I broke my leg pretty badly back in August (dislocated ankle, broken tib, shattered 1/3 of my fib) and got back to riding surprisingly quickly. I’ve always ridden in jointed stirrups but the stress of the stirrup on the ball of my foot causes some decent enough discomfort that I’m considering an equipment change.
Any input on how a stirrup with a wider track would work in this particular situation?
Thanks in advance!
There are many stirrups developed for endurance/trail riding that would be wider and padded.
I had a case of really bad achilles tendonitis in the past. It was so hard to ride with constant burning pain. I started out getting the very wide endurance type stirrups for my endurance type saddle and when it started to get better(after having acupuncture treatments) I got composite reflex stirrups for my english saddle. Both really helped me be more comfortable.
Endurance stirrups are awesome. I now find riding in normal stirrups uncomfortable for any length of time. My favorites are the Easycare plastic ones with cages. Cages can be a really good idea as they allow you to ride in shoes without a heel, which may be more comfortable for you.
Maybe my comments here don’t fit the context, but when I began riding because I have short wide feet, I sought irons that were wider than standard and had to settle for the widest safety stirrups then available, 5-1/4. I spent a lot of time a few years ago looking into irons and widths and recommended foot placement inside-to-outside, and playing with this on my own. Those in every discipline have their own preferences and recommendations, from the late Helen Crabtree in SS, to GM.
What I’ve been able to figure out – and this contradicts my earlier ideas a few years ago --is that wider is not better, that all it accomplishes is potentially to inadvertently screw up left-right weight distribution in each iron which has bad symmetry ripple effects.
There are more important leg considerations and, frankly, the contact of calf with each side of a horse or pony is much more important than any other consideration and that overly wide irons will likely complicate that, all the more so if you don’t have Donald Duck feet like I do.
I’m taking the question as front to back measure instead of a side to side. I too ride in the easy care plastic and have them on all of my saddles now. I trail ride and with the larger foot bed it is much less stress on my body, legs and back. Hope you heal quick!
you may want to try some with the 90 degree offset eye, as well, like the Icelandic stirrups. I’m so much more comfortable in them.
You might try Super Comfort Iron Pads before you spring for wide-track stirrups. They are gripper pads that wrap around your stirrup, increasing width front to back. They’re not as wide as wide-tracks, but for $30 you could get an idea if a wider stirrup helps you. If it does, then you can go ahead and spend the $$ on new stirrups with confidence.
[QUOTE=Hawleyite;7422323]
I’m taking the question as front to back measure instead of a side to side. I too ride in the easy care plastic and have them on all of my saddles now. I trail ride and with the larger foot bed it is much less stress on my body, legs and back. Hope you heal quick![/QUOTE]
Yes, I was talking about stirrups that are wider front to back (so cover more of the area of the ball of my foot). My thought was that having a big more base of support would help and lessen my discomfort a bit.
Thanks for all the feedback!
Somehow I missed that important front-to-back emphasis.:uhoh: [COTH made “red face” more PC with “uh-oh?”! :rolleyes:]
Anyway that is an interesting thought. It’s not often that my foot is too far home or not far enough in the iron, but sometimes when I pick up a stirrup after losing it en route, I have to take whatever I can get. There might be an advantage in having it a bit wider front-to-back.
These are what I’ve trail rode in for over 10 years. Never had to replace them and they are so comfortable. They don’t require twisting of the leathers so it is easier on the ankles/knees.
I love the Reflex Wide Track Stirrups. Its wider foot bed & rocker effect under the ball of my foot gives the knee relief I need and, unlike the endurance type, you can still run these up the leathers.
^ those are what I’m using. I’ve had surgery on both knees, and have a weak left leg. I’ve found them very comfy for the bad knees and ankles, and they release beautifully in case of a fall…
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