Alternatives to a Stirrup

Stirrups usually make riding easier, safer, more comfortable and more versatile. With stirrups, you can brace and stabilize yourself in your saddle and even jump far more easily than you can without stirrups. But stirrups can also be uncomfortable and dangerous. On long rides, the hard, narrow tread can be painful, and in a fall, your foot can slip through and you can be dragged.

  1. The Deep Seat

    • This rider is performing the levade without stirrups.

      The classic alternative to the stirrup is a deep, secure, independent seat, developed under the instruction of an experienced, qualified human instructor and an equally experienced, educated equine schoolmaster. The riders of the Spanish Riding School, arguably some of the best in the world, learn to ride in this manner. Taking similar lessons will make you a better, safer rider who is more comfortable for your horse to carry.

    Alternatives to Traditional Western Stirrups

    • A traditional Western stirrup also lacks comfort or safety features.

      The main alternative to the traditional Western stirrup is an endurance stirrup. The branches, or sides, of an endurance stirrup narrow from the foot bed to the top bar of the stirrup. This construction helps your foot twist out of the stirrup if you fall, reducing your risk of being dragged. Reducing this risk is very important for Western riders because the stirrup leather of a Western saddle cannot slide off the stirrup bar, the metal fitting that attaches the stirrup to the saddle. Endurance stirrups also have durable closed-cell foam padding, broad foot beds and, often, shock-absorbing top bars.

    Alternatives to English Stirrups

    • An English saddle with a safety stirrup features a curved branch.

      English riders have alternatives to the classic Fillis stirrup, with its narrow, straight branches. The branches of safety stirrups are curved to release your foot in a fall. Peacock irons have a leather tab and heavy rubber band. If you fall and your foot is caught, the rubber band and leather tab will either pop off or break. Some stirrups have their eyes -- the slot the stirrup leather runs through -- set at a 90-degree angle to the stirrup itself so that the stirrup hangs straight. Other stirrups have swiveling eyes. Both designs relieve strain on the rider's ankles, knees and hips. Jointed stirrups have one or two swiveling joints in each branch, making each stirrup a safety stirrup, as well as reducing strain on the rider's feet and legs.

    Foot Cages and Tapaderos

    • Foot cages and traditional western tapaderos, or leather foot covers, keep your feet from sliding forward through the stirrup and protect them from brush, scrub and trees. Foot cages, which look like a cage for your toes, can be bought already riveted to endurance stirrups or separately for attachment to conventional English stirrups. Tapaderos are generally bought mounted to the stirrup, and they have usually been made to match the saddle. Neither foot cages nor tapaderos are generally used with English saddles except in trail riding and endurance events.