Please recommended me new stirrups (the world has changed)

[Traks]

My daughter has the Le Mieux Vector ones and they are fab! Very lightweight but the safety features work well, they do open easily if anything happens…we’ve had a couple of occasions where she’s come off and the stirrup did what it’s meant to do and opened so her foot didn’t get caught.

We had the Acavallo ones but I didn’t feel they opened as freely as the Le Mieux ones, felt a bit plasticky to me!

Don’t bother with tech stirrups, we had some for a while but they are super super heavy on the saddle and opened far too freely!!

 

[Abi90]

I have the Acavallo Arena Aluplus 2.0 which has a slightly angled footplate. I love it. So much more comfortable on longer trail rides. The LeMieux vector was OK but I didn't like the spikes on the tread (can easily scratch your hand or stirrup leathers of you're not careful) and they got rusty real quick.

I have these as well. The tread is very grippy and I never get knee or ankle pain in them

 

[MissTyc]

Thank you, everyone!
I have some ideas about what not to buy. I think I would like something angled ... or maybe I am now even more bamboozled and will continue using my old stirrups until they fall apart!

 

[Skib]

What do you all recommend for a slightly swingy lower leg and an achy hip ??!! Don’t say more lessons !!!!

If your hip is hurting, remember it could be pain referred from your lower spine.
This may not be caused by the wrong stirrups. It could be the horse is too wide for you, or the saddle. I started riding when my lower back was already problematic and I could never ride a wide horse - nothing like a cob or flat backed. My ideal horse is fairly narrow 15 hands but not over 16 hands.
I bought the Sprenger stirrups when recommended by our RI who rode in them herself and said they caused less wear and tear on ones joints. I also avoided hacking with long canters on two consecutive days.

I have ridden in bent iron stirrups at one RS years ago but didnt like them.

As for "not saying more lessons" if you can find a good RI and a horse with which they give bareback lessons, just sitting bareback on a suitable horse will show you where your legs hang, usually slightly forward.

 

[Fire sign]

If your hip is hurting, remember it could be pain referred from your lower spine.
This may not be caused by the wrong stirrups. It could be the horse is too wide for you, or the saddle. I started riding when my lower back was already problematic and I could never ride a wide horse - nothing like a cob or flat backed. My ideal horse is fairly narrow 15 hands but not over 16 hands.
I bought the Sprenger stirrups when recommended by our RI who rode in them herself and said they caused less wear and tear on ones joints. I also avoided hacking with long canters on two consecutive days.

I have ridden in bent iron stirrups at one RS years ago but didnt like them.

As for "not saying more lessons" if you can find a good RI and a horse with which they give bareback lessons, just sitting bareback on a suitable horse will show you where your legs hang, usually slightly forward.

Hi thanks for your reply .. alas horse is rather wide and cob like but has a very lovely temperament and I cannot part with her…. Re lessons I already do have a super instructor who has tried everything to make me ride better , including removing the stirrups but I suspect I am too long in the tooth for bareback riding and would just slither off !

 

[daffy44]

Thank you, everyone!
I have some ideas about what not to buy. I think I would like something angled ... or maybe I am now even more bamboozled and will continue using my old stirrups until they fall apart!

It might take a little time, I'm currently riding in a pair of 40yr old stirrups!

 

[Cloball]

Hi thanks for your reply .. alas horse is rather wide and cob like but has a very lovely temperament and I cannot part with her…. Re lessons I already do have a super instructor who has tried everything to make me ride better , including removing the stirrups but I suspect I am too long in the tooth for bareback riding and would just slither off !

I'm not sure about the hip pain as I think that may need to be a saddle check. But I have wobbly legs and a xw pony and I definitely find wider treads help and making sure it's actually the ball of your foot that's in the stirrup and not just gripping with your toes which is a thing I have noticed I do

 

[ThreeFurs]

sbloom mentioned MDCs; I had the 'sports' version of these, [see below] they flex slightly at the foot rest, but best of all, they twist at the top; you can have them normal, 45 degrees, or 90 degrees on the twist, and they're HEAVY, and wide, so if your a rider who does lose a stirrup in canter, you just easily poke your foot back in. I got them because I used to a weird 'achey' right toe on longer rides, which they fixed.




However, I had these MDCs with my now retired dressage schoolmaster, who was pretty much 'do anything with' despite a warp speed shoulder drop and spin, performed only once in every ride and designed to 'keep me in my place! as the learner in the partnership. If I survived his first spin, then pretty much butter wouldn't melt.

Recently, I have been looking about for a younger less 'made' horse, and thinking about investing in some safety stirrups. Although I would probably be fine in the MDCs. Like the original poster says, there is SO much out there! and so MUCH marketing schmooze.

I'm going to share a vid I found, made by some Americans, comparing the auto opening styles. 'Safety Stirrup Review' by horsetrailchicks.

They look at some major brands but the cute thing is they actually stage a 'falling off' for each brand.

x

 

[Fire sign]

I'm not sure about the hip pain as I think that may need to be a saddle check. But I have wobbly legs and a xw pony and I definitely find wider treads help and making sure it's actually the ball of your foot that's in the stirrup and not just gripping with your toes which is a thing I have noticed I do

Agh , the saddler is always at my yard , I think she is sick of the sight of me with my old wobbly legs and my special hips ! I think I will give the wider treads a go !