November 2005

High-Tech Stirrups

Do stirrups really need to be this complicated? Not really, but by being complicated they can make some things simpler.

The Royal Riders (flex style shown) were a favorite of jumper riders.

The invention of the stirrup a couple thousand years ago altered the history of warfare and therefore the history of the world. That simple design hasn’t changed much until recently, with the addition of weighted bottoms, slanted footpads, safety features and hinged bases.

The folks out there who keep busy designing new equestrian products, and thus find new ways to keep us to spending money, have this time come up with some nifty ways to tweak a piece of tack that was already doing its job well. …