After around 50 years in the saddle it is time to take advantage of things that will make me more comfortable.
i know that many of the light weight irons now are being developed so the issue with catching your lost iron is improved. I rarely lose an iron anyway.
please tell me what brands with which you have experience
i was looking at Free Jump, Stuben aluminum and Royal rider. I also see irons that have upgraded treds and even gel under the treds. I like the flex irons.
please no George Morris says, etc etc.
How do lighter weight stirrups help? Never tried any. I do have round (oxbow) stirrups on my western saddle which a lot of people don’t like, but I found they let my buggered foot find it’s happy place and not affect my riding.
These are helping my middle-aged knees a lot: https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Compositi_Reflex_3D_Stirrup_Irons_Grey_Black/descpage-CORX.html?from=Google&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsIXnlJ-D3QIVCYGzCh1_zg9ZEAQYAyABEgICSvD_BwE . They feel very secure, and I don’t think about my feet at all when using them. They’re light weight, and the wider tread is a game changer for me.
1 Like
I was curious as to why the weight of a stirrup supposed to make it more comfortable?I feel like I’m missing something.
Compositi is going to be the lightest stirrup you can get. I had a pair myself and were fine(loved the color range they offered that no one else had), and you can get a pair for quite cheap. I myself have awful knees and had my hips done multiple times so I rely on a good pair of stirrups to survive on cross country(especially when out on hunts). I did not find them to really make a difference to comfort. I also tried Sprenger Bow Balance stirrups and also did not find them to offer any special perks to my comfort levels when riding.
The pair of stirrups I went with which I love are the jumping stirrups made by Italian company called Makebe. They offer a wider base for your foot and they are at a slight angle.
I think trying out a few types of stirrups might be your best option to see what works for you. Everyone is built differently and has different builts and injuries which will affect how they feel on certain pieces of equipment.
1 Like
Part my issue is that I had a terrible surgery ten years ago. I went from a ride any horse any where in any saddle no matter what to wanting the beginner horse . And due to extensive scarring through my middle I want to reduce the weight of my saddle when tacking up.
in addition to this issue I need to reduce any jarring to the hip to hip scar across my middle because riding hurts now.
i’m also getting old so I am constantly searching for ways to keep myself in the saddle and in comfort so I still want to ride.
when you hurt as much as I do you go from living to ride to making excuses not to. I didn’t even figure out what was going on with myself at first. So the whole point is to just keep myself going. I am lucky to be alive at this point.
i bought a super lighweight saddle and found my Herm Sprenger stirrups were heavier than the whole saddle!
although they are nice stirrups it seems silly to go with a this modern saddle and not try some of these new stirrup designs. My new saddle is a Bua and it really makes a difference to my pain
The Compositi Reflex stirrups I mentioned are, I think, used by Denny Emerson who is about 75 years young and has had his share of injuries. I don’t know if he has ever mentioned stirrup brands on his Facebook posts, but the ones in his photos look just like mine.
I am very sorry that you have had such a difficult experience. It is hard when riding hurts enough that you seriously question if it’s worth it. Glad the Bua is working for you!
1 Like
I turned in my Herm Sprenger stirrups for a set of Compositi stirrups about a year ago. I have had knee problems for the past 20 years or so which is why I bit the bullet and bought the Herm Sprengers in the first place. But now my right ankle is also bad. and I found myself wanting to try something with a wider foot bed. The Compositi are super light weight with a wide footbed and do have some impact absorption in the footbed as well. It was a learning curve to learn how to find the stirrup if I lose it but like you I don’t lose them often. I love them. Everyone who rides in my saddle loves them except when they lose a stirrup. Good luck I tried a million stirrups before I found one that helped me with my personal pains. And I know where you are at right now because like you I was the rider that rode everything and now stick to my own horses and also found myself making excuses as to why I couldn’t ride. being more comfortable has really helped me want to ride more.
1 Like
The best thing you can do is make sure that your saddle is perfectly balanced. That way you require less input from your body to remain in the right place. This will require maintenance as you go through the year.
1 Like
I just bought the Compositi Reflex stirrups this week and I’m looking forward to trying them out! The shock absorption under the tread feels like it will be a nice upgrade.
1 Like
Compositi are the lightest ones I’ve seen. Flex-on look fantastic but I have no seen them in person.
1 Like
I have the Prestige composites. As someone else said above, my HS irons are heavier than my saddle. I was hoping to lighten the load for my new to hunting horse.
That said, I’m switching back! I hunted with the lightweights and although losing my stirrup isn’t an issue, I missed that weight in my leg. I didn’t feel the same security with the lightweights, anchoring if you will. They also have no flex, and my poor old right knee was complaining by the day’s end.
JME and my 2 cents.
Hi there, visiting from the dressage page because hunting has always fascinated me. Compositi I have used, loved, much to the disdain of a few dressage trainers. Just my 2 cents from my corner of the horse world! Happy hunting!
