Looking for pros and cons of different types of stirrup irons for jump work. I have a set of the Stubben maxi grips for dressage but am not sure how I feel about them from a safety prospective for jump work. Thoughts?
Are you looking for a safety stirrup? The only ones I know of are those Peackock ones (I think that is what they are called) with the rubber band or those ones that have a weird shape for the outside to allow the foot to come out.
I actually love my Royal Riders with cheese grater pads on my jumping saddle. If your foot gets wet you still have grip. I then have Equi-Wing Hypernylon stirrups with cheese grater pads for my dressage saddle. Both sets of irons come with rubber or cheese grater pads.
I have fallen off many times over the years while jumping, knock on wood have never had an issue with a foot getting stuck. Make sure the irons are no too small.
I use the same iron for jumping that I do for dressage. Standard fillis irons. I have had the Stubben jointed, Jinn stirrups, etc. I’ve used vet wrap, sandpaper, tire tread, and cheese grater stirrup beds. Are you a young rider? In some instances, then safety stirrups (those with rubber bands) are required. Otherwise, jump in what feels good.
I say this because, your weight should not be in your stirrup when jumping. It needs to be more on your thigh as your base fo support. Imagine jumping without stirrups. That is the same form and feel you should have with stirrups, thus, a stirrup is secondary to the position of the rider. Just like dressage.
I bought the FreeJump stirrups after a lovely COTH member, Claudius, died in a trail riding accident where she was drug after falling from a spooking horse. They have a wide, grippy studded footbed and a flexible outer branch. They are less expensive if you buy them from Europe but not cheap. I do really love them, though. I use regular leathers, not the special ones they make.
I have classic fillis stirrups on my dressage saddle and HS Bow Balances on my second jump saddle that I rarely use. The Bow Balances are advertised as having a safety impact but I don’t know if there is anything to that or not. I don’t really like the unstable feel and prefer the solidness of the FreeJumps or classic fillis.
I would recommend you borrow from friends to try different varieties before shelling out a ton on an expensive model you might not like.
Think about any issues you commonly have while jumping, or riding in that saddle.
Back when I was a child my leg was less secure and I sucked at picking a lost stirrup back up. The super light jumping irons so popular now would have been a nightmare. The heavier metal ones are a lot easier for me to feel and find when they are dangling around down there.
Fast forward to me as a teenager and a trainer called me out for turning my toes out. I was jamming my heels way down like everybody had told me and it was causing my ankles to flex and turn the soles of my feet out. I got a pair of fillis irons with the offset eye and they really helped me relax the outside of my calf and ankle. Now I can use my ankle as the shock absorber George Morris intended. When I realized I was turning my toes out in my dressage saddle I threw the offsets on for a couple of weeks and retrained my muscles to behave.
On into my 20’s and I’m flatting 10 jumpers a day, mostly in client saddles with the cheese grater inserts, and I notice that the soles of my boots are getting really thin. I asked one of the other girls I worked with and she confirms that the graters have eaten through one pair of her boots already. I mean they are super grippy and you are NOT going to loose an iron, but what a side effect!
Since then I’ve ridden in jointed, resin, safety, wide, balancing, stabilizing, (MARKETING) and I still prefer regular old fillis irons with plain rubber pads. Not too wide, but wide enough that I can angle them across the bottom of my foot. It just feels normal.
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Go for safety… I use these breakaway stirrups:
http://www.smartridercanada.net/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=51
I kid you not they have saved my life… These are revolutionary… Completely worth the price… Very high quality, comfortable and safe…
I will never ride without these…
I prefer old fashioned Prussian stirrups for jumping, but it is hared to find good quality ones now-a-days.
Yes, the old fashioned Prussian stirrups are SO COMFORTABLE! And with the Super Comfort pads they are just plain luxurious.
On Ebay ask to see Eldonian Stirrups. The last time I looked there were a few pairs of their Prussian sided stirrups for sale. English made, stainless steel, and they are pretty comfortable even without a pad.
I am looking for a second pair of the Eldonian Prussian Sided double offset stirrups, but these are a lot rarer than the Eldonian regular Prussian sided stirrups. I don’t know if I will ever be able to afford the second saddle I want, but I want to be prepared with good stirrups since Fillis stirrups cause extreme pain my feet!
I bought the Freejumps and I love them too! They are very grippy, even when the fiber footing sticks to your boots, they have excellent traction. The have a slight angle where the leather attaches, so easier on your knees/ankles. The only thing I don’t like is that you can’t run your stirrups up. You have to flip them over the saddle or tie the leathers up.
The first horse gift my husband (then my boyfriend) ever gave me were Stubben Prussian-sided Fillis stirrups from H. M> Kauffman’s in NYC. I still have them :).
Worth the money? I’ve been eyeing a pair for a while now?
Yes! I bought mine after I saw someone hung up and dragged. I had heard about that happening, but never seen it happen in real life. I figured it was worth the savings of an ER bill!
as I said, the only thing is that they don’t run up and they can scratch your saddle. I have a student that has the new tech irons. Same concept, with a releasable branch and you can run your iron up. I haven’t sat in her saddle yet to see if I like them more or less.
I have the Tech Venice Stirrups that just came out. They had my money when they came out with PINK!
http://www.englishridingsupply.com/tech/tech-venice-stirrup-470158
I have the Safestyle carbon jumper stirrups. Similar (without the trendy colors) to the Freejump stirrups, but without the price tag. $100 instead of $300-$400. Love them! They also make a stainless steel version, but I don’t have those.
