Webbers as stirrup leathers - are they safe?

[Marigold4]

Still experimenting with treeless saddles to find one that his nibs is happy in and that doesn't give me hipache due to width. Trying out a HM Vogue. Only sat in it for 5 mins yesterday but stirrup buckles dig into my inner thigh due to the bar being in a different position.

Webbers have been recommended but they look a little unsafe? Does the little T thingy come out ever? Are the strong enough for young horse antics?

TIA for any responses.

 

[TheHairyOne]

Ive never had a problem with mine and not really sure they would ever pop out given how awkward they are with frozen fingers. I do everything but jumping in them in a conventional dressage saddle and love them. I have the Prestige ones.

 

[bouncing_ball]

I gallop in Bates webbers.

 

[Steerpike]

I've don't many miles in endurance using webbers without a problem.

 

[Carrottom]

I did have one come undone on a friend's horse, it was a bit worn though. I'm not sure I would jump using them.

 

[sbloom]

I believe they're not safe for jumping. I prefer Conway buckles (Google it lol), much stronger, but you don't often see them.

 

[Auslander]

I've never had one come undone, but I stopped using them as I nearly got lawn darted mid hack. I had to take my feet out of the stirrups to shorten them (for my own safety!) and Alf wasn't prepared to do the decent thing and stand nicely while I sorted them out.

 

[RachelFerd]

I would NOT use for jumping. I've had ones get so worn that they start popping out. Obviously you replace them at that point, but would not be fun if it had happened over a fence...

 

[Petalpoos]

I used them for years without any trouble, including jumping. As with all tack, you need to check the condition and be prepared to replace any worn items.

 

[criso]

I had some and they stretched really badly. Also had them pop out even though that hole didn't look stretched. Was hacking and swung my leg forward to avoid a branch so not a normal move but one you might make hacking. After that only used them on a dressage saddle in the school.

 

[criso]

I used them for years without any trouble, including jumping. As with all tack, you need to check the condition and be prepared to replace any worn items.

That's fair enough but mine were an expensive brand and stretched after a couple of years occasional use, never had traditional stirrup leathers go in that time.

 

[Otherwise]

You can get them with normal buckles at the end, I didn't find the t bar ones lasted very long and I found conway buckles difficult to alter on board.

 

[catkin]

I would never use them again. It may have been a freak accident but I had a t-bar come out of the slot with a jinky young horse buck which resulted in a slide off and a broken ankle.

I use normal leathers with the buckle turned to the bottom and safety stirrups (acavallo alu-pro) on a treeless saddle.

 

[ycbm]

I use nothing but, except for hunting. I would not hunt or jump big fences with them.

You can turn your stirrup leathers so that the buckle is down by the stirrup. That's what I did for hunting. You just need a keeper (rubber bands or insulating tape) to hold the loose tail because it will be pointing upwards and will flap otherwise.
.

 

[Marigold4]

I use nothing but, except for hunting. I would not hunt or jump big fences with them.

You can turn your stirrup leathers so that the buckle is down by the stirrup. That's what I did for hunting. You just need a keeper (rubber bands or insulating tape) to hold the loose tail because its will be pointing upwards and will flap otherwise.
.

I'm going to try the buckle by the stirrup today with elastic bands

 

[sbloom]

I have heard of the actual T bar breaking, and that may be difficult to spot before it happens.

 

[ycbm]

I have heard of the actual T bar breaking, and that may be difficult to spot before it happens.

The problem with that, of course, is that if it does you lose your stirrup immediately. At least if there is a buckle and the tongue breaks, you get a few moments warning that the strap is pulling through the buckle. That's why I won't jump using them.

 

[sbloom]

The problem with that, of course, is that if it does you lose your stirrup immediately. At least if there is a buckle and the tongue breaks, you get a few moments warning that the strap is pulling through the buckle. That's why I won't jump using them.

Conway buckles, in my mind, are possibly even less likely to break as the tongue is fixed and very short.

 

[Fruitcake]

In my experience, the actual branded Webbers (Bates / Wintec) have been great. They have a webbing core so don’t stretch at all (even less than normal leather leathers do) and I haven’t had any issues with the T-bar coming out. In the past, I had some cheaper ones (can’t remember the make) and the slits did seem a little looser than the branded ones though.

 

[ycbm]

Conway buckles, in my mind, are possibly even less likely to break as the tongue is fixed and very short.

Definitely. Horribly fiddly though ?

 

[criso]

The ones I had problems with were Jeffries, they had a nylon core and cost a lot more than Bates or Wintec. They were on my dressage saddle so didn't get used as often as my GP and horse had been off for 6 months so the reality was that lthough they'd had minimal use, I'd had them a while.They were a were a gift otherwise I would have gone back to the seller or manufacturer.

After the holes stretched at dressage length, I used them a couple of times hacking as these were unused holes higher up, I was short of leathers as I temporarily had 2 horses, that's when I had problems with the T bar coming out when I swung my leg forward.

 

[teddypops]

Still experimenting with treeless saddles to find one that his nibs is happy in and that doesn't give me hipache due to width. Trying out a HM Vogue. Only sat in it for 5 mins yesterday but stirrup buckles dig into my inner thigh due to the bar being in a different position.

Webbers have been recommended but they look a little unsafe? Does the little T thingy come out ever? Are the strong enough for young horse antics?

TIA for any responses.

Try pulling the buckle down a few cm so that it’s not right up by the stirrup bar. Not sure if it will help on a treeless saddle but that’s what I do if I have the same issue.

 

[RachelFerd]

In my experience, the actual branded Webbers (Bates / Wintec) have been great. They have a webbing core so don’t stretch at all (even less than normal leather leathers do) and I haven’t had any issues with the T-bar coming out. In the past, I had some cheaper ones (can’t remember the make) and the slits did seem a little looser than the branded ones though.

The wintec ones have broken on me ... And only about 3 years of use ...

 

[Nudibranch]

I'm my opinion they're fine for flatwork in a confined space. If you do anything that involves excessive leg movement you definitely risk them coming out. I've had it happen with nearly new Wintecs, navigating a very steep bank on a young horse. I won't use them any more.

 

[ycbm]

I'm my opinion they're fine for flatwork in a confined space. If you do anything that involves excessive leg movement you definitely risk them coming out. I've had it happen with nearly new Wintecs, navigating a very steep bank on a young horse. I won't use them any more.

I've no experience of Wintec and I only use webbing core leather ones which go right through the entire stirrup leather (Wintec and Bates dont), but I've done a hell of a lot more than flatwork in a confined space over 20 years and never once had one pop out.
.

 

[Lyle]

I jumped around 3* tracks with wintec webbers. Like any tack, check it regularly.

 

[cremedemonthe]

I have heard of the actual T bar breaking, and that may be difficult to spot before it happens.

Yes they do, I've had many in the workshop to sort out and I really don't like them.
Too much pressure on such a small area of metal same as hook studs on bridles, they break. There's not enough bearing surface on the fittings to take the strain.
Not only that the holes often elongate rendering them useless but then ordinary traditional buckled leathers can have the same problem with the holes but tend to be more visible and take longer to do so.