Hi all, I’m looking to get my first pair of stirrups and would like to hear all your opinions! I usually do flat work, I jump sometimes but not more than 50cm (still a newbie lol). I dont mind the weight of the stirrups, I just need them to be grippy and be allowed in dressage tests. Any recommendations? Many thanks!
Anything with a cheesegrater pad should be grippy. I have a lightweight pair on my jumping saddle with cheesegrater pads and if your foot comes up a little, the stirrup goes with it due to the light weight. In fact, I have to be extra careful that my feet are kicked out before dismounting, or the stirrup will come over the horse with my foot. So if you have issues with dropping an iron, those should help, but a heavier iron might be a better choice, because you do need to learn to keep your leg down into the iron.
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There are safety concerns with stirrups that cling. You would be better served by learning to control your legs.
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I totally agree with you. Maybe I didnt make it clear enough in my post, I’m not trying to find stirrups that ll stick to the bottom of my feet even when I m in an awful position, I just found that some of the stirrups at the school are more slippery than some others (not sure if purely a very different model or also a result of maintainence) and I’m thinking if I could get a pair of “not slippery” stirrups. Actually I notice that those less slippery ones seem to have a larger area for the feet to rest on, are these stirrups good?
Sometimes the rubber gets hard. When it’s hard, it’s slippery. New treads might help. I have a pair of ‘sandpaper’ tread fillis pads that I use on my stirrups. Not as much grip as a cheesegrater, but more than the plain rubber. The sandpaper was silver, but the color has worn off so now it just looks dirty 
These. Just grippy enough and last forever.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/super-comfort-iron-pads-6038
Second this.
Oh yes, I love those. I had them on all my saddles (and removed and kept them when those saddles were sold and put them on my new saddle).
Pads; https://www.compositi.be/en/type-produit/spikes/
at
http://www.englishridingsupply.com/compositi-spikes-stirrup-tread-464992?manufacturer_id=27
Another vote for these.
My dressage trainer uses these. She shows FEI with them. I have them on one of my saddles and like them.
Thank you for all your advice!
Also check the soles of your riding boots. When you wear the same paddock/dress boots all the time to tack up, ride, walk around on concrete at a barn or stone dust at show grounds, you’d be surprised how quickly you wear down the pattern/ridges on your soles. So, it might also be time to have your boots re-soled!
Another vote for the super comfort stirrups pads. I just replaced mine after 7 years of use. I love them. (Plus I’ve found they are easier on my old joints!)
