As far as I can tell, they both have the same release mechanism, but the Plus has the “sprung” footbed for want of a better term–it’s thicker and I think wider and has the studs. It probably makes them heavier too.
That’s all I’ve got…
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The eye, where stirrup leather passes through, is it much higher than regular stirrups? It looks like an inch higher than my safe ons. Which would add too much height. thx
Yes it is higher. I shortened my leathers a hole.
thx. I ordered a pair
Bumping this thread again as I shop for safety stirrups.
On my shortlist:
Rid’up Plus - like this concept a lot
Acavallo REL-X 180 - opens very wide
Royal Rider Concept - I like the soft sides and lack of mechanism
How are these for foot comfort? My feet go a bit numb after a while with my Lorenzinis.
Has anyone done studies on any of these stirrup designs, in terms of rating various styles for safety? I watched the video above with interest (no way would I ride in a laced boot with some of these!) but can’t find anything else that’s relevant.
I love the Royal Rider ones!! I came off in them once and actually was riding in a pair of Dubarry’s that day (so thicker foot/boot in general). The fall was pretty quick, horse scooted left at the canter and took off and I came off to the right, but my foot wasn’t stuck at all. They’re super comfortable - the wider footbed is very helpful. I actually find them more comfortable & grippy than the “classic” royal riders. It’s less of a cheese grater foot bed and more of a bunch of spikes (but not super sharp/damaging spikes).
I recently bought the tech stirrup safety ones (USDF dressage requires a closed arm, not the open RR style) on a black friday sale. They haven’t come in yet but I’m curious if I’ll like them as much.
Haven’t seen any studies but that would be really helpful. Someone in the dressage forum linked this article from the MDC stirrups about why they are not making a “safety” stirrup with a releasing arm. https://mdcstirrups.com/pdf/stirrup_safety.pdf
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I love my rid/up plus. really comfortable w a lot of cushioning. the footbed is thicker than it looks in photos, plus there’s an elastomer thingy under the footbed for extra cushioning. these replaced my safe-ons. the flexible arm is difficult to open, by hand it only releases w a twisting motion. I could see it not opening and read about it not opening on horse and hound, for 2 people.
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I’ve been using the rid’up plus for a year now, and I really do like them.
I think the “squish factor” and the broad footbed was particularly helpful after my big toe got comprehensively smashed this summer. I was back to riding without much pain in my foot quicker than I thought I might be.
Im boringly but inevitably getting older, and my feet are getting a little arthritic. They are much less achey in the composite stirrups than in metal ones in the winter. (I live in a cold place.) I guess there’s probably some cold transference from the metal through one’s boots.
Fortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to field test the breakaway function yet!
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I fell off yesterday, and about 6 weeks ago, with my original Rid’up stirrups. No issues either time.
First fall was forwards over the shoulder (I did a full summersault when the saddle came forward over the withers…). One stirrup detached from its hanger, as designed.
Yesterday’s fall was a dislodged rider taking a swift exit sideways when my horse veered sharply the other direction.
I’ve had these stirrups for six years now and been in numerous falls (well, I don’t ride as well as I used to! And a lot of these were me exhibiting less than smart decisions on green horses). Sometimes the whole stirrup comes off as it’s designed to, other times I cleanly fall out of the stirrups. As they’ve aged, the mechanism feels a little less smooth, but it detached properly 6 weeks ago - I’d just recommend checking them regularly.
I just read the MDC paper linked above, and think a lot of points make sense. I’d love to have a valid study, of course! Based on that paper the Rid’ups are pretty good.
I have one bad ankle from a fall before I got these stirrups. The wider footbed and cushioning seems to help a bit, and as someone else mentioned, its nice not to have metal stirrups in the winter. I wish they had a bit more weight as they can be harder to retrieve than traditional Fillis, but overall I’d say they’ve earned their price.
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I’m going to guess, that, No, no one has done a clean, conflict of interest-free study of tools that can make a difference between life and death while riding a horse.
The only people who would be likely to do that would have to be funded by the government, a federal agency, or university, i.e. all of us. We’re just not into that right at the moment.
Want research? You’ll most likely get marketing. Yay!?
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Interesting point about research on horse safety equipment. We all know about crash test dummies (besides the band). That is government funded, right? And they research kid’s bikes, I’m assuming. Are riding helmets subjected to government testing? Maybe in Europe? At the Olympic level I would think so.
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I think stirrup testing could be done by independent labs. Funding is another matter.
Helmet testing (not just for horse riding) is done by government and independent organizations. Here’s an incomplete list:
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) : A regulatory body in the United States that establishes guidelines for safety helmets
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI) : An organization that establishes guidelines for safety helmets
- American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) : An organization that publishes standards for sports equipment, including helmets
- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) : An organization that establishes helmet safety certifications and tests
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO) : An organization that establishes helmet safety certifications and tests
- COLTS Laboratories : A third-party testing lab that offers head protection testing services
- Virginia Tech Helmet Lab : An independent lab that rates helmets for various sports, including football, hockey, and cycling
- Snell Foundation : An organization that maintains a listing of helmets that have met the Snell Standards
- BSI: The UK’s independent non profit national standards body that tests and certifies helmets among a huge range of other things.
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Does anyone have the Herm Sprenger Aero Safety stirrups? They’re pricey (mid $300s online) but they look interesting.
Link here:
