knee pain in western saddle

[high_hat]

[QUOTE=furlong47;5838490]
I have a bad knee and it always hurts if I spend any length of time in a Western saddle. I think the fenders and stirrups just force my leg into a position which isn’t comfortable for me. I usually end up taking my feet out of the stirrups, either periodically or for the rest of the ride, and that helps.[/QUOTE]

Same for me. It gets to where on a long ride I just have to get off. Went to California once and did a trail ride. I finally gave the wrangler my horse and walked back to the trail head.

I never get the same pain in an english saddle.

[Beverley]

I switched to using oxbow stirrups last year, a friend insisted they are the western equivalent of the flex stirrups I use when riding English. And indeed, no hip, knee or back pain and on all day trail rides, no foot stiffness or pain like I was getting with those wider stirrups.

Seemed counter-intuitive to me, but the saddlemaker I got them from assured me that a) he himself uses them for all things including roping and b) he would happily buy them back from me at full price if I didn’t like them.

[Griffyn]

I can never get away from the knee pain in a western saddle. Consider some of the field trial saddles or Tuckers, some of which have a more western styling with english leathers and stirrups.

[Go_Fish]

Try riding to the inside of the stirrup.

Head down to the western store and pick up a pair of cutting-width stirrups.