Bent Iron Stirrups vs Normal Stirrups

xRobyn

& phil :)
Mar 20, 2009
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Essex
There isn't anything wrong with my stirrup irons but I am petrified of getting my feet caught in my stirrups. There is plenty of gap but I was wondering what people think of the bent iron ones? Is it easier for your foot to slip out etc? I'm tempted to get some just to reassure myself I won't get caught up (I ride on the ball of my foot and now always ride with riding boots & chaps lol)
 
i had bent ones but managed to firmly wedge my foot in one of them in a potentially sticky situation (and i have a treeless saddle where the stirrups leathers do not come off if you get stuck/dragged -NOT getting stuck is VERY important to me!!) - i instantly got myselfa pairof peacock irons (im fairly lightweight so they're ok for me).
 
I'm 13stone so think i'm far too heavy for the peacock ones, and have friends who have them for their brothers/sisters etc and they say they are always losing the bands lol
 
Peacock ones are not really suitable for adults - even the larger 'adult' sized ones can only cope with about 8 stone in weight. I have sprenger ones, but the black ones and not the 4 way flexi ones (with blue bits) but have yet to test out the exit procedure with them!!

Ultimately, the safest way is to not have stirrups at all :D You can get leathers with a safety catch so they snap, but you can never really truly re-create a fall scenario to test any stirrup :eek:

IMO, if the normal irons are the correct size for your feet then they are propbably as 'safe' as the bent iron ones :eek:
 
As someone has mentioned already, you can still get your foot caught in bent irons. There are flexi stirrups which will come apart under pressure (they are also great for shock absorbing and I wouldn't use anything else - I've noticed a huge difference in ankle and knee pain which I used to get with normal stirrups on long hacks).

You can also get "barnes buckles" which attach the stirrup leather to the stirrup bar of the saddle. This snaps under pressure, or when at a certain angle and the while thing comes off (stirrup iron and leather).
 
I keep hearing the Peacock irons are not suitable for heavier riders. I have a set on one of my saddles and have never had a problem (I am heavier) I have never lost a set of bands either. They were expensive ones though, not the cheapies.

Having said that I prefer the bent leg ones, you can get away with using them for showing.

Also when buying a saddle I always check that the leather will pull off the bar in an emergency, some are better at doing this than others.

I once had an accident where my mare reared and went over sideways on the road, we landed with me still sitting on her. Her weight crushed the stirrup around my foot. She got up and set off home dragging me, luckily after two strides the leather came off the saddle otherwise I would have been dragged for 2 miles on the road. In these circumstances I doubt the bent leg would have helped but the peacock might.
 
Bent leg irons.
100%.

When I first got them I felt like I was constantly about to lose my strirrup and hated them but now I'm used to them I just don't think I'd feel safe without them. I know that just like anything you put your foot in theres a chance you'll get it stuck, but bent leg irons just reduce that chance and give me peace of mind :)
 
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