Stability Leathers

I’m in the market for new stirrup leathers. I like the idea of the stability leathers but unsure which brand to get. Total saddle fit offers a return if I don’t like it which is enticing since Millbrook’s sales are final.

Are there any others out there? Are millbrooks much better quality since they are a bit more expensive?

I bought the Millbrooks this spring to help my knee stability post surgery, however I personally would not spend that much again for what the result was. Yes they help some, but they aren’t anything magical! I wasn’t aware of the TSF ones until after I’d purchased the Millbrooks, but “next time” I would choose the TSF ones over Millbrook for the return option, and I think they’re also slightly cheaper?

I’m interested in the Ovation ones, but they seem to be out of stock everywhere that sells them online. Much cheaper, so I’m curious as to the quality.

I have Millbrook leathers and I hate riding without them! Its worth the splurge.

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The only stability leathers I have are the Millbrook ones.

The first time I touched the leather I knew that these leathers might actually be usable (if taken care of) after I die (I’m in my late sixties.) The regular stirrup leathers had become wimpier over the years, prone to twisting easily and never giving me the feeling of stability that I get with the Millbrook leathers.

In my life I had one pair of the calfskin covered leathers, and I will never buy a pair again (they came with a saddle.) These wimpier leathers were not comfortable to my legs, if I dropped my stirrup I had to check the stirrup leather when I picked up my stirrup again because it had often twisted, and bony growths started on my shin bones where the stirrup leathers crossed my leg.

After a year or two of not using the wimpy leathers my shin bones still have little lumps where they crossed my shin, at least with the wider leathers my shin bones started to reabsorb the bony lumps which shrank. The wimpier leathers hurt so much more to ride in than the older types of substantial hunt seat leathers I started with almost 50 years ago.

I am SO HAPPY riding in my much more substantial Millbrook leathers, and I will probably never switch back to “normal” English stirrup leathers.

I’ve just ordered the SoJump ones and can report back. I did not love the millbrooks. Mine just stretched horribly and marked my (then) saddle (calfskin) horribly. I sold them to someone else. I think it is a personal preference…

I have the CWD ones and love them. My only complaint is that the M is only just small enough for me but the small would be maybe a hair small. I would prefer they have in between sizes.

Love the Millbrook/ Pravin. No more scabby shins. I swap sides of leathers every month so wear is more even.

I have the TSF leathers and they are nice quality. I can’t say I really notice a stability difference with them. I needed a new pair of leathers anyway and they were at a similar price point as all the others and I was curious. They only come in one length and I had to punch a hole to make them short enough for me. Keep that in mind because you can only punch one or two holes until you can’t fit the wide part of the leather through the stirrup. I did feel like they stretched a bit after the first couple of rides, hence why I punched a hole in them.

I have the Millbrook and the TSF. I feel like both stretched a TON. Just a ton. The Millbrook were not nice enough to justify the price either. The TSF were cheaper but also not super NICE looking.

I think that’s it, I’m done with “stability” leathers.

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One warning about the Millbrook leathers: I remember reading that some people had problems with them on their calfskin saddles but no one ever mentioned issues with their tall boots. I have a well broken in but not overly worn pair of tall boots that seemed to break down mighty fast the second I put the Millbrook leathers on.
The increase in wear was so much that I’ve actually switched back to regular leathers until I get new patches on the boots, the payoff for “stability” wasn’t good enough to wear straight through my boots to me.

Dumb question: What is the advantage of this product? I see these everywhere, but feel like I need the “stability” explained. Thanks for teaching me.

They keep your leg from moving (and therefore make it more stable)

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Has anyone tried the Ovation versions? Seem to be under $50… and apparently sold out pretty much anywhere they are sold. I’d be tempted to try them… Though I like the TFL does have a return policy.
Im interested in this style of stirrups due to a left leg that tends to be weaker than my right (born with corrected hip dysplasia , bad left knee, severely sprain that ankle years ago and last summer broke my 5th metatarsal) so sadly that leg is just kinda shot… not going to pass a PPE anytime soon. I’m not looking for a miracle fix, but it would be nice to have a little help.

Would like to try the Ovations too. Is there anywhere that is not sold out??

I don’t think they’re real, they seem like a hoax :wink:

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Why do you say that? Ovation has them on their website, but the few sites that do carry them are out of stock, or on back order until August.

They’ve been out of stock literally everywhere since the moment they debuted. I’m not sure any have actually been made. It seems like an effort to sneakily drum up pre sales

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@vxf111 interesting. You would think they would get them out into peoples hands. I’m not expecting them to be the highest quality, but I do love my Ovation breeches. And they hold up well. So I’d be willing to try these out if they are available.

I suspect what happened was that they announced them, expecting to have them ready, and then hit some production snag. But it’s kind of annoying for the company to be saying they’re available (and telling tack shops that, who then tell their customers) when they’re not. I have never heard of anyone actually HAVING a pair so I take it they aren’t available anywhere, including through Ovation’s own website. I imagine you’d get a backorder notice from them too.

Be careful with TSF anything - they say they have a return policy then find any way out of it or just stop responding.