This is the “real” reason I kick/push/jump away when dismounting - I grew up when the big, blingy western belt buckles were The Thing and boy those rhinestones would scratch the heck out of your saddle! Keeping your clothing from scratching the saddle doubles as a safety measure apparently.
We were always taught to jump away.
Post 3 (I think) of this discussion mentions it.
Suggesting people be cautious about a piece of equipment is a totally different thing than trying to ban it for competition. Like many, many other pieces of equipment-- you can definitely hurt yourself on a safety stirrup. And people should be aware and should be careful. But that doesn’t mean the solution is to take it to 11 and ban them outright.
Ok y’all just have way better knees than me.
Well he just created a whole lot of liability that will benefit his potential future clients. By putting an article in a national magazine it creates a known risk- we all read the article (and some commented here) so if a kid gets hurt he can argue anyone who read the article should have known better. The Chronicle could have done a better job in educating readers about risk, rather than giving a platform to someone with such a clear agenda.
Whatever his motivations, I do think making people aware of the risks is a good thing. They can definitely cause some pretty horrific injuries, in addition to preventing others. Do I think they should be banned? No, but I do think trainers can be more aware of the risks, and do a better job of teaching how to use them safely.
Well… maybe not. If I was the manufacturer of one of these irons and I got sued by someone who claimed to be injured by the irons on a date AFTER the publication of these op eds, I’d argue assumption of risk, in addition to a bunch of other arguments available in any tort case of this sort (like this being an avoidable and/or open and obvious danger). Arguably, he just created a tidy defense for his opponents. 
Armand is also a medical doctor.
Exactly. Full cheeks can be pretty dangerous - I’ve seen them get hooked on belts, helmet straps, etc. Keepers help for sure but so many kids ponies go in full cheeks because they help them steer. Yet I don’t think anyone thinks they should be banned…
The last time I tried that, I fell backwards on my ass. The only witness was my farrier whom I swore to silence.
With that one exception, I try to always use the mounting block to dismount. I’m aware of the seconds that I spend standing in the left stirrup while swinging my right leg over to stand on the block, and I cross my fingers that nothing startles the horse in that brief window of vulnerability.
There is one horse I ride who is 17.3. I ask someone to hold him while I dismount because after my right foot hits the block, I have to grab the left stirrup to get my foot out.
I keep saying the barn needs a taller mounting block.
I’ve found the trick for dismounting without falling on your butt when pushing off of a big horse is to keep your right hand on the pommel and hold on. Then when you land you stabilize yourself with that hand.
For some reason I own two 18h horses.
I could probably live on your feed bill!
That particular horse was only 16.1, and I have no idea why I wasn’t holding on.
It never happened again, though.
Weirdly they are some of the cheapest! My 16h OTTB takes the prize for most expensive.
I have always envied those lithe riders who kick stirrups and bounce off the horse. I was never one, and many years later, I am even more definitely not!
My method has long been to drop the right stirrup and then back my left foot out so that only the toe is in the stirrup. Swing right leg over with the assist from being able to stand on the left, lay a bit over the saddle, kick the left and push back from the horse and down. Nowadays I keep the right hand on the saddle to steady myself.
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