Having a secure position over fences depends on an appropriately short stirrup and an appropriate saddle for the job. The visual picture should be of a rider whose stirrup leather is vertical to the ground, whose heels are lowered, whose hips are pushed back, and whose shoulders have inclined forward toward the horse as a by-product of the hips moving rearward. This month I will discuss stirrup length.
Many riders, especially riders who only want to dabble in jumping for a little something different, try to jump with their stirrups too long. The reasons behind this vary; some people aren’t aware that their stirrups are too long, some think it won’t matter, and others find it uncomfortable. Stirrup length can be compared to a swing set. The swings on a tall swing set, standing ten feet high, can swing much higher and further and the arc is much longer than that of a short, child’s swing set that stands five feet tall. The longer the distance from the fixed hanger, or stirrup bar, the more the stirrup iron can swing like a pendulum.
There are a few methods used for judging correct stirrup length. The one most people are aware of is to remove one’s feet from the irons and let the leg hang. For jumping, it has been recommended to adjust your leathers so the bottom of the iron is just above the ankle bone. Another method, and the one I favor, would be to raise your leather until the spur rest on your boot or your spurs themselves, can touch the horse when the foot is in the iron. I favor the latter because with a rider with exceptionally flexible ankles, it is easy for the spur to drop below the sides of the horse making the use of the spur impossible. Additionally, this method takes into greater consideration, the different shapes of horses’ barrels and the varying conformations and lengths of leg that riders have.
When the rider’s leg is stable and unable to swing back, and she/he is able to influence the horse with the leg/spur in a prompt fashion, staying secure and feeling safe over the fence becomes nearly effortless. The rider is then able to stay balanced over the ball of their foot from take-off to landing. Another way of illustrating this proper position would be to suggest that while looking at a photo, a rider would be able to land on their feet if the horse were to be removed from under them. When instead, the leg swings back, the leg becomes useless as a driving aid and then, to further burden the horse, the rider’s upper body topples forward onto the forehand, usually just as the horse’s shoulders are trying to come up off the ground. This is referred to as jumping ahead. Because the rider’s shoulders incline forward before the horse actually leaves the ground, it is easy to be out of sync with the horse’s motion and actually become dislodged or bumped about whilst the horse is jumping. This is disruptive and potentially dangerous to both the horse and rider. If the stirrup is short enough, it is much easier to allow the horse to jump up to the rider enabling the rider to just close the hip angle to follow the horse’s effort.
Correct stirrup length is crucial in developing a secure position for jumping, but having an appropriate saddle that allows you to shorten your stirrups is necessary or at least helpful, as well. Saddles designed for jumping can come in all different styles and it’s important to have one that lets you perform the activity you want to do. There are saddles for the serious, frequent jumping competitor, and those that are comfortable for long hacks and an occasional popping-over-a-log. Regardless of your pleasure, it is important to have your stirrups short enough to be safe and secure while your horse jumps the jumps. Next month, we will discuss what a rider needs to have in a jump saddle.
Susan Berrill is an upper level eventer and trainer located in Brownsville, VT and can be reached at sue.berrill@gmail.com