Stirrups and leathers for HM Synthetic Saddle?

[Kay Emerton]

Hi Heather

Just wondered whether you could recommend what sort of leathers and stirrps should be used with your synthetic saddles? When i get my horse (hopefully sooner rather than later!) i will want to buy one of your saddles and wondered whether i should get synthetic leathers or can i use real leather. I would like some proper stirrups as opposed to the polymer versions. What do you suggest?

Thanks

[floppy]

i have a synthetic wintec saddle and have used both leather and synthetic stirrup leathers in them...
synthetic ones just need wiping over with a damp cloth to clean whereas leather ones would need a dose of saddle soap every so often!

[Wally]

We have a few Thorowgood saddles, I always use leather stirrup leathers, but the Thorowgood ones are perfectly good. As Floppy says you have to do the "cleaning" thing with leather ones using soap.

I use Icelandic stirrup irons as they give a much bigger platfrom for your foot to rest on. Less likelyhood of getting a foot caught too.

[pentroon]

Hi

Could you please tell where you can obtain the Icelandic Stirrups from as I have been looking but cannot find anywhere in England that supplies them.

Many thanks


pentroon

[Janey Painy]

I'm about to buy some new Irons too. I was thinking about those ones with the elastic safety inserts. But are the Icelandic ones you mention the same as at Heather's? They are wide and quite comfy. But I too can't find anywhere that sells them. Also, why are they safer? Is that just because they are wide?

God bless,
Janey P. :p

[Janey Painy]

I have these great synthetic 'leathers' that don't have a buckle. I can't remember what they are called though. They have a little kinda hook system, which is at the iron end. They are great coz you don't have to fiddle around under your leg when you need to adjust them.

They aren't that shiny synthetic material, or the cheap looking fabric (sorry!). I don't know how to describe them better, but they are great! And they were only about £20. ;)

Bye!

[floppy]

ehm can i just ask if you mean the ones with the elastic down one side or the new ones?
(the elastic down the one side and mant for kids and the weight of an adult will bend the irons)

[Wally]

I have a couple of pairs spare, I got some made up and have too many now. Either e-mail or private message for details.

[floppy]

i used a saddle once with that hook system and it was not a happy memory, the hole i needed was the very last one and under no circumstances did the hook want to go in that hole or the next one up so i had to ride with stirrups 2 holes too short...in the end i dtched the stirrups becaus emy knees were hurting so much :D

[Janey Painy]

Floppy I did mean the Peacock safety irons. They have little rubber bands down the outside of one side. I didn't know an adult would break them :eek: but I'm little anyway. What new ones are you on about? The tread that rotates?

[Heather]

I am now using the Libby's Leads nylon leathers in preference for daily work. They are very strong, smart and you really feel no bulk at all under the leg. Libby and I are going to make some dressage type ones too, which you adjust at the bottom near the stirrup itself, especially good as the bars being further back on my saddles make it less easy to adjust the leathers. I have used TG synthetic ones for some time now, mainly because they don't stretch and become uneven. However, even with the roller buckle that they now put on them, I find the plastic covering soon wears through and the nylon core although perfectly safe, is exposed.

So, I am very pleased with the Libby's ones and even more so because we just bung 'em in the washing machine to clean! They are also only £9.95!


Heather

[floppy]

Jainey Painy
yup the ones with the elastic are really desgined for kids, its the weight/pressure of an adult that can bend them...There are some other mebers on this board that have expereinced this.
but you can get saftey sittrups that the outside arm comes apart from teh main body of iron when pressure is pushed against it whihc allows the foot to be realsed saftely...i havent tried them persoanlly but i believe they would be better than the ones with the runnder bands. They are called Kwik-out saftey irons.

then you have the sprenger flexible saftey irons and a shock absorbing one...they both have the black rubber(?) stuff on both sides of the irons down by the treads.

Heather- Stirrup leathers that you can bung in the wahsing machine sound like a good idea, I dont htink my mum will be impressed with me doing that!:D

[belle]

You can also get safety irons with a wiggly edge, so your foot would come out easier.

Also, I have used peacock irons lots of times, and I have never had any trouble. Perhaps this is because I am small, (5ft3" and 7 stone.)Does this mean that heavier children should also not use them?

[Janey Painy]

Heather,
Has Libby got a web site with mail order? I had a catologue from her once but I've lost it.

Thanx!
Janey

PS. Ros if you read this, please check your PM's!

[Kay Emerton]

Hi Heather and everyone,

Thanks for the replies and threads posted. So Libbys leathers are recommended for everyday work, what about stirrups? Anyone have any suggestions on types and makes apart from the Icelandic type?

Thanks

[Bebe]

I use bent leg stirrup irons (some people call them Aussie safety stirrups). Robinsons stock them but you should be able to find them at a local tack shop.

The outside edge of the iron bends outwards in a kind of U-shape. This allows your foot to slide out of the stirrup sideways if you fall. I've ridden using these for the last 3 years and wouldn't go back to normal stirrups now.

Peacocks aren't safe for adults although if you don't weight too much they would probably be okay.

Also, I have a pair of thorowgood synthetic stirrups (have a thorowgood saddle) and really like them.

Amanda

[Kay Emerton]

Amanda

How do you find your Thorowgood saddle? Do you compete in it or do shows etc? have you tried Heathers synthetic version as that is the one i am contemplating getting when i purchase my horse?

Kathleen

[Bebe]

Hi

I'm planning on competing in my thorowgood saddle, mainly at local unaffiliated shows for the moment (dressage). It doesn't obviously look synthetic until you get close up and even then it still looks smart. I would imagine it would be classed as traditionally incorrect in showing classes such as working hunter but for dressage and show jumping it appears to be perfectly acceptable.

I don't have the version Heather designed, simply because my mare has had to have the cob version of the thorowgood GP saddle due to her being very wide backed. I'm not sure whether Heather's saddle comes in x.wide now but at the time my saddle fitter wasn't able to get hold of one in that size. However, all the thorowgoods I've ridden in (3-4 different types) have been well made, comfortable and very easy to care for.

Amanda

[lamprellsarah]

i really wouldn't advise peacock safty stirrups for anyone weighing over 7 and a half stone, they are childrens, i had mine for a couple of years and as they slowly bent i didn't notice until a inspected them more closely one day. i weigh 9 stone now but at the time i would have been around 8 stone.
i went to the tack shop and she still insisted that they were adults so i was given bad advise!!!!
the adults one that i now have are bent irons ones

[Fran_C]

DONT USE PEACOCKS I am a lightweight teenager @ 6 stone and they bent even for me, also the elastics have a habit of pinging off and getting lost half way round a cross country course which is very unsafe.