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Does anyone want to do a no stirrups challenge?

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MinervaTK
MinervaTK Posts: 20
in Social Groups
Ah, I remember the days when I was a teenager and I spent one entire 60 minute lesson in particular at posting trot with no stirrups... and I wasn't even sore the next day. Now I can't get my butt out of the saddle after one or two laps around the ring! Here is my tentative plan starting tomorrow:

5 minutes every other day for 10 days, then
10 minutes every other day for 10 days. I might have to do another week of 10 min every other day, not sure... then I will do
20 minutes every other day... forever!
Right now the no stirrup work means I don't focus much on the horse, but I want to get to where I ride well enough without them that I can continue to school my horse without them for 20 minutes of the ride and not be affected.

Soooo.... anyone else care to join me in their own version of a no stirrups challenge?? You know you wanna! :)

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  • Xatholasian
    Xatholasian Posts: 10
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    I remember when I used to be able to do that very thing.. 60 mins on a lunge posting the trot, waving my arms about touching various parts of the horse... yep... and never sore either...

    Now? well lets just say I am not anything like I used to be...

    I do try to go without stirrups as much as I can but I too have a hard time getting my butt outta the saddle at a trot...
  • Baydale
    Baydale Posts: 22
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    I'd love to!! I just have to wait 'til my horse comes sound :(
  • MinervaTK
    MinervaTK Posts: 20
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    Haha... so I think I may have overestimated my calf muscle. I ride mainly dressage on my mare, but I also have an ex jumper mare with stifle issues who has to trot for 20 minutes a day for a while. My plan was to do the no stirrup work on her, but apparently just shortening my stirrups and having a hunter leg for 20 min of trot is about enough to kill me lol! I did do some two point... but I think I will need to wait to do the no stirrups until my leg gets used to a shorter stirrup again, it's been a long time! She's also kind of spooky, so that doesn't really make me want to drop my stirrups on her either lol!
  • VesperSparrow
    VesperSparrow Posts: 14
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    I'm going to do a little at the end of each schooling session (mostly sitting trot) and build up. Just got the nerve up to do it on my current horse, who has a big trot and bounced a beginner (who had his stirrups) completely off her on the first trot stride. I finally realized that if I could sit her trot with stirrups I could probably do it without...
  • jessie1480
    jessie1480 Posts: 132 Member
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    I have one hunter in trainning so I'm in for at least the next 60 days.

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