Jointed Stirrups for Ankle and Calf Pain

[anyanicholson]

I’m interested in getting a pair of the Herm Sprenger jointed stirrups for my ankle and calf pain, so here’s the story:

For years I’ve had the problem where my ankles and up the outside of my calf really hurts, it’s like a shooting pain up the side of my leg, causing me to have no control over the position of my ankles or lower leg and will hurt so much that I can’t point my toes out.

My trainer is all about the classic look for riding and doesn’t like her girls to have the jointed stirrups. So I don’t know what to do because I feel as though this discomfort is dramatically affecting my equitation and the way I perform in the long run.

So here are my questions:

Does anybody else have this problem?

Can anybody tell me how they like the jointed stirrups vs. your standard stirrup?

Does anyone with this problem have Herm Sprenger jointed stirrups and find that it has made the pain go away?

How do these stirrups wear?

Do they make keeping your heels down easier?

Also, I don’t know how to ask my trainer about the jointed stirrups, it really makes me nervous like I’m challenging her by asking when I already know she doesn’t like them.

[SnicklefritzG]

I don’t use jointed stirrups because I don’t think it gives me enough stability, particularly over larger jumps. However, I do understand what you are going through because sometimes I too have pain in the outside of my calf.

I do pilates on a reformer several times per week to help strengthen and tone those muscles. That has helped quite a bit. I spend a lot of time in 2 point as well.

[ParadoxFarm]

I use the MDC Ultimate stirrups after fracturing my talus (ankle) and what I love is that they also rotate at the top which makes a huge difference for me. I can ride pain free even though I have scheduled ankle surgery coming up. (Walking is worse than riding!).

[Artemis]

I have the Sprenger Bow Balance stirrups w/ the super comfort pads because I have ankle & knee pain. I LOVE them. My toes no longer go numb, my knees don’t get swollen after a hard ride, and my ankles rarely hurt. I’ve also added yoga & pilates to my exercise, so that has helped as well.
They do make it easier to keep your heel down, but I have no problem keeping my heel down so I don’t use them for that aspect.
I’ve tried the System 4 Sprengers but those hurt me more.
I understand trainers like to use traditional stirrups, but sometimes, the pain is just too much. You need to do what is right for you. Regardless of your stirrups, you still have to ride well. No stirrup is going to give you perfect equitation without work.

[PonyPenny]

I like the stirrups with the wide footbed. I found the really help my ankles and knees and give me great support. I have the silver aluminum ones from Equi-Wing http://www.adamshorsesupplies.com/Equi-Wing-Wide-Track-Stirrup-Irons-P3804.aspx.

[HunterRider84]

I’m glad to hear there is someone else with this problem but I’m sorry you are going through it because I know the agonizing pain that you are going through. I’m a trainer and not being able to ride because of pain isn’t an option.

I’ve used the MDC jointed wide foot bed stirrup which I liked the wide foot bed but the jointed iron cause more pain and made me feel unbalanced. But I can’t say that it was definitely the stirrups because the problem for me turned out to be my saddle and my half chaps were a tiny bit of the problem.

Right now I’m riding with regular irons with the super comfort wrap pad on.
http://www.doversaddlery.com/super-comfort-pads/p/X1-0752/?ids=2o15v1qa2ucyqom053tq4g45

Good Luck!

[Ambitious_Kate]

Yes, I have the exact same problem, but its not the ankle and calf which are sore, well they are, precisely, but its the peroneal nerve which is painful and creates the shooting pains. Its part of the sciatic nerve, which continues up the thigh and is ennervated in the lumbar part of the back. I don’t have pain from the back TO the knee, just from the knee down through the ankle, and the pain is sever, and makes it hard to control the ankle, etc.

I began yoga and core strengthening to strengthen the muscles supporting the lumbar area, and the pain has completely dissapeared. I was surprised, as I didn’t have lumbar or hip/sciatic pain, but that’s where it was originating.

I would suggest you get very strong in your lower back and build up good muscles there. You can do this with yoga, which strengthens your glutes, and core. the muscles supporting the lumbar region wrap around to yoru front, so its all a part of the support system for your back, hense the nerves running from there down to your legs and feet.

[IrishHunter]

I think it depends on what exactly causes your pain. I know some people who swear by them, but the few times I’ve used them it seemed to make my ankle and knee pain worse.

[anyanicholson]

Now that you say that, one of my mom’s friends who is a massage therapist said I had something going on with the right side of my back, like I have a pinched nerve and it just so happens that the right ankle and leg is what hurts most; which is agonizing.

One of my trainers has been telling me to take Yoga for months now, and I still have yet to try it since I feel as though it won’t really help me.

I used to dance when from age 10-14 (quit because my parents wanted me to choose between riding or dance) and even then when I was taking intensive classes, stretching my muscles and taking a body conditioning class which incorporated yoga, core strengthening as well as pilates, I still had the problem with my ankles.

To be quite honest, I think I have always had this problem, I can’t remember a time when I’ve ridden without having the pain be evident.

[QUOTE=Ambitious Kate;7446368]
Yes, I have the exact same problem, but its not the ankle and calf which are sore, well they are, precisely, but its the peroneal nerve which is painful and creates the shooting pains. Its part of the sciatic nerve, which continues up the thigh and is ennervated in the lumbar part of the back. I don’t have pain from the back TO the knee, just from the knee down through the ankle, and the pain is sever, and makes it hard to control the ankle, etc.

I began yoga and core strengthening to strengthen the muscles supporting the lumbar area, and the pain has completely dissapeared. I was surprised, as I didn’t have lumbar or hip/sciatic pain, but that’s where it was originating.

I would suggest you get very strong in your lower back and build up good muscles there. You can do this with yoga, which strengthens your glutes, and core. the muscles supporting the lumbar region wrap around to yoru front, so its all a part of the support system for your back, hense the nerves running from there down to your legs and feet.[/QUOTE]

[Kalele]

I’ve had the 4-way Sprengers since I was 16 (that would be going on 15 years ago) because of my ankles. I love them. Mine are the black but if it would make your trainer feel any better, they come in grey too.

[Kat]

in my experience, they help with knee pain but make ankle pain worse
I currently have the MDC stirrups and they have made a ton of difference!

[akhunterrider]

I like regular irons with the super comfort pads or non joined wide footbed stirrups. I had the 4 way jointed sprenger stirrups and after a while they cause more joint pain than I started off with, particularly in my knees.

[jlphilli]

I have really bad ankles from doing gymnastics when I was younger. I thought jointed stirrups were helping me a long time ago until they came out with wide-bed stirrups. The Royal Rider composite stirrups are my #1 favorite. However, since I do the hunters I prefer a more traditional look. I am using the MDC Sport Classic stirrups (https://www.smartpakequine.com/mdc-sport-classic-stirrup-8716p) now and really like them. You can change the angle of the stirrup so you don’t have to twist your ankles. The wide stirrup beds also give extra support for your ankles and knees. I actually rode a friend’s horse recently and her saddle had jointed stirrups. After just a few minutes my ankles and knees were hurting.

Wanted to edit: I have been riding in the MDC Sport Classics for a couple of months now and the heaviness of them is really getting to me. I need to find something else.

[IPEsq]

I second getting your back checked out. I had some peroneal tendinitis for a while (so, pain where you are feeling it), and mine was caused by cycling not horseback riding, but the root of the problem turned out to be at my sacroiliac joint.

I have OCD in one ankle and really hate the bendy stirrups. I think they are uncomfortable and my leg feels like it’s all over the place. I do like the new wide stirrup beds on a fixed stirrup.

[cuse]

I also broke my talus about two years ago. After about six months off from riding, I have found that bendy stirrups don’t make a noticeable difference in ankle pain, either better or worse. I don’t have much pain in my ankle anymore, except for occasional joint pops which bring a shooting but brief pain. I ride a variety of horses in different saddles, and while most of the saddles have jointed stirrups, I don’t notice a difference when I ride in a saddle with regular stirrups. I do tend to ride with my left stirrup (the side I broke) one hole longer than my right, at least to warm up, because I have somewhat limited flexibility on that side. After warming up for five or ten minutes, I can raise the stirrup to match the other side. I would echo the previous posters who suggested getting checked out by a doctor, and doing ankle strengthening exercises. You can also try out different things, like lowering the stirrup on the side that gives you pain, to see if you can lessen your discomfort. Good luck!

[iJump]

I had foot numbness, ankle and knee pain. I rode in HS jointed stirrups for years with no change, bought these: http://www.jinstirrup.it/stirrups/jin-stirrups.html and haven’t had any pain or numbness since. Well worth the $$$.

[GaMare]

I used to ride in jointed stirrups but had stability issues when the jumps got bigger. Tried several options & ended up with these http://www.doversaddlery.com/metallab-air-system-irons/p/X1-07017/

There is a little flex in the stirrup but the biggest element is the air pocket under the foot pad. It’s the same as the shock absorption in running shoes. Been using them for a year. My trainer is happy with the stability & I’m not limping after a long ride.

[SlimChance]

I have really a pretty bad hip and knee, and I honestly didn’t think the Sprenger Bow Balance stirrups could make that big of a difference. They are basically magic. I have a friend with bad ankles and who has similar views. After switching, we were both in significantly less pain (both while riding and outside of riding) and hadn’t realized how much we had been living with. We both had a cheaper jointed stirrups that were helpful, but not even remotely on the same level.

Do you know anyone who could lend you a pair for a week or a ride or two? We both tried them thanks to a local tack shop and immediately decided we needed them. There’s nothing quite like trying them. Good luck!

[candysgirl]

I ride in the Composite Wide track stirrups. They’re not traditional looking at all, but they’re super stable. I foxhunt and do endurance rides in them and they’re great. No knee pain for me.

[Indy]

I rode in a pair of 2-way flex stirrups for years and years, thinking that they were helping my bum ankle but my ankle was always in pain. If I rode more than one horse a day, it would throb all night long. Last year I switched to a set of MDC Classic Hunter stirrups with a wide footbed and my ankle feels SO much better. I think the instability of the flex stirrup was causing my ankle to jar and be irritated instead of reducing concussion like I thought it was. The wide footbed gives me stability, as do the grippy teeth (which I like way better than cheesegraters, which I swear I can feel through my boots), and the traditional stirup structure helps keep my ankle in one place. I wish I would have switched away from my jointed stirrups years ago.