Do they really make your lower leg more stable? Do they feel super bulky under your leg? Do you love them more then a regular width stirrup leather? I’m shopping for new leathers and have been considering these for years. I know that TSF and I think Ovation make a similar type of leather. Any difference between the three? Thanks so much!
I 100% believe it has given me a much steadier leg! I swear by them–moreso wide leathers in general. I do have a few issues with millbrook though.
The leather is extremely thick and stiff. I have tried many things to soften them including olive oil like their website suggests and nothing has worked at all. Mine are a couple years old and still super stiff. Also, the color has significantly faded so it looks like a really cheap quality leather. It faded to a white-ish color, but I try to condition and darken them before shows and such. I had the worlds unsteadiest leg, but these have become my safety blanket, so they definitely work. I would look into better quality leather though. I have heard of many say it has scratched their saddles and I haven’t personally had that issue. I have a calf skin saddle and it’s perfect. But the stiffness and then fading of the color (mind you, noticed the fading in less than a few months) would make me want to look at the other brands with wide leathers.
I don’t think it feels super bulky under the leg at all. I do love them more than skinny, I have tried putting my fancier nice leather skinny leathers back on for shows and ditch them immediately after trotting two steps.
I just purchased the devoucoux, so I can let you know the difference in quality and stability–although devoucoux is much more expensive
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I had millbrooks and sojumps (CWD). The millbrooks are garbage quality. They stretched huge. I’d stick with any of the other wide stirrup brands mentioned and avoid Millbrook as a brand after their horrid PR a few years ago.
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If you search millbrook on this forum you’ll come across an email the owner sent to a customer… I believe it was over half chaps? That has turned me off from ever considering buying from them.
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I’ve heard quite a few negative things about the Millbrook ones. It seems like they are more of a “name” than a “quality” type of situation (in the IG world with the younger-esque riders, it’s a “thing” to have Millbrook leathers, despite many other brands making the same thing, at the same price, with much better quality). They have also had their share of PR issues over the years (backing an ambassador they had (have?) that was openly racist and using the n-word on social media being a particularly potent one especially in light of recent events), as well as not backing their own product (there have been a few threads here) and the like.
I have a “knock off” pair that cost about $50 and are literally the same in quality (poor lol). I didn’t find that they helped me much, but they are comfortable.
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Meh. I bought the Millbrooks after knee surgery hoping it would provide some stability/support during my rehab. I didn’t notice enough of a difference to make the price worthwhile.
I rarely use my jump saddle these days; my leasor and my husband do, and the leathers were starting to stretch out. I noticed because my leasor was riding with one leather longer than the other and it was really obvious! And my husband is learning to jump and could actually feel the stirrups “getting longer” through his rides (although he felt the wider leather did offer him more stability). I switched them back to my basic lined-core leathers and the Millbrooks have just been sitting. Not sure if I’m going to keep them.
Thanks all! I will search for other brands but am interested in trying them!
I LOVE my Millbrook stirrup leathers. (The leathers I had before were calf-skin/nylon core regular width leathers and I HATED those, they would twist around if my foot was not in the stirrup, the two layers would not stay one above the other ending up with them pinching my skin, and I ended up with bumps on my shin bones where they crossed over them.)
I got my Millbrooks. The recommended size for me was WAY too short (and I ride with short stirrups), with just maybe three inches hanging down from the buckle to the end. That was uncomfortable under my thigh. Since I could not return them I gave them to the stable where I take lessons and apparently the adult women who take lessons try and grab that saddle over the other saddles with the regular stirrup leathers.
I got the longest Millbrook leathers, and it is love, love, love. I LOVE that these leathers have substance (the leather is nice and thick), I loved how they “drank” up the lard I conditioned them with, and the first time I saw them my first reaction was “I bet these leathers will last the rest of my life if I take care of them” (I’m in my late 60s).
They do stretch, I have to switch them from side to side regularly. They do get weird colors/spots on them, that might be because I used lard to break them in and not the recommended olive oil, I do not know.
These leathers do not feel that thick under my legs, in fact I can hardly tell that they are there when I ride. I have had no problems with them twisting as I did with the nylon core leathers I had used before. These leathers do not hurt my legs at all.
My lower leg is much more stable (as per my riding teacher) and she has been able to go on to my other faults with my lower legs, which means all in all everything is much more stable down there and thus my riding is better.
Best of all, those mysterious bumps on my shin-bones have disappeared, my lower legs no longer hurt where the stirrup leather crosses them.
I am so glad I got these leathers. If you do not want to get them from Millbrook it should be possible to order them from the French (?) company that makes them. If I ended up using another saddle I would get another pair.
I’ve heard quite a few negative things about the Millbrook ones. It seems like they are more of a “name” than a “quality” type of situation (in the IG world with the younger-esque riders, it’s a “thing” to have Millbrook leathers, despite many other brands making the same thing, at the same price, with much better quality). They have also had their share of PR issues over the years (backing an ambassador they had (have?) that was openly racist and using the n-word on social media being a particularly potent one especially in light of recent events), as well as not backing their own product (there have been a few threads here) and the like.
I have a “knock off” pair that cost about $50 and are literally the same in quality (poor lol). I didn’t find that they helped me much, but they are comfortable. I think Total Saddle Fit makes a pair that look like they are better quality (I’ve never touched those ones, so not positive) and probably a few other brands as well. I would give Millbrook a pass and try another brand.
@Zeidant2 Which Devoucoux leathers did you purchase? I’m really interested in the comfort leathers but don’t know anyone who has used them. I’d love to hear some feedback!!
Haven’t tried them, but don’t buy the Ovation leathers. ERS (the distributor) told retailers to take them off their shelves after they had a report of one breaking. People who currently own them were encouraged not to use them.
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I personally think TSF ones are significantly better quality than Millbrook.
after personal dealings(Not leathers related) with the owner of Millbrook, I would rather burn my money then buy a product from her. My experience with her was one of the worst I have dealt with in the horse community. For what it’s worth I thought TSF was better quality before I had my experience with her.
She does not back her products at all. Honestly I would go with TSF just based on customer service alone.
Gary Mundy also makes these types of leathers as well.
I have a pair of Ovations and I have had 0 issues with them.
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Thank you everyone for the advice, I think I’m going to try a pair, but not Millbrook!
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@Archer I did buy the comfort leathers. I like them so far although only had them a couple days. But right off the bat leather quality surpasses millbrook obviously. Super supple but also nice and thick. Not thick and stiff like my other ones. They do fit sleek under saddle.
only “complaint” is that you cannot run ur stirrups you your leathers like you normally would. I read on FB someone just takes them on and off, and I’ve been doing that. Sounds tedious but it really isn’t because it’s just that rubberband things that slips on and off the bars of your saddle instead of feeding the entire leather in and out like the traditional. Literally takes 10 seconds so I’m okay with that 
No. No. No.
They are fine. They are thick and jam into your stirrup bar so between that and the wider width they do move around LESS. But not to the point where it makes a HUGE difference. They don’t feel much bulkier under the leg. I did not think the quality matched the price nor the performance matched the hype.
They were fine. I would rate them as just fine.
The quality of the TSF are junk and I would forget those. I actually think the Ovation ones are the best for the price. Hardly top top end quality but also not a terribly high price.
I have seen people say this on FB but I asked Riding Warehouse (which is where I got mine) about this. They contacted the manufacturer and were told there was no recall/reports of this issue. And they’re a BIG retailer. All the reports of a recall seem to originate from one small tack shop, which makes me wonder if perhaps they got some information muddled? You would think if there was an issue, a very large retailer would be able to find that out?
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I would have thought the same thing, but I just got onto the ERS website yesterday via our dealer login information and the notice is still posted.
I need to follow up with RW, thank you
I’m so happy to hear the feedback, thanks! Can you tell me how you decided on which size to get?
@Archer
I have short legs, I am only 5’2. They do have a size chart in their site but I think it’s a bit difficult to understand. I ended up texting one of the reps and telling them I don’t understand their size chart and asked which size would be best for me 😂
they actually have pretty good customer service. Took me a while to find a number other than the number they provide which is France. If you ever do have questions the main line number in Wellington is (818) 433-7694.
their site says it takes 35 days to ship but mine came in two weeks so that was nice.
