Losing a stirrup mid-ride is one of the most annoying things in the world, isn’t it? One moment you’re trotting along feeling brilliant, the next your foot is flapping about, and you’re scrambling to find it again. Here’s the good news: it’s almost never about luck, and it’s something you can fix.
Most of the time, lost stirrups come down to one of these:
- Your stirrups are too long. If you have to reach down with your toes to keep them, they’ll keep slipping. Ask your coach to check the length.
- You’re pushing down with your toes instead of letting your heel sink. ”Heels down’ isn’t just something grown-ups say to be annoying. A soft, low heel keeps the stirrup pressed against the ball of your foot where it belongs.
- Your foot is too far ‘home.’ Only the ball of your foot should rest on the stirrup, not your whole foot jammed in.
- Your legs are not very strong yet. When you first start riding your legs are often quite weak meaning they move a lot when your pony moves. This can cause your foot to jiggle out of the stirrup more often. Over time and with more no-stirrup work your legs will get stronger, your leg position better and you’ll hold onto those stirrups!
A few things to practise. Try some work with no stirrups at all (crossed over in front of the saddle), at halt and walk first, with someone watching you. It feels wobbly at the start, but it teaches your legs to stretch long and stay still, which is exactly what stops stirrups escaping.
Then practise picking your stirrups back up without looking down. Wiggle your foot until the iron taps it, then slide it back on. The riders who look calm when they lose a stirrup aren’t lucky, they’ve just practised getting it back so many times it doesn’t bother them. Lost stirrups are a sign your position is still growing, not a sign you’re a bad rider. Every single rider has been there.
