HN No-Stirrup Challenge Weekly Support Group: Two weeks and counting

It’s been two weeks since participants in our challenge gave up their stirrups for Lent. Let’s check in and see how everyone’s doing.

Top photo: equestrianism-at-its-best.tumblr.com

Let’s review the timeline thus far:

Two weeks ago, we were like…

A week in, we were like…

But this week, you’re all like…

Right? OK, maybe not exactly. But we do have reason to do a little happy dance, because you’ve got 16 days down and 30 days to go.

Each week, we try to provide a little inspiration to cheer you along on your painful yet oh-so-rewarding journey. This week, it’s of the European variety, starting with this video of Switzerland’s Willi Mellinger and the amazing Airport Moet, clearing a 7-foot 7-inch puissance wall… wait for it… bareback!

Wow. And how do suppose Willi pulled that feat of riding off? He didn’t just roll out of bed one morning and say, hey, I think I’m going to take my saddle off and jump a giant wall. The European riding system includes tons of no-stirrups work.

Students at the Spanish Riding School, for instance, must work on the lunge without reins or stirrups for six months to a year to develop their seat before they are allowed to control a horse themselves. Check it out:

One month to go, Horse Nation. You can do it!

Now, it’s your turn. How’s your no-stirrups work going? Have any advice for the rest of us? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.

Go Riding Without Stirrups!