Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

heels down too far?

From: Joan

Dear Jessica, horse-sense is my favorite "horse magazine." I hope you can help me with my problem. It's a little strange. All my riding teachers have been really happy with my legs because I can put my heels down so far. My ankles are almost too flexible because I can put my heels so far down that I lose my stirrups, and when I keep my stirrups I have to push my feet forward or else I am really uncomfortable in my feet, and I ride just on the edge of my stirrup. I don't have a lot of money but I saw the Herm Springer Stirrups with the flexible sides in a magazine and I wondered if you think those would help me?

Joan

Hi Joan! I know exactly what you mean; one of my students has the same problem, and when her heels are in a comfortable position, they are so low that her feet are angled sharply, and she ends up with only the back edge of the stirrup in contact with the ball of her foot. It's not at all comfortable!

Before you spend $200 on a pair of stirrups, there are a couple of other, less expensive options you might explore. There are other hinged stirrups on the market, and although they don't have exactly the same kind of flexibility as the Herm Sprenger stirrups, they can give you an idea of whether you will actually enjoy using that sort of stirrup. Polo stirrups, for instance, are hinged fairly high up on the sides. There are new "Flex" stirrups from Korsteel that are hinged at the foot, and look almost exactly like conventional fillis-style stirrups.

You might also consider trying the least expensive option FIRST -- that would be a pair of D'ANGLES stirrup pads. Thes pads allow your foot to rest across the full surface of the stirrup footplate, even when your heels are quite low.

Jessica

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