Gripping leg??? Losing your stirrups???

This is another very common problem riders ask me about. As with everything it can happen for a number of reasons and can take a bit of detective work to solve.

First of all check whether it happens all the time, regardless of what you are doing when you ride or what horse you are on or what saddle you are using. Does it happen on both reins? In all gaits? Only in particular movements?

If it is only on one particular horse then maybe that horse is crooked or not pushing equally with both hindlegs. Sometimes horses will have a low grade hindleg issue that will result in the saddle continually moving to one side. This can unbalance the riders and they will often grip up with one leg to prevent them from slipping further over. When they grip up they may lose their stirrup.

Maybe your leg only creeps up when you use it? Perhaps only in lateral work? Two things may help here and one is to help your horse to understand and move away from a lighter aid as well as to change the way you use your leg. Sounds a bit challenging? Not really. The first can be done by in-hand work which I do a lot of and run an entire program dedicated just to this. The Equest Connect In-hand program. Its great – easy, fun and logical for both horse and rider, not matter what level you are. From babies to Grand Prix, it is something that I believe should be incorporated in to all horses training schedules.
As for the way to reprogram your body to use a lighter aid – that is what the Equest Connect Ridden Program is all about. Actually, it is way more than that. It is about being so body aware that you will notice if you are actually blocking the horse in some other way so you don’t need to use such a strong aid in the first place that your leg grips up. It is always better to take an aid away than to add in or increase another one. This is worth remembering at all times of training!
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If it is only in one particular saddle then maybe that saddle is not ideal for you. There are so many reasons here that this would be an article all on its own! I should remember this! This is not just if the saddle is crooked as this is not seen so much nowadays with riders taking such good care to have regular saddle-fits. Anything not allowing the rider to sit in balance and have their hips work in the best angle for them will result in increased muscular tension and a degree of seat instability which may result in legs gripping up and stirrup loss.

If the stirrup loss happens all the time, regardless of horse or saddle, then yes - the problem is you and most likely so do with the stability and straightness of your seat. The Equest Connect Rider Program is what you need! I honestly believe this is absolutely the best way to become incredibly aware and in control of your own body when on a horse. It draws on all my knowledge in different areas, from veterinary, elite training to rider and horse rehab and uses a range of fun exercises and equipment. I run these as individual or shared sessions and best of all, these complement what you do with your coach and are by no means designed to replace or interfere with your current training.