Why the Stirrups Are Often the Problem

Most riders who struggle with sitting trot aren't short of talent — they're short of a genuinely independent seat. Stirrups are brilliant for hacking, jumping and long days out, but in the school they quietly become a crutch. Take them away and the leg starts gripping, the knee lifts, the lower back locks, and every stride arrives as a small explosion beneath the saddle.

On a smallholding, where riding often happens in odd hours between feeding, fencing and the farrier, it's tempting to skip the slow, fiddly work. Yet fifteen minutes of stirrup-less schooling twice a week will do more for your seat than hours of aimless hacking. The goal isn't to ride beautifully without stirrups — it's to ride exactly the same way with them.

Setting Up Safely Before You Cross the Leathers

Stirrup-less work rewards preparation. A tense, fresh or spooky horse is the wrong partner for this exercise, so begin with a solid twenty minutes of walk and trot, working the horse forward and listening to your aids. By the time you take your feet out, you want a horse that is relaxed, straight and responsive to a half-halt.

Many smallholding riders school alone, so treat safety as non-negotiable:

• Use a level, enclosed arena with a good surface — deep or rutted going makes balancing far harder than it needs to be.
• Wear a correctly fitted hat, gloves and boots with a clear heel, and check your girth before you begin.
• If you are new to this, ask a knowledgeable friend to lunge you on a well-behaved horse while you concentrate purely on your position.
• Keep sessions short. Ten to fifteen minutes of focused work beats forty minutes of fatigue.

Start in Walk and Let the Hips Swing

Run your stirrups up the leathers so they don't flap, or cross them over the withers if that's the habit at your yard. Begin in walk on a twenty-metre circle and simply feel. Let the hips follow the horse's back, allowing the pelvis to swing with each hind step rather than bracing against it. Your thigh should lie long and flat against the saddle, the knee soft, the lower leg resting rather than clamping.

Breathe out. Soften the elbows and let your hands follow the walk. When you can walk a full circle without gripping, without looking down and without losing your rhythm, you are ready to ask for trot.

Your First Sitting Trot Without Stirrups

Ask for trot from walk, sit for six to eight strides, then come back to walk and praise the horse. Repeat. That is the whole exercise at first, and it works because short bursts stop you stiffening up as the muscles tire.

A few things to feel for:

• Weight in the thighs, not the knees. If your knees are gripping, your lower leg will creep backwards and your seat will pop out of the saddle.
• A long, loose lower back. Think of absorbing the movement through your middle rather than blocking it with a rigid spine.
• Hands that stay quiet. If your hands bounce, your elbows are locked; soften them and let the arms follow the horse's neck.
• Even weight in both seat bones. Circles and changes of rein will soon show you which side you favour.

Keep breathing steadily and, if you can, count out loud. Riders who hold their breath are almost always the ones bouncing hardest.

Faults You'll Meet, and How to Fix Them

Almost everyone hits the same handful of problems. Recognise them early and correct them calmly rather than pushing through.

• Bouncing and gripping. Come back to walk, re-establish your position, then trot again for fewer strides.
• A chair seat with the legs pushed forward. Check that your ear, shoulder, hip and heel line up; if not, you may be relying on the reins for balance.
• Tipping forward. Usually a sign of tight hip flexors. Stretch them off the horse and think of the chest staying tall.
• A hollow, rushing horse. Use a half-halt and ride a slower, more rhythmic trot. A horse running through the bridle is impossible to sit to.

Building Strength Between Rides and Moving On

Stirrup-less work is athletic, so treat it like training. Off-horse sessions matter: Pilates, planks, hip-flexor stretches and gentle squats will all improve your stability in the saddle. Little and often is the rule — three short sessions a week will build a far better seat than one long, exhausting one.

As you get stronger, progress gradually. Ride transitions within the trot, add changes of rein and twenty-metre circles, then extend the periods without stirrups to a full circuit of the arena. Once that feels secure, pick your stirrups back up and trot on — the difference in your seat should be obvious. From there, short stretches of canter without stirrups, and eventually a lunge lesson, will round off the work nicely.

Above all, be patient with yourself and with your horse. A deep, quiet seat is built over a season, not a weekend. Practise little, practise often, and the sitting trot will come.