Jointed stirrups

From: Linda

Hi Jessica:

First, thank you for the wonderful help and advice you are so generous to share. I look forward to Horse-Sense and have learned so much from you; I hope to attend one of your clinics someday. Your sensitivity to animals and to people is impressive.

What is your opinion on jointed stirrups? I've heard they can relieve stress on the rider's knee, ankle, hip, etc. Do they make make a difference performance-wise? The costs vary so widely - what is the difference between a pair that costs $45 and a pair that costs $200?

Background: - I ride a very nice gelding 4-6 times a week (hunt seat, lessons, a little jumping, no showing.)
- Last spring I aggravated an old knee injury by working out too aggressively in the gym - for a while my knee bothered me a lot (walking up and down stairs) and while riding when I posted.
- The knee has pretty much healed up now, but it made me start to think and I wondered if the stirrups would make any difference.
- I swim and work out regularly, and other than the knee incident this year, I'd say I am in the best shape of my 43 years.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Linda & Joey (the very nice gelding, thank you)

If you have a bad knee, then you already know that you shouldn't do stair-climbers or step aerobics -- but riding can hurt too, if you're not careful. I have quite a few students (of all ages) with bad knees, so before I even mention stirrups, here's some advice. ;-)

1) Build yourself a mounting block -- the bigger and taller, the better. Your horse can learn to stand quietly at the block while you mount and dismount, and this will help quite a lot.

2) When you ride, keep your legs relaxed -- no grabbing or holding the saddle with the knees,and no posting from the knees!

3) Let your leg hang in a relaxed, natural position, then pick up your stirrups and ride -- do NOT, under ANY circumstances, try to twist your feet or knees so that your toes point straight forward. If they point that way naturally, that's fine -- lucky you. If they don't, do NOT force them into an unnatural position. That's the cause of SO many of the bad knees I see at clinics -- riders who were taught to twist their ankles and force their legs into a position to create a particular "look". As long as the side (not the back) of your leg is against the horse, keep your feet where they are comfortable and where your ankles can serve the function they NEED to serve: as shock absorbers. Human bodies come equipped with three sets of shock absorbers for riding: ankles, knees, and hips. If we disable one set, the others have to work overtime, and they wear out sooner and are more susceptible to injury.

Okay, now for the stirrup question.

I've tried several different types of jointed stirrups, and the ones I like best so far are the Herm Sprenger double-hinge ones. Those are the horribly expensive ones you see in posh catalogues, with the black rubber covering the hinges on the sides.

There are other jointed stirrups: any store that caters to polo players will carry at least one version, usually with a single joint halfway up the sides of the stirrups. Miller's Harness Shop and Dover Saddlery carry a Korsteel Flex II stirrup with a hinged footplate; this one is popular with the hunter-jumper crowd, as the hinges are all but invisible. The first version of the Flex stirrup flexed in BOTH directions, front and back, but the Flex II is an improved model that flexes only one direction (but be sure that you put them on the leathers correctly!) These stirrups don't seem to be as helpful to riders with stiff or sore ankles or knees, but they're great for young, flexible riders whose heels naturally drop very low. For such riders, using a conventional stirrup means that the ball of the foot can't lie across the width of the stirrup tread; instead, the point of contact is the back EDGE of the tread, and this is both insecure and uncomfortable. Such riders can be quite happy with either the Flex II stirrup or -- a less expensive option -- with D'Angles stirrup pads (made by Jump for Joy).

Since Herm Sprenger has now come out with an even newer and more expensive version of these stirups -- quad-hinge models! -- I expect we'll begin to see the earlier, double-hinge models available at more reasonable prices. These truly do seem to be the stirrups of choice if you have any stiffness or injury issues with feet, ankles, or knees -- or even hips! Buy them as large as possible, though -- the rubber on the sides DOES take up a little room.

In fact -- I've just glanced through a new catalogue -- one of my favourite tack stores, Tack In The Box (Oregon), is offering the older version of these stirrups at a much-reduced price: US$100. Don't expect them to arrive instantly -- they have to order from overseas, so it will take about a month, and if you want them by the end of the year, call NOW. You can telephone the store by phone at 1-800-456-8225; say hello to Connie for me. ;-)

Jessica

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