Raise your hand if you ever have gotten clocked in the ankle by a stirrup iron in the middle of no stirrup work. If the answer is yes and it is associated with a painful memory, you are likely of my generation and grew up with the traditional, heavy, inflexible Fillis stirrup iron. To call these stirrups reliable is likely the understatement of the century. My circa pre-2000s Fillis irons are still in usable shape. Just replace the tread and you’re good to go. You’re probably thinking okay Sarah, so then why are you writing this? Why don’t we just stick to tradition and use indestructible Fillis irons forever? Well, because there are better options out there now – Fillis provide low grip, comfort, saftey and price. There’s only one thing in that list we like to see low and that’s price. You can improve the safety a smidge with a peacock stirrup but overall still low in the grip and comfort departments. So lets review some options.
If you’re on a budget and want to improve the grip alone of your traditional stirrup an iron pad is a great alternative to replacing your apocalypse proof stirrup entirely. These pads are patented to be “virtually indestructible.” They’re on a lot of our lesson saddles at my barn and I can attest to the validity of this statement. While nearly indestructible they can lose their grip overtime. However, at under $40 a pair that’s no problem in my book.
This was my first stirrup outside of the traditional rigidity of the Fillis iron. These were easy on my thin undergraduate budget and provided a little relief to the ankle, knee and hip joints. While improved in comfort they did not have the grip I was longing for. They are priced well under $100 but I felt they became a little too flexible after 2-3 years of use, causing me to retire these irons.
The Sprenger stirrups are well known for their excellent shock absorption. This helps the more mature joints (notice how I didn’t use the O word). These stirrups definitely lasted longer than the Centaur version (however almost $200 more expensive), but still didn’t have the grip I really wanted – and needed. You could fix the lack of grip by pairing this stirrup (and the Centaur) with an iron pad. This hands down increases your grip but can be viewed as a more “clunky” appearing stirrup.
My first true technical stirrup and boy did these not disappoint. Lightweight, intense grip, nice on the joints. What more is there to love?! Be aware the stirrup pads are SHARP, use caution when rolling down your stirrups. The aluminum construction makes an ultra-lightweight stirrup which is nice for both the rider and horse during no-stirrup sessions. These stirrups are priced at almost $400 ($399), so not the most accessible model in the market.
The answer we’ve all been waiting for an ultra-lightweight aluminum stirrup with intense grip that is under $250! The treads are replaceable and this stirrup is without distracting logos. This leaves a clean, sleek, traditional appearing yet technical functioning stirrup. I never thought I could love a stirrup as much as a Flex-On but Tech Turins have taken the win for me.
What I’ll end with the best stirrup is the stirrup that is within your budget and makes you the most comfortable. Have a stirrup you love that I forgot? Let me know in the comments!
When shopping don’t forget to use code Oxers2 at Farm House Tack!
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