Would love to hear some opinions on your favorite (or not favorite) wide stability leathers? I’m currently riding in Bates Webbers, and I really like them. But I need a 2nd pair, and I’m thinking I may put those on my jump saddle and upgrade my dressage leathers (I ride in my dressage saddle about 20 times for every one time I sit in my jump saddle these days!) Would love to hear any options or experiences (good or bad)!
I have the LeMieux. I don’t think they make any difference and the tails ride up on my silicon full seats and end up flapping around like a flag.in front.
When I replace them I shall go back to conventional leathers.
I have four saddles and all four have these leathers. They are excellent quality and wear like iron.
I really like the LeMieuxs, but haven’t tried other wide leathers to compare. They feel less bulky under my leg since it’s not 2 layers that totally align. Have not had the same issue as @atr, but my dressage leathers are on the short side, so there is not much tail, and on my jumping saddle they are long enough to tuck into the keepers.
I have done a few pairs of the Millbrook stability stirrup leathers. They are truly substantial but unfortunately they do stretch. Right now I am using the Millbrook stability leathers only on my Spanish potrera saddle, and I put them on this saddle because this saddle does not have a stirrup bar, only a ring to attach the leathers.
On my lesson saddle I am now using the Total Saddle Fit Slim Stability Stirrup Leathers. These leathers have a loop on top that slides onto the stirrup bar and have a nylon center so they do not stretch. The biggest downside of these leathers is that there is no way to run the stirrups up so they stay dangling down unless I cross them over the seat of the saddle.
After the last time I fell off a horse I figured that the large lump of the stirrup buckle and the three layers of leather under my upper thigh interrupted the frictional grip of my upper thighs, which made my seat less stable. The Total Saddle Fit Slim Stability Stirrup Leathers let my thighs hang down smoothly with no interruption or gaps in the frictional grip of my upper thighs. This makes them feel a lot more comfortable to me and this adds to my security in the saddle.
In a few months, if I can save up the money, I am going to buy another pair of these TSF leathers to use on my ancient Crosby PDN on my Home Horse just so that I feel more comfortable when I ride my Home Horse.
Oh - I like the look of those RLG ones!
I’m currently using the CWD So Jump leathers on both my dressage and jumping saddle and highly recommend them. Be aware that black is a special order color. They’re a mono leather style so there’s no flap of leather to tuck in.
I tried the Millbrook leathers and cannot recommend them. They’re not lined and stretched like crazy for me.
I feel like the stability leathers make a small but noticeable difference and I will take every bit of help I can get
The RLG ones are nylon lined so while I won’t say they can not stretch I haven’t noticed aby stretching. My oldest pair is over 2 years old
The LeMieuxs are great especially for the $. I rode in my friends and they were fine.
I didn’t notice a big difference with them vs the normal stirrup leathers.
I use the total saddle fit ones. I don’t find any difference in stability but I like that they don’t pinch my leg or cause me to get a bruise where the leather hits on my shin bone. I’ve had one pair for probably 5 years now and they still look good.
No help on others, but the TSF leathers scratched my saddle, so beware.
I have the Bliss of London ones - impulse purchase when my fitter was out checking my saddle. They are super nice leather and are lined. I honestly can’t say I can tell a huge difference… Maybe some? I’m not a huge fan of TSF leather so wanted to try them but didn’t want that brand.
I’ve got the TSF ones and like them. I did try the Kieffer ultrasoft stability leathers but didn’t love them. Next time I’ll probably try the Lemieux ones. The RLG ones also look interesting!
Honestly, having had stability leathers and regular ones on both my dressage and jump saddles, I did not notice a difference at all using them (cheap Ovation ones, admittedly) on my dressage saddle, and eventually replaced them with a pair of the RLG regular lined leathers. I do have the RLG stability leathers on my jump saddle, and they haven’t stretched at all in the year and a half I’ve been using them. If I were to need another pair, I would definitely go with them
I was wondering if anyone notices a difference with stability leathers, so that’s interesting.
I don’t understand why I’d need or want them, so I haven’t tried them.
I notice the difference in stability with my jumping saddle, riding in 2-point and jumping. The LeMieux leathers are kind of suede on the inside, so they grip onto themselves a bit. For dressage, I don’t notice any difference in stability, they just feel smoother under my leg.
I did check my jumping leathers recently, and could not detect any stretching after a year, and of course they take more weight than my dressage leathers. I do always mount from a block.
Has anyone tried the Antarès ones?? I tried them on a saddle buck but have never actually ridden in them…
I have them on a cc saddle and love them.
I bought mine after doing my first 25 mile Endurance ride. I did the 25 on Saturday, and when I mounted up for Sunday’s 12 mile ride I noticed the inside of my knee was tender where it came in contact with the stirrup leather. Not bruised, just tender enough to notice. I was hoping the stability design would smooth out the transition between stirrup leather and saddle flap and it did exactly that.
Yeah, for endurance riding, that would make sense. Perhaps for jumping to. For my day to day dressage rides, I think I’m fine with my regular ol’ Prestige leathers.
I’m casually hunting for a trail saddle (but don’t quite want a western saddle), so I may keep stability leathers in mind for that.
I have the TSF ones and am very happy with them.
I have nerve damage in both feet so my ankles are very weak and my feet bounce a lot in the sitting trot, I was causing a rub on one side because of it. Since the stability leathers the rubs stopped and I also found that the changes got a bit easier, making it easier to work on the 1 tempis.
I do have mine twisted at the bottom so that it holds my stirrups at a 90 degree angle from the horse, I would not be able to use them if it weren’t for that.