Stirrups for sore legs

[Adoni123]

Hello all,

Looking to invest in some new stirrups. I don’t mind spending a bit of money on these.
Basically I get quite bad sciatica and struggle to keep my leg correctly with my heels down sometimes.
Does anyone have experience with this and any stirrups that make life a bit easier?
I will be lightly eventing in them so need to be good for everything! Would rather they were also something acceptable for showing.

Any help appreciated. ?

 

[skint1]

My friends at the yard who have various aches and pains are really loving their Flex On stirrups and a couple more have Acavallo Opera and AluPro ones that they also like.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I have knackered knees and have Acavallo Opera stirrups on all my saddles. They have a nice wide tread which support my ankles, are light but not so much that you lose them and my really bad knee doesn’t ache as much. I wouldn’t change back to normal stirrups if you paid me.

 

[Shay]

I would normally say - sprengers. But your issues sound like they may stem more from the hip than the lower leg? Any flexi based stirrup will really help for knee or ankle pain. But if you are struggling with sciatica, leg position and hip pain you need something more saddle based.

Have a saddler check the position of your stirrup bar. Where you need it for a straight cut showing saddle and where you need it to event is very different. Sciatica stems from damage to the lower back pinching nerves as they run through the pelvis. That needs a very different approach than stirrups will afford.

On re -reading.... you are going to stuggle to event and show in one saddle- regardless of having it fitted correctly for you. The two discplines are really very distinct as saddle design is concerned. You would be better off with two. The dressage saddle for eventing should be -at low level - easily interchangeable for the showing saddle. But the position it puts the rider in to jump or to show is very different.

 

[Sprat]

Aside from stirrup recommendations, have you tried pilates? I have terrible sciatica, bulging discs and a tilted pelvis which would all combine to give me hell when riding. Pilates x3 a week and general exercise has helped no end.

I do ride in sprengers and notice a difference if I ride in anything else.