Running Stirrups Up RANT

[crosscreeksh]

[QUOTE=toady123;8845742]
An old instructor told me a story of a horse who was being walked with the stirrups down. He reached around to scratch, caught his jaw on the stirrup, panicked and broke his neck. While it was obviously a freak thing, I’ve always run mine up or crossed them over - even if jumping off for a minute or two.[/QUOTE]

Not such a freak thing!!! I had a race horse…old enough to know better…reach around and grab my right stirrup as I was adjusting the length in the stall before mounting…the bottom teeth of his jaw got hung up and if it wasn’t for a sharp pocket knife slashing the leather…he would have met this fate!! I keep mine up until I’m ready to mount and run them up as the FIRST thing I do after dismounting…Old habit!!!

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=allpurpose;8845505]
For some reason I have become fixated on watching who - and who doesn’t - run their stirrups up before and after they ride. It’s a safety thing to run them up, right?

I was trained to keep my stirrups up until it was time to mount, then run them up immediately after dismounting to avoid them getting hooked on anything while you’re leading your horse to and from your grooming area.

Am I turning into a old crabby bugger at my advanced mid-50s age? Have the “rules” changed? What gives? What do YOU do?[/QUOTE]

Nope; good rules.

G.

[WNT]

I think running up stirrups falls under the category of attention to detail that marks good horsemanship. Even crossing them over the saddle is better than leaving them hanging, which I have done when I used monostrap leathers.

It’s not very considerate to leave them bumping your horse’s sides, and I can’t imagine anyone wanting to carry a saddle any distance with metal irons banging around your knees. Even a western saddle, I will cross the fenders over the seat when I’m carrying it, they tend to not have so much movement on the horse.

I probably wouldn’t go into an end-of-the-world safety rant about running stirrups up, but I will silently judge anyone who doesn’t. Note: I’m in my mid-30s if it makes you feel better.

[connemarafan]

I remember helping out at the local riding school as soon as I was old enough to, in return for rides.

One ride I was helping with really little kiddies, they’d jumped off and I was assisting with them running up stirrups and pulling the reins over the ponies heads etc.

One pony decided he need a good scratch behind his ear, except that he managed to put his hind foot through the stirrup, cue pony spinning round and round stuck on three legs, child screaming, all hell breaking loose until the leather broke.

That left a definite impression on me and I’m a serial stirrup runner upperer even now, I’ll even tell friends that story if I see them getting lax!

[PNWjumper]

[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;8845788]
Not such a freak thing!!! I had a race horse…old enough to know better…reach around and grab my right stirrup as I was adjusting the length in the stall before mounting…the bottom teeth of his jaw got hung up and if it wasn’t for a sharp pocket knife slashing the leather…he would have met this fate!! I keep mine up until I’m ready to mount and run them up as the FIRST thing I do after dismounting…Old habit!!![/QUOTE]

Definitely not such a freak thing. When I was a kid (maybe 13/14ish) my friend and I were sitting on our horses talking after a lesson. We had both kicked our feet out of the stirrups and were hanging out in the middle of the ring. Her horse reached around to bite at my friend’s toes (something she did frequently when we were just sitting there - she’d twist her head around such that it was upside down) and accidentally got the stirrup in her mouth and hooked over her lower jaw. It was awful! My friend managed to get off and the mare spun circles for several minutes in a kind of blind panic. She finally stopped to wait for help and we were able to get the stirrup off of her jaw. No long-term injury to the horse, but it was terrifying.

[Foxtrot_s]

The gap in the horses mouth where the bit sits can cause some accidents - like those homemade horseshoe door latches on half doors. Horses can get mouthy and the bottom jaw gets tuck. Usually a panic and a broken jaw requiring wiring to reset.

[Lambchop]

I run my up because I’ve always been taught to and I consider it good practice if for no other reason that for what other posters have mentioned- I don’t like having things bang against my sides and I imagine the horses don’t either- I know a couple people that don’t and that’s there prerogative but having heard so many stories about bad things happening or things that have gone wrong it would seem as though the chances are more than slim that something could happen.

To each their own.

[GoodTimes]

Yup I always run mine up. Just last night I was tacking up, all the grooming stalls and cross ties were full so one of the older ladies led her horse into his stall after her ride. She hadn’t put her stirrups up and of course the left one got caught on the edge of the door, her girth was loose so it pulled the saddle till it was almost hanging upside down. Luckily her horse was tired and didn’t freak out, his usually a dummy so that could have ended very badly.
She was able to back him up/sideways enough for me to unhook the stirrup.

[Bells]

I’ve had the experience others have had. I was lunging a horse once (had already trotted) and the stirrup had slipped down (bad me I had not put the them up properly for lunging). Horse reached around while walking to scratch, caught the stirrup and was really stuck. He panicked for a while but finally settled and let me get it out of his mouth. Now they are always done correctly especially for lunging!

[JoannaHCR]

I run them up, last thing before I get on, first thing after I get off. Have been known to get a bit creative if they are muddy, but do not leave them down. I’m in my upper 20’s so, I don’t think it’s an age thing! I was in Pony Club from 8-22 though!

[Dreamwalker]

It’s one of my pet peeves too. As above, I might not say anything but I will silently judge you.
My major peeve though is those who stick the end of the stirrup leather through the little leather piece on the flap of the saddle (the name of which escapes me atm) and/or flickers up the hinge on the end of the stirrup bar on saddles that have them. The leather is supposed to slide off the stirrup bar in an emergency! How can it do that if you’ve blocked it?! Both of those things are for when the saddle is being stored not being ridden in. I once had to ring the saddle makers from a pony club cross country event to confirm this to the gear inspector who had been insisting on both things before sending the kids out on the course. muutters away about how this has been going on for years grrrr and I feel like a lone voice in the wilderness
You guys set my off in my rant by talking about stirrup leathers sliding off the bar like they are supposed to further up the page:winkgrin:
Now I usually bang on about using safety stirrups or Barnes buckles because it’s really hard to convince people.

[Magicboy]

I run them up after I dismount just automatically and never think about it

[The_Centaurian]

I always run up the left stirrup and loosen the girth right away. The right stirrup gets forgotten every now and then-- which is the worst, because it will bang on the horse’s withers or spine if you don’t run it up (or cross it) before untacking.

Am I going to hell or what?

[charismaryllis]

Halfway to hell.

[chai]

allpurpose, I am with you 100%
I teach TR and rec riders and my riders learn the importance of running up stirrups immediately after dismounting in their very first lesson.
I’m an old Pony Clubber, and those safety lessons learned decades ago are still relevant.
My other safety pet peeve: people who graze their horses on lead while sitting on the ground. All it takes is one bee sting or spook and life could change fast.

[GraceLikeRain]

I can count off at least a handful of serious accidents that were the direct result of flopping stirrups. It is the very last thing I do before I mount and the first thing I do once I dismount. No exceptions ever.

[oppsfelldown]

100% run the irons up the leathers upon dismounting.

If I’m working with a nutball then I wrap the bottom part of the leather around the foot of the iron and tuck the tail of the leather thru the loop.

Have you ever had a big horse bolt or spook and jump forward or spin while walking them? having to either duck fast or get wacked by a loose iron is really not fun.

I used to ride with a lady that had her nose broke by an iron when her horse spooked and booked it to escape from the apparently horse eating geese (yeah because its not like he didnt live at the facility and saw the geese about 10000 times a day).

if we were somewhere mucky or muddy then there was usually a towel by the mounting block or in the groom’s box. a quick wipe and you are good until you get back to the barn.

[Russinka]

I run mine up mostly so I don’t cop a stirrup to the face as I’m pulling the saddle off or putting it on next time if the horse moves, spooks or something. It was a habit formed from agisting in a place where some clueless newbie would tie “ChompyMcChompFace” right next to or in front of the horse I was saddling while I was distracted with saddling or the agistment owner would decide right at that moment to appear out of no where with a loud and cheery greeting.

[skydy]

[QUOTE=BeeHoney;8845624]
If your horse gets loose and is running around, the stirrups getting caught on something are the least of your worries. .[/QUOTE]

Until it happens and becomes your worst nightmare.

It was taught to most of us (who are of a certain age) in no uncertain terms and becomes instinctive, done without thought. I do tend to look askance at the rider who falls, gets to their feet seemingly unhurt yet neglects to secure the stirrups when leading their horse from the ring.

It’s obvious that many riders are still being taught to secure their stirrups because it’s the first thing they do when they get up and regroup after a fall but some don’t seem to have it in mind at all.

I understand that if you are dealing with adults with glaring safety issues this may not be a priority, but it’s a good habit to instill in the young ones.

The devil, as well as good horsemanship, is in the details.

As for training a horse to longe with stirrups down, that is well and good. I don’t think it’s fair to the loose and possibly frightened horse to add flopping stirrups to the equation not to mention the flying metal that people then have to dodge while trying to slow the horse down and catch him.

[meaty_ogre]

Having seen a horse with a full cheek bit get himself hopelessly folded by catching his bit in the dangling stirrup, I always run mine up (and I always use keepers with a full cheek!).

I think a lot of times these customs seem unnecessary unless you’ve seen a wreck. Seeing a horse fall and bust himself up pretty badly on a concrete aisle tends to burn an impression into your brain.