Daughters Peacock stirrups didn't break.

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Mary Poppins

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My Daughter, whose 6, fell off her pony yesterday. The pony stopped at a fence, put her head down and Daughter slipped off. Not a problem, it's happened before. But what was a problem was that her foot was still in the stirrup and she was dragged about 50 feet across the field before the rubber bit on the stirrup actually came off. She has a fat lip and broken tooth where she was clipped by her ponies feet, but she'll be ok.

Now I was just wondering why the rubber band on the stirrup didn't come off like I thought it was supposed to - that is why I bought the stirrups. She only weighs 3.5 stone, so could this have something to do with it?

I am thinking that maybe I should buy some different stirrups now but that's the other thing - she said yesterday she doesn't want to ride anymore. She's had a couple of falls off this pony, one ended up in A&E, and she has always got back on, but this time I think it's different. If i'm honest, I don't want her to ride at the moment, it scared the hell out of me yesterday, but she has just said that she doesn't want to ride her pony anymore but would ride her little shetland. Should I try to get her to ride her pony or just leave it a while?
I'm sure she will ride her again, but I don't want to leave it too long in case she loses her confidence completley, but then I don't want to push her because she said she is scared of riding her again.

As for the stirrups, can anybody recommend any that will allow your foot to come out? She has size 12 feet, I was thinking about those bendy ones?

Sorry if it sounds all muddled up, just a very concerned Mum here! :(
 
sorry to hear this, I would think maybe the rubber was too tight, sometimes if they are stretched quite hard they become tougher if that makes sense? The bendy ones are not any safer trust me, I fell off in a simular way once and because the stirrups flexed my foot actually got squeezed in the stirrup!!! I would think the next safest option is to buy new rubbers and frey them a teeny bit to make them weaker or bent leg irons.

With regards to riding, I would say leave her a few days to heal but take her up ro brush her pony etc then let her ride the shetland and if she feels confident perhaps lead her on her pony and make the jumps really small so the pony is unlikely to refuse.
 
poor little girl id be tempted to get shot of the pony too many falls for my liking and a a and e
let her potter about with her shetland .
theses stirrups are rubbish we had a rider dragged 3 laps of our manage and the rubber still didnt break away luckily the actual stirrup leather came away from the saddle.
 
aw, poor kid. To be honest i would just leave her to make her own mind up and don't try pressurise her to ride the pony again - let her ride the sehtland if that'll help her confidence.

As for stirrups, i think it's just one of those things and it's difficult as I think ith any stirrup this can actually happen, maybe the ones that tip could be better though? i am not really sure as i always thought they should pop off the stirrup bar anyway. I assume the stirrup bars were correctly fixed so the leather could slip off?
 
I don't have any experience with these strirups, by maybe she isn't heavy enough for the band to come undone?
How about trying some foot cages? They should prevent her foot becoming stuck and hopefully give her reassurance to get back on.
Hope she's feeling better today, I imagine it was quite a shock for her.
 
Wildwest - I have been thinking the same thing!

LadyT25 & Pixiebee- Thanks for the advice. The stirrup bars are always flat so the stirrup leather could come away but that didn't happen either!
 
Poor wee scrap - what an awful fright.

I'd be inclined to let her ride her Shetland and hopefully sh'll get her confidence back and want to ride the other pony.

'Toe Stoppers' would be good for her to use instead of the Peacock Irons as her feet can't get stuck in them at all.
 
Dottie - Thankyou for that, I see a shopping trip to Ingatestone coming on today for some foot cages!

She is fine in herself, it's just my stomach turns when I see her lip and I just keep seeing her being dragged in my head.
 
Oh hunny. Been there. Know the feeling. Huge hugs to you and daughter.

Re the lip - children can get that sort of thing just normal playing outside, so banish the thoughts behind it.

Stirrups. I believe, but not for sure, that the bent ones allow easier release. I bought D1 the Sprenger Bow ones. She's not come off her whappy Grey Mare yet, but hopefully they're well designed to release her.

I'd let daughter rude her Shetland and just brush her other pony. No pressure, depending on her character - you'll know best what works with her.

I'd question why she's taking a number of tumbles off the pony though, and try to address any issues that come to light.

Have a large hot choccy. Great for stress :)
 
MrsMozart said:
Oh hunny. Been there. Know the feeling. Huge hugs to you and daughter.

Re the lip - children can get that sort of thing just normal playing outside, so banish the thoughts behind it.

Stirrups. I believe, but not for sure, that the bent ones allow easier release. I bought D1 the Sprenger Bow ones. She's not come off her whappy Grey Mare yet, but hopefully they're well designed to release her.

I'd let daughter rude her Shetland and just brush her other pony. No pressure, depending on her character - you'll know best what works with her.

I'd question why she's taking a number of tumbles off the pony though, and try to address any issues that come to light.

Have a large hot choccy. Great for stress :)
Click to expand...

this! And..
My 6 yo came off her ponio and stirrup leathers didn't release - they were standing still at the time! Daughter was away with the fairies, we were waiting for OH and dogs to catch up, coming through some very rustly leaves - ponio just did a little quick spook to get his back end round to see if it was a tiger and unseated her...she was on the ground with her foot caught and the rubber didn't release. LUCKILY, he didn't go anywhere, and I was right there to get her out...it did unnerve her though (and me!) but we have persevered and talked about sitting IN the saddle, not ON the saddle and paying attention...and if there is any little jiggle or tiny spook now, she can sit it better....she did say she never wanted to ride him ever again...i did get her right back on in the moment but was tactful about how and when she rode him next, and talked about it a lot with her.
you know your girl and pony best..horrible though...let us know how you get on with stirrup choices as I would also like a better option.
xxx
 
I would try the stops that you get to put over the front of the stirrups that stop the foot going in too far. Feet usually get stuck in stirrups (especially little feet) because they are in too far.
 
The rubber bands only seem to come in a set size and thickness and maybe the lack of weight of your Daughter failed to spring them. I would take them off every so often maybe before each ride and STRETCH them myself to free them up a bit and make sure if you have them on your saddle, that you oil the "thumbs" of the stirrup bars, it's surprising how stiff they can become and I have had to resort to using a nail claw to prize the leathers back on again at stables when I have been there repairing or flocking saddles for people.I still see (especially with children) the thumbs left in the "up" position, always make sure the thumbs are left down in the open position before riding, children and adults alike. And if the saddle has recently been flocked up it presses against the stirrup leathers and that makes it even harder for the leathers to pull off unfortunately. Hope your Daughter feels better soon and doesn't lose her confidence too much, Oz :)
 
Just a thought, as iv seen many peacock sturrips used like it, but did the stirrups have the leather tab on as well?
Tbh iv had a nasty fall with bend iron stirrups which trapped my foot quite nicely in the bend! My foot fitted perfect at the angle I was in and wouldn't release me. It was my saint off a horse which stopped and allowed me to help myself which saved injury.
My little girl is the same at the mo, she doesn't want to ride after a nasty accident but not on her pony but it's put her off big time so I'm not pushing her and letting her walk her pony about and general play with him and build up confidence.
If she's happy with her Shetland let her take that step back and re build confidence but maybe think about a new pony?
 
What about those things that connect the iron to the leather? Can't think what they're called right now?

Hope your daughter is OK, hopefully after pottering around on her shetland for a bit she'll be back on her pony :)
 
Hope she's feeling better soon. I'd let her just ride the shetland for as long as she wants, preferably with no stirrups or at least the cages on them. I'd leave the pony for a while rather than encourage her back on.
 
It happened to my daughter a few years ago, luckily with no damage, apart from a huge drop in confidence. It was pointed out to me at the time that children's feet grow and stirrups, even Peacock ones, can easily be outgrown, they should be changed for larger ones periodically. We never had a problem after this. You should be able to have about 3/8th of an inch of tread showing either side of the foot.
 
The rubbers are pretty strong - they come off almost too easily for anyone over about 6 stone (as in, can come off hacking without anyone falling off if the foot floats in the stirrup a little), but for someone weighing as little as your daughter, there's not enough force for them to give. For a small child, I would use other elastic - not quite as soft as a hairband, but in between, so it doesn't come off on its own, but is enough to come off a lot more easily than the official rubbers.

Regarding riding - she's had quite a fright. I remember once coming off nastily and breaking a tooth (horse was being hormonal and a pain), then being so upset with the horse that I wouldn't ride her for a week, but would happily ride anything else. It passed, but it's healing time really. With this pony - is it that it's not suitable for her (as in, it's too naughty), or is her balance simply not good enough so she falls off at simple things (like stopping in front of a jump) when she shouldn't? If the former, perhaps get an older kid to school the pony for you/move on to something else, and if the latter, perhaps some focus on the shetland on balance/security in the saddle?
 
The bent leg irons are not neccessarily any safer - I had some on, came off and was caught and dragged.

I hope your daughter gets some confidence back - it's a horrible thing to happen and it must have been awful for you to see it taking place.
 
I am big adult and even with out reading your post that was my first thought perhaps there is a minimum weight and if she is light as a feather then it probably wouldnt break. I am the other extreme, above the weight but love them.

I hope she is ok and perhaps get her on a real slow coach. Poor kiddy, what a shame though. Might be worth contacting manufacturer to fine out what weight etc they should really come with some guidance(leaflet etc). Or the shop should advise if they are aware its for a child etc.
 
I'm not a mum but can sympathise with how horrific it is to see your child in that situation. I don't have much good advise about the stirrups other than when we were children we often replaced the elastic with hair scrunchies (yes they do ping off occasionally) but when we fell off they instantly gave way. I also wonder whether boiling the elastic bit would do any good? It may make it a little stretchier and 'give' more easily (similar to martingale bands?). Let her play with the shetland and I agree at her age the pony shouldn't be chucking her off so much. Maybe go back to total basics and just have little hacks to get her confidence up.
 
ooh the poor wee girl,and you, what a shame:( glad to hear she is ok though, even if a bit upset.

Ive got these stirrups on my wee shetlands saddle for when friends kiddies ride and tbh Id never thought about them not working. I think the toecages are a great idea. Im really paranoid about safety too so this has really got me worrying, can I ask what footwear your little girl had on?Were her boots just normal johd boots of the correct width?

I have Barnes Buckles on both my saddles for myself but unfortunately I think the company that made them stopped and the website doesn't seem to exist now. You do get them coming up on ebay though. They basically attach the stirrup to the leather and pop open if you fall, however I do think again, there is a minimum weight required for them to work.
 
My son got dragged when he was 7 and ended up in A&E. I got rid of the Peacock irons and got him Matrix stirrup cages. He carried on riding for about a year, but never really got his confidence back, and was so happy when I eventually asked him if he would like to give up riding that I felt awful for having tried to get him to continue :(.

My other son now rides in Matrix cages too, and I wouldn't let him ride without them. The bent leg irons are exceptionally dangerous as they allow a much greater area for the foot to get caught in, despite being termed as safety stirrups.

As Wagtail says, children tend to ride with their feet too far into the stirrups, which makes the likelihood of them getting caught in the event of a fall much higher. The added advantage of the Matrix cages is that it doesn't allow them to ride like this, and gives them a much better and stronger lower leg position. They are also brilliant for novice adult riders for the same reason.

The cages did raise some eyebrows at PC, but my choice is simple - either my child rides in them or he doesn't do PC.
 
How scarey for you.
Hope she is ok.
Is the pony not suitable?
Or has she just been unlucky ending up in A and E?
Don't force her to ride, yes maybe getting on the Shetland will help her confidence.

I think the bendy stirrups wound be s good option and her being ligh could well have prevented the rubber coming off her current stirrups.
 
On a similar note what are people's views on stirrup leathers for children? My friend was recommended some synthetic leathers for her little boy by the tack shop on the basis of how strong they were. She refused them on the grounds that she wanted something that would break in an emergency.
 
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