IIRC, we might have discussed them on an earlier page of this thread. I would have been happier if the missing branch were on the outside rather than the inside. Haven’t ridden in them, though.
Also ; https://www.freejumpsystem.com/en/ca…collection-en/
I think you can have the flexible branch on the outside. https://www.freejumpsystem.com/en/pr…tal-edition-2/
They are looking for a product tester here !
https://www.ehorses.com/magazine/become-a-product-tester-for-tech-stirrup/
I think you can buy the plastic “arm” as the branch so it looks more complete. I asked somewhere on this thread (or maybe it was another one? 
) about this.
Yes, they were discussed earlier and I believe the concern was they wouldn’t release the foot in the event of a forward fall. I’ve had the 90 degree rotated Safestyle stirrups for many years and they are fabulous. They look traditional and have a good weight to them. They hang just right so are easy to find if you drop them. I always get comments on the inside missing branch, but it is actually much safer than having it on the outside as it can’t get hooked or caught on anything. I have come off several times, almost all in a forward fall, and there has never been even the slightest bit concerned my foot wouldn’t be released. In fact, my coach is often concern that it is easier for me to lose my stirrups than she prefers! No matter how you come off, I cannot imagine a situation where you would end up with a spiral fracture due to the stirrup “holding” the foot.
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Can’t remember if they’ve been discussed on this thread or not, but the technology of the Ophena looks interesting. And they are beautiful looking😊. Love to know if anyone has tried them. https://ophena.com/
I love my Safestyle stirrups. I also have the Acavallo Arena stirrups and prefer the Safestyle.
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I have been riding in Ophenas for almost a year and they are now available in the USA. I LOVE THEM. Zero worry about getting a foot stuck in a fall and I know those magnets have saved me on a not so great day or two. Now, should I be swapping and riding in regular stirrups as well? Yes. And if you tend to curl your leg they aren’t the greatest because you won’t drop them (you lose the self correction of losing an iron). However, I have to maintain a medical certificate for work and getting knocked unconscious is pretty much an automatic year off (I know, bad hobby to pick) so if these save me that and help improve my ammy confidence, I’m fine with it. I’m not jumping anything big, but there are A LOT of pros who use On-Tytes and share the opinion. The bonus of Ophenas is they work with any boot; you just swap the insole. And the magnets will pick up pieces of metal if you run them along the ground for some reason, but the bond isn’t that strong. They are easy to kick free of. They would not zip themselves down a leather to pick up something metal. My biggest beef is that they are a little bit of a pain to run up on the saddle; you essentially have to wrap the leather around them and almost tie it to keep them up. Minor thing, though. I would buy them again in a second!
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I’m really intrigued by them. Curious why you say you should be swapping them out with regular stirrups. Do they place your foot or leg in a weird position?
Thanks so much for the reply. There are so many different safety stirrups out now, which is great, but it’s hard to decide which one to choose. So I’m trying to gather as much info as possible.
I have been riding in the Equiline S1 Safety First for about a year now (?) and overall am a big fan.
Pro:
-
Safety mechanism! I haven’t fallen off in them but feel very glad it’s there, as I broke my ankle getting hung up in an old-school s-shaped safety stirrup. The fact that it releases in every direction (and without too much pressure, you can do it easily with your hand) is very reassuring. I’ve never accidentally deployed it.
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Wide footbed/shocks/slanted footbed - I have super messed up knees and ankles and these are very comfortable. I went back back to my old Tech Stirrups (non-jointed) for a few rides this summer, which I previously loved, and found I had a LOT more knee and ankle pain than in the Equilines.
Neutral:
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Lateral rolling grips. The first 10 minutes I rode in these, I felt unsteady, but as soon as you adjust to the rolling you don’t even notice it. I don’t think I ever roll my foot laterally to reposition it so I’m not sure it’s a useful feature for me. But they are seriously very grippy regardless.
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Weight - they are HEAVY. It makes them very easy to pick up on the odd chance you lose one. However, they are NOT pleasant bashing against your ankles during no-stirrup work and I wouldn’t cross them over the front of my saddle and have them banging on my horses’ withers. They also make my saddle super heavy, haha.
Dislikes:
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If my foot is too far forward/“home” in the stirrup, the eye of the stirrup hits me in the lower shin. I have heard this is also a problem with the original FreeJump stirrups, especially with women and petite riders, and I’m only 5’1. If you are of average height or taller you will likely never notice it. I just started riding with my feet half an inch farther back and the problem was solved. I also think I was riding with my foot deep in the stirrup because I didn’t feel secure in my old stirrups, and these are SO grippy I can basically ride on my tiptoes and not budge.
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Run-up-ability: they SAY you can run these up, unlike FreeJumps. They basically never stay up on my saddle - maybe it’s the weight? I just cross them over the saddle or pull them off if I know I won’t be at the barn for a while.
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Looks: They are pretty bulky and intense looking. And I get a lot of questions about them. Mine have the light gray outer panel which I could swap out for black (or my barn colors) but I don’t care enough to spend the $ on a new outer branch panel.
All in all, I am a really big fan. The biggest downside was the eye hitting my shin, which I fixed via a tiny position change, and probably wouldn’t bother someone of normal height. They are just as comfortable, if not more comfortable, than any other stirrup I’ve ridden in, plus much safer, so I don’t see myself riding in anything else for a long time. The peace of mind aspect is honestly huge.
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Still having trouble locating the Samshields. I finally bit the bullet and ordered safety stirrups - had to search high and low to find a chrome pair.
My wife rides in Ophena. You do pick up loose metal bits on the ground, but they are easy to brush off.
The magnets are not strong enough to pull the stirrups in any direction just by walking by a metal pole or rail.
She finds them more comfortable than standard stirrups.
There is a specific way to get your foot out that took a few tries to master but now she can remove her foot without reaching down to hold the stirrup down.
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Alright guys, I feel like a COMPLETE idiot. I got these B Vertigo stirrups in their new safety design. Is the quick release part supposed to be on the inside or the outside? The way mine are labeled with the foodbed I should have the quick release on the inside (closest to the horse) but that just seems wrong. If the footbed is backwards I will just have to switch them around.
If you are looking at safety stirrups and don’t like the cheese grater footbed. These are great. A very good weight, easy to pick up when dropped, not too grippy or too slick, shouldn’t scratch up your tack, a pretty good price point and nice to look at.
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I would guess the release should go on the outside for safety’s sake. Also, it looks like the B Vertigo label is on the quick-release part… so it would track that they’d want it on the outside and visible to everyone who admires your new stirrups. 
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Thank you. I have no idea why I can’t get them to lay correctly when I follow the labeling. Either it’s a user error or the footbed put on backwards. But either way you can’t really tell because they’re black and unless you get very very close to my foot you’re not going to see it.
I schooled cross country in them and 10/10 will be recommending them to everyone.
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Folks, I just spotted this nice video review (including slow-mo breakaway demonstrations) of 4 different safety stirrups — including one stirrup that can be used on western tack. The four reviewed are the SmartRider Escape, the Acavallo Arena AluPro, Rid’Ups, and Tech Venice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF2xj9Py6TM
FWIW, I’m still very happy with Rid’Ups on my dressage saddle and Samshields on my jumping saddle. I’ve started a search for western safety stirrups also, but they’re a bit more scarce.
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Oooh, another English contender! Just spotted a Jin safety stirrup: https://www.rideequisafe.com/collections/safety-stirrups/products/jin-air-safety-stirrup
Of course the stirrup that appeals to me the most ^^^ is almost $300 
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A little more on the Equiline S1s:
I tried them again last night after riding with Samshields on my jump saddle for nearly two years.
The Equilines are HEAVY.
The good:
- Their weight means they stay put. If your leg tends to wander, these could be handy.
- Very easy to put on or remove from your leathers.
- No rough bits to scratch the saddle. (I have to be careful which side of my Samshields I lay against my saddle.)
- I like the easy-out safety mechanism and the built-in twist of the stirrup. Nice wide footbed, too.
The bad (personal opinion only):
- They added to my saddle weight more than my Samshields, and as a shortie who’s aging, that’s annoying.
- I have naturally hyper-flexible ankles, and the Equiline footbed isn’t slanted enough for me. Something about their balance just doesn’t let the footbeds angle down enough even with weight on them. So I found myself perched on the back edge, without the benefit of the nice wide footbed. I ended feeling more unbalanced than I’d like, even though my leg was stable.
So I affirmed that the Samshields are a much better safety stirrup for my needs and the Equilines are heading to the tack consignment shop today. Glad I tried them, and they might be perfect for someone else!
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Thank you for sharing - that was really interesting and helpful.
I hear you! Having spent a week trying to decide which new safety stirrups to buy, the ones I settled on (Flex-on Safe-On stirrups) are backordered for months due to supply issues. Sigh. Since I need them a bit sooner than “maybe January,” I went with my second choice (also expensive) - the Equipe STAF14 Safety Stirrup. Ordered from the UK but they are supposed to get here Wednesday! I like that I can do a bit of color customization (if I’m going to spend this much money, I’d like something that comes in purple!) and the safety release mechanism can release at both the top and the bottom (which seems like it would cover both a forwards and backwards fall).
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