No Stirrup November

It's the first week of November and riders everywhere are blowing up social media with "Happy No-Stirrups November!" memes usually showing a pair of irons hung near some fall leaves and a pumpkin. Riding without stirrups is a great way to work on balance, core and leg strength, it can expose any holes in your equitation that you may feel is otherwise perfect.

I want to be a great rider, equitation is a strong foundation for that, so even without the cajoling of a trainer or a pretty autumn backdrop I removed my stirrups for the month.

My eq on the flat isn't too shabby and when I ride the ponies twice a week (to keep them responsive for their kid riders) I always do it bareback. With four bareback rides a week, surely I was ahead of the curve a little on strength...I tacked up Czech and we headed down. 

First problem. Huge horse. Tallest mounting block. Still can't reach.

Summoning my inner gymnast, I tried to toss a leg over. When that failed with a slightly pulled thigh muscle, I leapt up across the saddle on my stomach as Czech decided he was leaving, threw over a leg and we were off.

The cool air had Czech feeling great and he gave me his big trot. I sat his long strides without any issue one lap in, fabulous. Lap two I was breathing a little hard. Lap three I decided that my arena was obviously too large to be counting just one lap per trip and lap four my abs were screaming, "Let the horse walk!"

Czech, being a Thoroughbred, has an awesome sense of humor. He jigged at the walk as soon as I relaxed, making my sides protest with tweaks of stabbing sensation.

We went the other way and picked up a canter. Czech was having fun and so was I. My inside leg had a little swing to it I didn't know was there and I fixed it, starting to feel pretty positive again about the whole stirrupless idea.

Back to the trot, half lap sitting, half posting. 

After 5 laps of this I reached a sort of clarity coming around one more time in two point. My thoughts became dark. George Morris was a bleeping bleep. My saddle was too bleeping slippery. Who the bleep does this honestly?!

Will I ride the rest of November stirrupless? Um, NO. I won't even make it through 8 more rides this week without them. But I swear on my Hunter Seat Equitation Manual that I will drop stirrups every ride for at least 15 minutes. To the rest of you still eagerly waiting to tackle your stirrup freedom, buy the big bottle of Advil and get some good full seat breeches, you're going to need them. PS Seat heaters in your car are awesome.