Yes. And like all things in life, some people will find it a challenge, or not be as good at it as others are. Especially those people riding less frequently.
Which I believe was the point being made. Lesson strings with a sore back after this.
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Growing up in H/J land, I never learned how to effectively sit the trot. No one ever taught me, probably because it wasn’t really a needed skill for most competition. I think in the whole time I was doing eq, I got asked exactly once to sit the trot at a show. I could jump around a 3’6 course but couldn’t sit the trot without looking like I was on a pogo stick.
It wasn’t until I injured my knee and couldn’t post the trot that I taught myself. I think I have an excellent sitting trot now. But even then, I have ridden horses who would have a hissy fit if I spent more than a few minutes of a ride in sitting trot.
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I’m normally anti No Stirrup November for all of the reasons everyone else has listed, but I’m unwillingly participating this year due to an ankle injury 
I can’t use my stirrups but also can’t go above a walk so I’m okay with it.
This will be my first and (hopefully) my last time doing this 
my horse has KS, the last thing he needs is me going all out with no stirrups all of a sudden, and if I had a trainer that physically took something from me (aka stealing) I would go through the ROOF.
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I would be okay with 5-10 minutes of no stirrup work during each lesson ( and would like for it to continue past November). A whole lesson without them when people are only riding once or twice a week no thanks.
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People sit the trot in dressage. A collected trot is easy to sit, as is a Western jog. But dressage riders do not typically sit the lengthened trot until they are schooling at 2nd level or above. The bigger trots can only really be sat once the horse is carrying himself in a way that just is not developed for most h/j horses.
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I think that was the original idea, 10 min or so every lesson.
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Back in the dark ages, when I was a kid taking lessons at a hunter barn, we did do work without stirrups at every lesson, all year.
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I would invite you to come try to sit any of my horses’ collected trots before making that assertion. Easier than their mediums? Sure. Easy? No. And really if you’re not working pretty hard in the collected paces, most likely you need more forward.
And I think if you were to go watch a bunch of 2nd and 3rd level at some shows, you would see a lot of bouncing around at trot.
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Ah I meant collected is easier than extended 
and lots of ammies hit a competition glass ceiling when they can’t really sit their horses lengthened trots.
I was trying to make the point that even in dressage, no one is trying to sit a raw big working trot like you’d get on a typical H/j. Because it’s hard.
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Ok, phew!!
As far as No Stirrup November, I don’t think it’s fair to the horses to warm up with no stirrups/in sitting trot. Otherwise, I’m a dressage rider so probably 90% of my trot work is sitting anyway (depending on the age/level of the horse) so ditching my stirrups doesn’t make a difference to their backs. I’m also not about to ditch my stirrups on the 4 & 5 year olds anyway and I think my clients would riot if I tried to take away their stirrups.
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I am not against no stirrups November entirely—but I think it needs to be in proportion to the individual and to the horse.
A big eq rider doing no stirrup courses for a whole month makes sense. An amateur who is working their way through pre-adult hunters and just had a kid? Like, a little will go a long way. No need to go crazy.
I certainly have some personal no-stirrups goals this month, but I would be peeved if someone just took away my stirrups on my saddle without asking. Better to have an honest convo with the trainer about what reasonable expectations are.
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Exactly.
NSN has been alive for long before it got a catchy name. It was for the eq kids who were aspiring to compete in or do better in the finals the next year. We were all already riding regularly without stirrups, so to lose them for a whole month in that immediately post-season lull (when a lot less people went the Florida) made some sense.
I am one year older than Stacia Madden and I think a year or two younger than Andre Dignelli. I have not dropped my stirrups on purpose for many, many years (nor will I). But losing your stirrups for a month - or, frankly, months - had its role back in the day.
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I’m curious about an update - did you take back your stirrups? Or, was there any other fallout from the training taking away everyone’s stirrups?
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I wonder if that trainer had considered how students will get on the horses?
Stirrups are also helping a horse’s back when they give a rider a way to get on swiftly, softly, without hanging on too much.
When we worked without stirrups, we crossed them over the saddle’s cantle for that bit of time we were doing so, but the stirrups were there to be used as needed.
Taking the stirrups completely off seems a bit extreme, much less all of them in a barn?
On the other hand, working without stirrups done properly and at certain time, as in November, is a catchy idea, if used sensibly, incorporated into the riding of those that will benefit from it without undue stress for rider or horse and carried along on the training system the rest of the year.
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All the stirrups from the entire barn gone? That’s taking it pretty far- especially for those who don’t want to participate.
I agree with some of the other posters, just do a few minutes of no stirrup work in your warm up routine (it’s usually great to do in the canter, imo).
I haven’t seen a full blown anti-no stirrup november movement until a few weeks ago to be honest, but I personally wouldn’t dedicate an entire month to it. There are other ways to improve core and balance.
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How do you suppose that person got to be a big eq rider?
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It’s actually legal in dressage competition to steady yourself by grabbing the pommel. This was told to me by a well-known judge.
It may be legal, in that it won’t get you eliminated, but it will get you poor scores if the judge sees it.
I have never seen a dressage rider touch the pommel outside of a longe seat lesson at a beginner/intermediate level (or a more experienced rider transitioning from. H/j). I can’t imagine riding effective dressage with one hand on the pommel, and good hands should be carried well above the pommel. For the big trots that can be a challenge to sit, how do you keep the horse on the aids with one hand?
That said, it’s common enough for some dressage riders to balance on the reins and water ski the trot.
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No stirrups still. They remain missing from the barn entirely. In my trainers defense, that includes all stirrups from her saddle as well. Do I still think it’s a little rough on the horses backs? I sure do. I’m planning on adding in some extra hacking with stirrups which might help my emotional state at the very least
