Too many stirrup choices 😱

Sussexbythesea

Sussexbythesea

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Last time I bought a pair of stirrups they were pretty much all the same design. I’ve got a standard metal pair with rubber tread on my old boys saddle. Now new horse, new GP saddle and thinking new stirrups and leathers. Pair he came with are safety stirrups and a little on the small side.

Cheese grater, flexi, lighweight, coloured, non metal etc. The choice seems endless. So what stirrups do you have and why? 😁
 
For longer rides and to help achey knee - MDC’s, similar to Sprenger Bow Balance but (in my opinion) better.
Otherwise Acavallo Opera (cheese graters), give good grip.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
Last time I bought a pair of stirrups they were pretty much all the same design. I’ve got a standard metal pair with rubber tread on my old boys saddle. Now new horse, new GP saddle and thinking new stirrups and leathers. Pair he came with are safety stirrups and a little on the small side.

Cheese grater, flexi, lighweight, coloured, non metal etc. The choice seems endless. So what stirrups do you have and why? 😁
Click to expand...

Can you borrow any at your yard to try them out???

I love my bendy sprengers (def notice the difference without) but my son has a great pair of tech venice safety stirrups with cheese grater treads that we really like too.....

Fiona
 
Will follow as I'm thinking about new ones to minimise weight as I ride a Fell. However all the plastic/compositi ones I've seen seem to come in one width only?! Not much use as I have size 8, wide fitting feet...the stirrups I use atm are flexi ones although I'm not sure theyre doing enough for my dodgy knee now.
 
I have free jumps. Bought them about 5 years ago, and still going strong. I bought them , as at the time I was riding a young sports horse who had a bit of a bronc in him, so wanted to be sure my foot would come out if and when I took an unplanned exit.
I quite interested in the sprenger ones now, but not splashing out on any until I need to. The freejumps ones have a fab grip in them, and I do like to be able to take them off easily when im not using the saddle.
 
I think decide if you want flexi stirrups or not. I got them a few years back, and my consultant said to remove them as were increasing leg instability.

He reckons unless have a damaged joint e.g. knee joint - you want flat wide surface area good grip stable stirrups and the ankle / knee / hip joint are shock absorbers.

I have improved my lower leg since getting Tech cheese grater, wide stirrups.

I'd avoid plastic compostite stirrups having heard of some giving way.

I like anything with a wide surface area, good grip and large enough for my feet in riding trainers, so needs to come in 5 inch
 
I have sprenger bow balance, as I found when I rode short in regular stirrups, my ankle got quite sore. However, now that I'm back jumping regularly, I find them too flexible (and also had very sore knees after a TREC orienteering competition last weekend), so asked for advice here, and from that have decided to get a pair of Compositi Flex to test a wider base, and if I find they work, I'm going to go for Jins or similar.
 
Asha said:
I have free jumps. Bought them about 5 years ago, and still going strong. I bought them , as at the time I was riding a young sports horse who had a bit of a bronc in him, so wanted to be sure my foot would come out if and when I took an unplanned exit.
I quite interested in the sprenger ones now, but not splashing out on any until I need to. The freejumps ones have a fab grip in them, and I do like to be able to take them off easily when im not using the saddle.
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Lovely but OMG the price! I’ve not really looked at the prices of these new tech type stirrups 😳.
 
ailbheg said:
I have sprenger bow balance, as I found when I rode short in regular stirrups, my ankle got quite sore. However, now that I'm back jumping regularly, I find them too flexible (and also had very sore knees after a TREC orienteering competition last weekend), so asked for advice here, and from that have decided to get a pair of Compositi Flex to test a wider base, and if I find they work, I'm going to go for Jins or similar.
Click to expand...

Just looked at Jins and there seems to be a fair few copies with variation in price. I was wondering if the flexi type stirrups would feel unstable I’ve never ridden in any.
 
Fiona said:
Can you borrow any at your yard to try them out???

I love my bendy sprengers (def notice the difference without) but my son has a great pair of tech venice safety stirrups with cheese grater treads that we really like too.....

Fiona
Click to expand...

Good idea about trying them out if anyone has anything different - I haven’t noticed 🤔 I’ll have to be more observant. Some of these stirrups are way too expensive to make a mistake with.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
Just looked at Jins and there seems to be a fair few copies with variation in price. I was wondering if the flexi type stirrups would feel unstable I’ve never ridden in any.
Click to expand...

I noticed it more for jumping than flatwork, then when I changed saddle recently I started to notice it more on the flat.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
Lovely but OMG the price! I’ve not really looked at the prices of these new tech type stirrups 😳.
Click to expand...

I have a blue pair of Tech stirrrups, I think I bought on ebay, second hand for £45 and they match the Le Mieux Benetton blue! And unplanned benefit.

My other horse has Royal Riders stirrups, similar pricing and bought second hand also for about £45
 
I have Jins - mainly to keep things as light as possible (previous pair were rather heaving traditional stirrups). Love the wide foothold. I really amn't aware of them while riding, which I think is a good sign.
 
Tech Safety for me too - love them. I like the grip, they're lightweight but not too light, good colour choices and safety ones too.
 
I don't get on with any of these bendy, flexy stirrups! I like my good old bog standard bent leg irons! I hate riding in fillis irons.

Plastic stirrups aren't as cold on the feet in winter.
 
Another vote for Sprenger Bow Balance. I find them great for my hypermobile hip and ankle joints. (Stops them locking to stabilise). They’re also really easy to find with your feet too.
 
I have some Hy Compositi Reflex (with yellow treads :cool:) when I want something normal, and some Easy Care E-Z ride nylon cage stirrups for 99% of the time. I have terribly knee conformation and a wide pony, both of these give some relief and means I can just pop on and rife whatever my footwear (I am slovenly and there's no one to see).
 
I’m not sure this is helping 🤔.

I like the Jin stirrups aesthetically as I do like colour coordinated equipment 😍. I also like the idea of a nice wide tread. However I’m intrigued as to whether any of them can improve / help with leg position and balance. I don’t have any particular problems with any joints at the moment although I do get painful lower back.
 
I’m eagerly awaiting the postman with the delivery of my new flex-on stirrups.

I’d never considered anything other than traditional stainless steel stirrups until I had the saddle fitter out a few weeks ago they had some trial flex-ons with them.

I was rather reluctant to try them but I’m so glad I did, they felt like they spread the weight so much better and were more secure. Not cheap but I’m hoping worth it!
 
I love my sprenger bow balance, very well designed.

I dislike cheese graters or extremely wide plates, think the look awful.

But then, these caught my eye the other day!68B06078-2C18-454D-BEE7-03DCA8B8B2AA.jpeg
 
I have both freejumps and Jins. I much prefer the Jins but after an air ambulance ride and 14 day hospital stay after being dragged by a galloping throughbred I can’t quite bear to part with my freejumps simply because of the design and the idea they will let my foot out of the stirrup easily-I use them for jumping and hacking.
Jins I use for flatwork and they are amazingly comfortable. I have ankylosing spondylitis so joints inflame and I haven’t had many issues with either. Would prefer to use the Jins full time but for above reasons just can’t justify it.
I’d love to try the bow balance but can’t spend any more on stirrups!
 
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