The right stirrup: your choice is your safety

Some riders do not attach much importance to the stirrups in which they ride - they only adjust the length of the harness and adapt to the saddle they use. However, correctly chosen and, most importantly, suitable for a specific, individual athlete, stirrups can turn their world around when it comes to comfort, results and safety.

Good equipment is very important in equestrian sports. Like a helmet, safety stirrups can prevent the unwanted effects of falling off a horse, no matter how long you ride or what kind of horse you have. When riding a horse professionally, you need to take care of the quality of your protection, as falls are inevitable. A helmet will protect your head, a vast will keep your chest intact, and the stirrup will prevent you from falling under the hooves of the animal, keeping balance.

Currently the market offers a huge variety of different stirrups. How to choose good equipment and what criteria should be followed? Which stirrups are right for you? In fact, choosing a stirrup can be no easier than choosing a comfortable saddle. As the equestrian industry develops, the technology for making ammunition also changes: the design, size, shape, materials and use of various models etc. Most of all stirrups differ from each other at the level of functionality or, more simply, depending on what discipline of equestrian sports they are intended for. For example, typical western stirrups are likely to be large, leathery and deep, while dressage stirrups are stainless steel, tapered. This is why the best starting point for choosing a harness is the kind of "equestrian activity" you are doing: from here you can start looking at the range of styles that fit into this category. Pay attention to price and manufacturer. You can estimate the latter thanks to customer reviews.

Image by Bronisław Dróżka from Pixabay