So I got a used pair of Fillis stirrup irons and bought new pads to change out. You know just the average rubbery ones. For the life of me I cannot get the new ones in. I checked the size and they are the exact same size as the old ones. Any tips or tricks?!
I used a hoof pick to pull the flaps out the bottom of the stirrup.
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Yes, hoofpick works, or a flat head screwdriver. Also, use a bit of olive oil on the bottom of the pad and sit it out in the sun to warm up and make it more pliable.
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I find swearing a lot works well. Just keep trying. It will fit eventually.Flat head screwdriver worked for me.
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Ha! I second the foul language.
(And the flat head screwdriver, but really it’s the cussing that gets the job done.)
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:lol::lol::lol: Yeah, I forgot that part!
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This is why so many people use the cheese graters and sand paper wraps. Changing stirrup pads is the pits.
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Put the stirrup pads in very warm water. It softens them up. Then go with the hoof pick. Then swear.
And have the first aid kit ready when you slash the hoof pick over your hand.
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I just bought composite stirrups and when taking off the old fillis ones, I recalled struggling and swearing while putting the new pads on. I don’t know how I didn’t impale my hand with the screwdriver or stab myself in the leg. After all that hard work, it seems a shame to get rid of them. I’ll be donating them to a therapeutic riding stable’s tack sale.
Hot water …& flathead screwdriver Work one side, then the other.
What has worked for me…
Wear gloves. Lubricate the rubber with something that won’t harm it. I like silicone which you can get in auto parts stores. Silicone based “personal” lube works as well. Push the pad into the opening on the stirrup. Using a flat-tip screwdriver or similar implement, pry a corner of the lower “tab” of the pad over the inside edge of the opening in the iron. This is where the gloves come in because you’ll always stab yourself. Don’t ask how I know, just do it. If you lubricated the rubber well, you can now simply slide the screwdriver along the “tab” and it will pop into the slot. Repeat on the other three tabs. To recap: wear protection, lubricate properly, slip tab into slot. That’s really all there is to it.
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The above, hoof pick and patience.
