! I had FINALLY found the muscles needed! With no help from my idiot instructor who thinks because I can't find my muscles or do what she says I'm not "listening"(Gave her a heads up, if she doesn't start working with, and blaming everything on not listening and actually tries to find out why I can't do something, whether it be because I have no clue how to work those muscles, or nerves or etc. then I'm going to switch to another instructor) but back on topic, it HURT. My ankle HURT and caused me to not be able to use my leg properly. I need to work my ankle slowly to be able to fixate it in that position for long periods of time. So I find no stir-up work easier too. It would probably work for you like it works to me, you need to stretch your ankle, make it more flexible slowly, and at the same time, get it used to work, through various daily exercises.


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## loveBradforever (Oct 6, 2010)

I ride western and I lost my stirrup while galloping, and that was pretty scary for me. hehe


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## sdellin (Jul 14, 2010)

My instructor says to imagine a rope from your belly button and somone is pulling and releasing, pulling and releasing. That helped me to use a more pelvis thrusting motion to post, rather than standing, sitting, standing, sitting. Which would cause me to lose my stirrups from time to time. Definately think about keeping your weight in your heels. I don't think just because you don't have other symptoms (bouncing, legs coming up and forward) means anything. You could be good at keeping your lower legs quiet and in one place, but still not have your weight in the heels. MIEventer is giving you some really good advice and examples (I'll be thinking about that today when i ride, thank you very much!)


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## kasdia77 (Sep 23, 2010)

I would suggest long legs and weight in your heels. It may also be that you're concentrating on loosing your stirrups too much which might be causing you to loose them. Adjust the stirrups to your correct length for flat work (approximately they should come to your ankles) and put your feet in the stirrups and make sure you always have proper weight in your heels.
I find that practicing this outside the saddle works as well. Try standing on the ground with your feet shoulder length apart with some bend in your knees and push your weight in your heels. Now try to post by keeping a straight back and straightening your body up and down. This is what my coach taught me hope it helps!


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## new2horses (Dec 26, 2009)

I had the same problem during my first few lessons. For me, it was caused by pinching with my knees and not putting enough weight on my feet. It's actually a big problem as it signifies that you're not sitting in the tack correctly. My instructor had me stand up in the stirrups to feel the weight and then sit down halfway, then all the way while explaining that the pressure on my feet should not change.


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## Western (Oct 15, 2010)

I have that same problem when I use an english saddle... Apparently it's because I cant keep my heels down properly? I'm so used to riding western I guess I forgot the importance of good balance


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## mooney (Sep 20, 2010)

Thanks for the replies, I am happy to see that it is a normal problem. after riding since I was young you would think you would have troubles like this. The suggestions have help improve my posting, but it was my doctor that fixed the stirrup problem to an extent. I had to get something for the inflammation in my ankles, he said that riding has probably been irritating the damage that is already there. It just came out more when I started riding english. It makes it easier to consentrate on keeping my weight down, when my ankles haven't give out a quarter of the way through the ride.


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## WalnutPixie (Oct 15, 2010)

I used to have a similar problem. I kept losing my stirrups and although I could ride perfectly fine without them, I couldn't keep my feet in them!
I think the problem was that my balance was good so I wasn't really using the stirrups. What I finally learned to do, was to put just a little bit of weight from my lower legs in the stirrup which held my foot in place without changing my balance. 
I'm not an expert though, so I have no idea if this is really what you are supposed to do.


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## CaptainLiecy (Sep 29, 2009)

I know this sounds stupid, but try walking around on some gravel in the boots you ride in..
My boots are so smooth soled that if I walk on any grass, I have to go and rub them in some gravel before I get on or else my feet will slip out of the stirrups hahaha. It's really helpful for grip, but obviously only works if you have leather soled boots, not rubber


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Or, you can wrap the stirrup pad in vet wrap. It is sticky. I used to do that for XC.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

*Get to know your stirrups*

While you are riding at the walk, you can kind of "pet" your stirrups, one at a time with the rythm of the horse. This sounds really wierd, but it's a way of just the tiniest bit focusing weight down into each stirrup, on the side that is moving forward with the horse's stride. So, at the walk, when the right shoulder moves forward, you press the tiniest bit more into that same side stirrup, then the other, then back and forth. IT's almsot like pedaling a bicylce, or "petting" your stirrups with the sole of your foot.
So, you kind of get to know them a bit.
Then, drop one, pick it up, drop it and pick it up. Reposition them on your feet, at walk and trot. Stand harder on it, then softer. Play with them a little. Get to know them.
Then, when you are cantering, feel for them again "you guys there?", then go back to feeling your butt on the saddle and your weight going down.

Remember, let the horse carry your weight, through those seat bones and downward. Let your weight down, your horse can carry you.


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