Non stretch stirrup recommendations?

[BabyBear]

Hey NR's - I'm looking for some recommendations for stirrup leathers that won't stretch.

I bought a pair a couple of weeks ago(can't remember the make) and literally within half an hour of riding one of them had stretched significantly.

I've been swapping them on a daily basis to make sure the shortest on is on the left hand side in the hope that by always using that one to mount it will stretch but no such luck - I've had to spend the weekend butchering them to try and get them even - I've done an ok job but would prefer to get a new non stretch pair!

Not too bothered about price (current pair cost me abou £35 and have not lasted so will gladly pay more for a better more lasting pair)

Any ideas?

K x

[capalldubh]

You could save them for good wear and get the Wintec Webbers (they were only £15 when I got them). They're synthetic so don't stretch. Only disadvantage is that people have said they rub the leather of the saddle - I haven't noticed this yet, but then I'm strange and clean my plastic webbers with Stubben cream, so maybe they're a bit more slippery than when they come out of the packet. ;)

[stephanie bay]

bates - I have used them for years and they have not stretched.

[notpoodle]

i have had webing ones from libbys tack for 4 years now and they havent stretched a bit :D they do leave a bit of a mark on leather saddles though.

Julia
x

[chickyd444]

i bought nylon centred, leather covered ones - they are italian leather and made over there - 70 quid a pair - cant remember make though - so not much help :rolleyes::o really good leathers though and are guaranteed not to stretch ;)

[carthorse]

Another vote for Bates.

As an aside though it seems very strange that leathers had stretched significantly in half an hour :eek:. I would take them back as faulty (though may be difficult if you've really butchered them) because even if you're really lopsided I can't believe that should happen.

[Iron Maiden]

Ooooh now then...

I have some brown Bates nylon core non-stretch leathers that I've only used a couple of times because they don't match my tack :( PM me if you might be interested in them!

[capalldubh]

I have some brown Bates nylon core non-stretch leathers that I've only used a couple of times because they don't match my tack

As a matter of interest, do the Bates havana (well, brown) ones match the Easisit? Coz I am still using my old black wintec ones but if the browns match the saddle, I could be pointing my OH at them with a birthday coming up :) ETA Am starting to really love the saddle (even if I might need to go on a diet to fit it properly!

[alanalovesfinn]

i have bates ones too and so far they havent stretched but they are about £50 though

[Jenni]

i have jeffries elite leathers and they so far are great. They are thick double stitched.

[CurlyWurlyRach]

I have Jeffries that havnt streched so far.

[atd87]

I have the Wintec synthetic, but the main reason I got these was because I don't like the thick/chunky leathers under my leg, just find it uncomfortable. I also dont show so it doesn't make a difference.

[Palomino Mare]

out of interest, what leathers streched of your BB?

[Iron Maiden]

As a matter of interest, do the Bates havana (well, brown) ones match the Easisit? Coz I am still using my old black wintec ones but if the browns match the saddle, I could be pointing my OH at them with a birthday coming up :) ETA Am starting to really love the saddle (even if I might need to go on a diet to fit it properly!

I bought my Bates ones to go with the Easisit - they are supermegaposh ones with the slimline metal fastening to the buckle rather than the double thickness stitched loop (it makes sense if you see them!). So no nasty bulge to dig in where the set back stirrup bars are :cool: Here they are:

http://www.frogpool.com/prodcat-823.html

Alas, they are nothing like the same shade of brown as the Easisit, they are a sort of terracotta colour :rolleyes: Treadstone do a nylon cored leather that matches it really well though ;)

ETA Glad you are getting on well with the saddle!

[BabyBear]

out of interest, what leathers streched of your BB?

Do you mean what side?

It was actually the right side which is surprising.

I've got a pair of stubben ones that I got with C which are a little stretched (hence the new ones) but no where near as bad as the new pair so I may be able to fashion something out of them.

I quite fancy the idea of a cheap synthetic pair for day to day use but for some reason I expected them to stretch more??

Capallduhb - are these the ones you have?
http://www.rideaway.co.uk/index2.php3?sessionid=197c6a13b331cd35847e18051aa4a17a&page=showprod&uact=shop&catcode1=SLE&catcode2=WE

If so how do the sizes work and how do you find them without the buckle?

[atd87]

I quite fancy the idea of a cheap synthetic pair for day to day use but for some reason I expected them to stretch more??

Mine were £20 (traditional style), and even with my heavy weight and sometimes taking a while to mount - mare wont stand still at the block, so often am left hanging on to the saddle, with all my weight in one stiurrp whilst I swing my other leg over, and they haven't streched at all.

[BabyBear]

Mine were £20 (traditional style), and even with my heavy weight and sometimes taking a while to mount - mare wont stand still at the block, so often am left hanging on to the saddle, with all my weight in one stiurrp whilst I swing my other leg over, and they haven't streched at all.

I'm assuming the wintec ones are fine with any saddle?:)

[atd87]

I'm using them on an old saddle (not sure on make but not a Wintec). They are just normal traditional lethers, just not made from lether. Will try and find them for you.

[atd87]

These are them - http://www.equestrianclearance.com/weatherbeeta/wintec_leathers_webbers/index.html#placeholder

They are the slimline leathers, and they are actually only £15.99 on there

[unicornleather]

ALL leather no matter how cheap, expensive or make will stretch eventually, it's just to what degree and how fast you can have some control over by careful selection.
A GOOD quality traditional stirrup leather is made from 5 mm stirrup butt, any less thickness and it will stretch quickly. Any leather with a white bloom on it when new is also good as it shows it has been hand dressed with tallow or similar. Also did you know that a correctly made stirrup leather should have the grain side (the outer shiny side) of the leather facing inwards , so it looks like it is made back to front, if you own a pair of leathers like this then good, they are made properly. The reason for this is the grain side of the leather is much harder wearing and when it's facing inwards it is against the stirrup iron's metal eye and the buckle's tongue. It basically lasts longer made this way, good saddles also have their girth straps (upside down) for the same reason and time and time again I get asked when I replace girth straps on saddles "why have you put it on upside down"!
I make tradtional English stirrup leathers from good old fashioned Oak Bark tanned stirrup butt (minimum 5 mm thick), I use stainless steel buckles and I make handmade threads, you simply won't be able to buy these "off the peg" these days. Todays stirrups leathers that are massed produced tend to be made out in India using English leather (Heritage for one) use thin nylon threads which break as they are meant to be used on bridles and not to take the strain of stirrup leathers and are made with the grain side facing outwards.
Childrens leathers usually are 48" x 3/4"
Adults are usually 54" x 1"
You need heavier duty (wider)if you are eventing, hunting etc or are a heavy rider.
Most synthetic leathers won't stretch but some of the wintec type leathers (also used for girth straps) are made from Biothane, which is a polypropylene webbing covered in a plastic/pvc material, they are good when new, won't stretch but do tend to crack across where the buckle goes. I have just had to replace all the girth straps on wintecs used in a riding school because they have cracked and are deemed too unsafe to pass their inspection.
If you get just polypropylene webbing (same material as most nylon headcollars) and you get any frayed nylon on it, it is important to seal it straight away or it will just get worse and eventually break, you can do this with a cigarette lighter or candle , melt the nylon by applying heat to it, DO NOT touch the nylon with naked flame and DO NOT touch it, it gets VERY VERY hot!
This will prolong the life of any nylon webbing, hope any of this info helps.
Oz :)
www.unicornleather.co.uk

[Skib]

I have had my stirrup leathers three and a half years. They were bought for me by my RI and are Stephens dressage leathers. The only sign of wear now is that the hole I use most has enlarged (stretched )a tiny bit but it is the same on both leathers.

I too would return your uneven new leathers with a complaint and ask the shop for a refund. Any item sold must be fit for the purpose for which it is sold.

I'd also advise anyone buying leathers to check that you really have a matching pair of the same brand. Although mine look alike, the Stephens name is only stamped on one of them, and this has always been a sore point with some RIs alleging I have been sold non-matching leathers.

I take my own stirrups and leathers each time I hack and I fit them to the saddle at random, i.e. it is just luck which one is on the left. I notice no uneveness at all, even though I dismount with one foot in the sitirrup and would be expected to stretch my leathers more than a younger "normal" rider.

http://www.worldwidetack.com/cgi-bin/sh000002.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eworldwidetack%2ecom%2facatalog%2fHorse_Tack_Saddles_and_Girth s_11%2ehtml&WD=stirrup%20leather&PN=Laminated_Stirrup_Leathers_3_4_%2ehtml%23asad106#asad106

I look after my leathers like a real fuss pot. I take them out of the irons and hang them up on our cellar door. I also use some posh German saddle dressing on them from time to time.

[capalldubh]

Babybear the link you posted didn't work for me? But

These are them - http://www.equestrianclearance.com/w...ml#placeholder

They are the slimline leathers, and they are actually only £15.99 on there

These are the ones I have. I find it much more comfortable not to have the bulky doubled over leather under your leg (I got the dressage saddle and they are dressage leathers but can be used on any saddle). The adjustment is straightforward - the only drawback is that you can't run them up like traditional leathers. There is one hole placed right at the top so that you can loop them up out of the way, but the stirrups won't sit just under the stirrup flap the way they would if you had traditional leathers.

After IronMaiden's post above, I am now saving up for the leather version of mine for fancy wear :) (They're the Bates webbers rather than the Wintec ones).

[capalldubh]

Babybear the link you posted didn't work for me? But

These are them - http://www.equestrianclearance.com/weatherbeeta/wintec_leathers_webbers/index.html#placeholder
They are the slimline leathers, and they are actually only £15.99 on there

These are the ones I have. I find it much more comfortable not to have the bulky doubled over leather under your leg (I got the dressage saddle and they are dressage leathers but can be used on any saddle). The adjustment is straightforward - the only drawback is that you can't run them up like traditional leathers. There is one hole placed right at the top (if you look at the pic in the link, the hole is just under the loop that goes on the stirrup bar) so that you can loop them up out of the way, but the stirrups won't sit just under the stirrup flap the way they would if you had traditional leathers.

After IronMaiden's post above, I am now saving up for the leather version of mine for fancy wear :) (They're the Bates webbers rather than the Wintec ones).