I ride English. So I have the nice cushy- Sprenger Stirrups. My aunt has bad knees also, but she rides Western. Correct me if I’m wrong, but there aren’t springy- Western stirrups, are there? What do you guys use? She is just getting back into riding and came to me for opinions. I dabble here and there in western, but don’t do it enough to research stirrups!
I used to use Cloud stirrups. Don’t know if they are still available, but they have a big, wide footbed (something like 5" x 4") lined with a closed cell foam. Your foot had more support, you weren’t torquing your knees as much, and there was a certain amount of give to the stirrup which helped a lot. I know there are some hunting stirrups which are similar — big wide footbed part, but I don’t think they have the closed cell foam lining.
I’ve been told that the fenders are what gets to your knees in a western saddle more so than the stirrups. I guess because if the fenders are a stiff leather it puts more stress on the knee trying to keep the stirrups turned the right way? I’ve always heard that’s the reason for putting a broomstick through your stirrups - to train the leather to bend that way.
Me, I ride in a synthetic saddle so my stirrups will turn whichever way I point them.
If your aunt doesn’t already have a saddle, I recommend synthetic! Flexible fenders and they only weigh about as much as an english saddle.:yes:
It isn’t the stirrup itself, but the fender that causes the pain by you having to twist your knees to get your feet into the stirrups and keep them in position. I can ride pain free in regular english stirrups, but put me in any saddle ( synthetic, leather) with fenders and it hurts immediately. You need stirrup turners and there are tons to choose from. Just look them up on ebay.
yes…i have a pair of 'somethings" that actually turn the stirrup towards your foot. You add them to your stirrups. the other thing to so is have her try a synthetic saddle…the fenders are much more pliable and easy on the knees
this is coming from a new-to-western English rider
Tell your Aunt to sit as far forward in the saddle seat as possible, settle herself deep in the stirrups, then relax her leg and pull her toes up. Most people push down on the stirrup in order to keep their heels down, and some brace between stirrup and cantle - all guaranteed to produce knee pain. Twist those fenders several times right after cleaning when damp and let them dry tightly twisted inward, so they curve naturally.
Everything said above about twisting the fenders, plus EZ stirrups (or the like). I love mine so much that I have changed them out on all of my saddles. Really wide foot pad and memory form-like padding which helps with fatigue. But I’m riding distance. Iif she is showing, I don’t believe she can use those in the ring.
I have never cared for the EZ stirrups and tried the metal stirrup turners. They dug into my leg.
For foot and knee fatigue I think the angled stirrups are great. I have a borrowed saddle that had heavy and I mean heavy Crooked Stirrups on it and my feet and knees aren’t torqued anymore. I will buy an angled pair of lighter stirrups when my saddle comes it. Walls stirrups are pretty cool, too.
sa walls twister stirrups.
they are pre-twisted so are easier to pick up, and are ‘crooked’ so that they stay flat under your foot.
knee pain can be from turning the fender, or the fact that the wide leathers cause the stirrup to be unlevel when it is in riding position.
go check - stand at the side of your horse and turn your stirrup to where it would be if you put your foot in it. it aint level.
I love the crooked/angled stirrups. I can trail ride for hours with those (although the ones I have are quite heavy).
I’ve got the SA Walls stirrups - mine are the Lites and are offset and slanted, but not twisted. I love them and do use them in reining classes/shows. Solved almost all of my knee/ankle issues. Getting a nicer saddle with pre-turned fenders solved the rest.
Drop your stirrups. Correctly lengthened western stirrups will never cause the knee pain of hiked up english irons.
I, too, have the Sprenger stirrups for riding English- a foxhunting pal put me on to them some years ago and yeah, no more knee pain, helps with hips and back, too.
For western- another friend persuaded me a few years ago to try oxbow stirrups when I bought a new saddle. He swore they would do for western what the Sprengers do for English. The saddlemaker concurred and said hey, if you don’t like them, send ‘em back any time for full refund, I have people lined up to get them. It seems counterintuitive but in fact they were right- the oxbows do eliminate knee pain (and foot discomfort from long hours in the saddle). I can’t say I’ve ever had a fender issue, but I’ve always taken care to break in the fenders with the good ol’ broomstick approach when breaking in a new saddle, so maybe that’s why, or maybe just dumb luck.
Oxbows are to be ridden with the arch of the foot bearing weight, ‘home’ with the front of the boot heel at the back of the stirrup ‘tread’.
They definitely eliminate the knee pain from trying to keep a straight fender bent by holding the stirrup straightish with the balls of your feet.
And they eliminate the ankle and knee pain you can get because western stirrups tend to not hang ‘flat’ perpendicular to the horse. And the more you ‘push’ your heels down, sending your body weight down past the balls of your feet (as is correct when jumping, but not when riding western), the more the stirrups will angle relative to the horse.
But oxbows don’t allow you to balance off of, and work off the balls of your feet.
There are fixes for stiff fenders and slanted stirrups, if you want to pursue it.
Actually I do ride my oxbows with the balls of my feet, as well as all the way home, depending. No different than riding a Sprenger in an English saddle. But for me there are different scenarios than one the OP is looking for, I think.
My aunt actually rides for fun, trail riding around the hay field mostly. She quit riding for 15+ years other than occasionally doing something here and there. She has had a couple major knee surgeries… But she is finding the joy in riding again (going through divorce and some other life changes made her take a step bacK) but its painful for her. I will tell her to make to check her fenders. My grandpa is an old roper & cutter; I know HE does that to his saddles, but I don’t know if she is riding in one of his saddles or something of her own.
I will pass on these suggestions or direct her over here! I never thought about oxbows, but when I do ride western that is usually what I ride in without problem, come to think of it. I will pass all these her way! Thanks a lot. 
Actually I do ride my oxbows with the balls of my feet
OK, but the bottoms/treads of oxbow stirrups are not flat, but rounded.
Any time I’ve ridden oxbows with the balls of my feet on the tread, it mashes my toes. Uncomfortably.
I have NO idea how an oxbow stirrup, with a curved tread, would ride like a hinged, flat-tread sprenger stirrup.
Of course, if it keeps you riding and pain free, I’m all for it. But color me confused.
These are oxbows:
http://www.cowboyway.com/images/OxbowStirrups1.jpg
These are not oxbows, but sort of narrow curved inexpensive stirrups:
http://www.horse.com/item/tough-1-rawhide-oxbow-stirrups/E001628/
I just put my Walls lite twisted stirrups on my new saddle today. Will let you know what I think after a couple of rides. I called Walls direct and I even got my initials on them in pretty letters.
Ah. I should clarify. I use the brass oxbows, smaller and narrower tread than the conventional leather/rawhide. For me the rounding is not noticeable- whether using my conventional cowboy boots or paddock boots (mind you the Blundstones are not optimal in those stirrups, but for brief rides it works). And like I said, I was of your opinion in theory Fillabena, but the saddlemaker said no worries he’d take 'em back if I didn’t like 'em- but though it defies logic, it does indeed work for me.
Well, glad it works for you, logic or not 
Pain is something that I’d rather not deal with riding…so whatever works!
