Riding my very green 5yo I have been trying to do everything I can to make myself safer. I need some safety stirrups but I can’t seem to find anything that is dressage legal and isn’t $300+. I liked the Acavallo ones but when I was looking on Smartpak they said they’re only 4 1/4" wide, which isn’t nearly wide enough for my womens 11.5 feet. Are the old fashioned foot free stirrups that have an S bend on the outside branch any good? They’re certainly the best price and I like that they’re simple and close to a regular old fillis.
I ordered mine from Old Mill Saddlery and they were much cheaper. I’m not sure if dressage legal but they had multiple brands types.
Tbf I used regular fillis stirrups and when I got dumped my foot came out just fine. But I ordered some safety stirrups for next time.
Are peacock stirrups not legal in dressage?
I got these earlier this year:
https://www.tradeinn.com/horse-riding/en/br-lavarone-stirrups/138336713/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=14090904&country=us&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu-63BhC9ARIsAMMTLXRZYncDXrWHEouwFth2notX1ZDUE96fIe49LRD8tleHDcu9ynAIJ-IaAsQpEALw_wcB
They’re about $105 now. I think I got them for $90 several months ago. One set for my dressage saddle, another for my jump. They manufacture B Vertigo aluminum safety stirrup - all the markings, etchings, screws, magnets, etc. are the EXACT same, for about $100 less.
3 Likes
I wonder if you were looking at the child’s stirrups? I have Acavallos and I’m pretty sure they are 4.75 as I also wear a size 11 and they are fine for me. As mentioned, cheaper to buy from the UK, even with shipping.
I bought them when I started jumping my green mare and really like them as dressage irons. I actually ended up going with LeMieux Vectors on my jumping saddle.
3 Likes
Peacocks aren’t a great idea for adults. They aren’t built for adult weights and will bend and deform.
The s-sided ones (I think they used to be called Prussian stirrups?) are pretty good and will help stop your foot getting trapped in a fall. I also have a pair of Icelandic stirrups knocking around somewhere that have a 90 degree offset eye and S-shaped sides. (They were my husband’s, so I know they come in larger sizes!)
I like my Rid’ups. I bought them from Redpost in the UK. They weren’t cheap, but they weren’t as eyewatering as some of the others, and I prefer the technology.
3 Likes
Then how about a safety stirrup that costs $400? 
I get it. It’s a lot of money but I’ll find other buckets of opportunity to save in. Safety and peace of mind are a spend category for me. I can’t say enough good things about them. Added bonus is that your boots will pick up random nails at the barn! Maybe you can find a used pair on eBay?
2 Likes
I triple checked the item listing on Smartpak and they were the adult ones. I suppose smartpak could have gotten it wrong because that does seem very small for any adult stirrup.
We used to have peacock stirrups on the lesson saddles I rode in as a middle schooler and even then I was taller/heavier than many adults and just hoped and prayed every ride that the stirrup wouldn’t give out in the middle of my lesson lol.
OMG Now that’s what I’m talking about!
Why do you say that? I have used them and they certainly hold my weight…and I ain’t …shall we say…“lightweight”
Here are a pair at Amazon for $39
1 Like
Have a look at Shires Equestrian online, their ‘Bent leg safety stirrups’ aka Australian. Eventers use them all the time. They are stainless steel, simple in construction so are not likely to break, have some weight, which I prefer, and are cheap.
I bought mine from RedBarn in the UK and had them shipped. Still cheaper than buying here.
I’ve also heard they may be looking to ban Peacock stirrups as they feel they are a safety concern. I think it’s only a matter of time.
https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/opinion-proposing-a-peacock-stirrup-ban-to-protect-children/
2 Likes
I love my S-curves. They’re heavy, which means they fall predictably next to my horse if I lose one while riding. I have watched lots of good riders struggle to pick up those light, composite/plastic stirrups, especially while jumping, and that seems like a safety problem in itself.
The one time I have come off in the last three decades – a little more than a year ago – I definitely worried about getting hung up for the eternity that it took to hit the dirt, I didn’t need to worry.
The clincher for me, besides my recent fall, was when I realized that the Australian picnic jockeys I follow on TikTok all use them for their exercise riding jobs.
2 Likes
Come to think of it, I’ve taken more falls than I’d like to remember and never did the rubber give way on a peacock.
1 Like
2 Likes
I love this.
Does anyone know whether they are really new, or am I falling for marketing?
A functional safety clip plus an s-curve stirrup seems like my kind of safety layering.
they’ve been on the market a few yrs at least.
1 Like
search on the forum, they have a bunch of mentions, one from 2014. I was going to buy them myself, but they don’t fit on thicker stirrups…made for fillis type irons
1 Like
