Completely unscientific observation, but I scribe a lot of dressage at our Ontario eventing competitions, and I noticed the riders using the lightweight composite stirrups very frequently rode in a chair seat.
Obviously this could be due to other factors but it was often enough that I noticed. I wondered if it was because the lack of weight allowed them to be pushed forward more when riders had their heels down.
I would say in the last couple years I’ve seen fewer and fewer of the composite stirrups with more riders using the metal tech-type stirrups with the wider footbed.
I doubt metal stirrups make so much of a difference in weight that it would pull your leg underneath you. My lightweight stirrups are definitely less heavy but it’s not a crazy amount
From experience, jointed stirrups do weird things to my leg position compared to non-jointed stirrups in the exact same saddle. I finally figured out it was because I was jamming my ankles down trying to get the stability I was used to. I was thinking that something similar might be happening with the lightweight stirrups.
Either that or every person in a saddle that put them in a chair seat in Ontario was using the composite stirrups for a couple years
I think you might be on to something. I see lots of people with position issues try to fix it with jointed stirrups (which I HATE) or thick stirrup leathers. So it’s entirely possible that the chair seat people thought the composite stirrups were improving their seat if they didn’t like the regular irons or thought they were contributing to the chair seat.
I had a different brand of composite stirrups with cheese grater treads. It was really easy to have them come along with your foot when dismounting. I have aluminum safety stirrups now and find they’re a good middle ground on weight.
I lost my Compositi stirrup at the canter the other day, and managed to find it again without falling off or breaking gait. Phew! Easier than expected.
Same. I love my compositi stirrups. And while some people say they have difficulties trying to pick them back up, I have never had an issue. For me they bounce around a lot less and are less likely to goose the horse than typical fillis irons, so they’re always right where I expect them to be when I need to pick them up.
My lease horse’s saddle came with flexi branch stirrups, which I found uncomfortable after about 30 minutes or so, but to each their own.
I don’t think they’re the most attractive stirrup, but they work for me. I have had more than one fall while using the compositis and never got hung up. I don’t think they’re any less safe than other non-breakaway stirrups.
I also think they’re inexpensive enough that they’re worth a try (though, I admittedly got to ride a lesson horse who had them on his saddle for a few weeks before I decided to buy).
They’re definitely not just for jumping. My guy is mostly a trail horse at this point, and while we still occasionally go over a log on the trail, I am asking him to bend and do leg yields on every trail because I like my knees intact and undamaged (he’s barefoot, so likes walking on the edge of the trails which is acceptable, as long as we have enough clearance around trees).
There is also the aluminum Equiwing version, too. Comes with grater and composite swappable treads. https://www.tackroomonline.com/equi-wing-aluminum-stirrup-465504.html on sale there.
Probably isn’t as flyweight as the Compositi, Plus, the adage in the plastics industry is plastics have at best a 10 year service life before embrittlement sets in. I trust aluminum far more. I like the wide tread for general purpose riding. I ride saddleseat so the Equiwings are never going into the show ring with me, haha. I’m accustomed to lightweight irons since that’s what we used and the only thing available, really, back when I was a beginner. The only choices were stainless (expensive) or Never Rust nickel (common), and what width. If I stuck with 4.25" irons which fit my ladies sz 5.5 - 6 boots, I never had problems with losing my irons. I never got hung up in them when I fell off, either. I had a pair of Sprenger Fillis offset eye stirrups in 4.75" that hung straight at your foot, and I liked that concept. They were easy to pick up, but those in 4.75" were far too oversized in both height and width for me so I sold them. eta: Those Equiwings are BIG irons. Tall and wide. They are a real different look compared to, say, standard 4.75" Fillis irons.
I like a wide footbed, which I used to achieve through regular irons with comfort pads which you could zip tie on. My knees appreciate it. With standard irons, my feet go numb after the second horse and they don’t with my wider footbed. The pad on the comfort wraps would chew up my calf skin stirrup leathers when I would run them up and they would hold footing.
I use the Flex On for my jump saddle and really love them. My dressage saddle had the $25 cheapies on them and they felt great, but if you lose a stirrup they are a bit tougher to get back than standard irons. I like the black iron though, it looks sleek.
I will say that I switch, on my dressage saddles, between my regular wrapped standard irons and my composite irons depending. I think both provide a pretty decent stability.
