RE: McKinley: Random Horse Question

> (since the Outlanders seem really British) she would have ridden English
> style, meaning she would have posted when trotting. But when she rides
> Damar style, there are no stirrups. Can you post without stirrups? Or
> do you just jounce around alot on the horse?

Yes, you can rise to the trot without stirrups. It's a requirement in some
equitation classes, sometimes used as a tie-breaker, in fact. It's also used
in lessons to improve balance. A person shouldn't have more weight in the
stirrups than is necessary to keep them in place, so they don't actually
have anything to do with rising trot. The thrust from the horse's hind leg
coming forward is what carries the person up when posting correctly. The
lower leg remains quiet (ideally), and one should not rise an enormous
amount, just enough to skip a beat before settling gently back down.

It is also possible to sit the trot without bouncing around the horse, which
is also done in English-style riding, :) esp. in dressage where rising trot
isn't allowed above 1st level for the most part. (It's been a while since
I've seen the official tests.) If you ever have the chance to watch some
upper-level eventing on TV, you'll eventually see at least one rider during
the day lose a stirrup but keep on going right over those huge jumps without
bouncing around, so it is possible to have such a good seat that you move as
one with the horse. :) I heard on Equine-L of someone completely losing the
stirrup - the stirrup leather slid off the saddle over a jump - who
nevertheless finished the cross-country phase without it. It was at the
international 3 day event in Kentucky earlier this year, I think.

I would guess, though, that given the style of dress of Outlander women,
Harry probably rode side-saddle, so she probably had to adjust to a totally
different style of riding.

--Jennifer
J_Moore@csi.com

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Received on Mon Dec 7 01:08:07 1998