So at the Dover tent sale I bought a pair of free jump stirrup leathers for a great deal. I remember people saying they used them with normal stirrups… but how? Am I forced to get myself a freejump stirrup set now?
They are these ones https://www.freejumpsystem.com/en/produit/single-strap-stirrups-leathers/
Those ones will fit most normal stirrups fine. It’s the new Freejump leathers, without that middle ring, that are only compatible with the wide eye of the Freejump irons because they are the wide width all the way down to the first holes.
I just happened to be at the tack shop the other day while they were talking to the Freejump rep and got to see/hear the run-down about the different leathers 
Do you know how they go on with normal stirrups? Does the wider part with the nylon loop go up on the bar?
Yes, they end up being a sort of cross between webbers and stability leathers. The nylon loop goes over the stirrup bar, so the wide area is on the saddle flap. Then you run the narrow part back through the bottom of the buckle so the tail is on the horse side when the leathers are hanging straight down from the stirrup bar. Then the tail should tuck up into a slot on the back side of the wide panel to keep everything tidy. Or you can use a leather sleeve like what webbers use (i know someone who just uses the sleeves off her retired webbers)
Yes, the loop would go over the stirrup bar and the leathers would be “upside down” and become sort of like millbrook/stability leathers.
Then you’ll want to slide the buckle down to the stirrup, buckle it with the buckle on the side away from your leg (you may need to run the strap through the ring backwards, I can’t quite remember/picture it without them in front of me), which leaves the “tail” pointing up.
At this point you have two options. You can tuck the tail through the lower slot in the buckle, under the bar that the tongue is attached to, so that the tail is between the two layers of the strap. A couple elastics work well as a keeper on the back side to keep the tail in place, apparently. Or, you can use a sleeve (like on webbers, or a halter fuzzy or similar) to keep the tail tidy.
it isn’t quite as straightforward as it would be if you were using them with the freejump irons, but the rep said it can be done, and I see it done by a lot of local riders as well. One rider in particular has some pretty crocked knees, and she found that even with her freejump irons, she prefers to use them upside down.
Thank you for the explanation! I will try it tomorrow
