How to Choose Stirrup Irons How to Choose Stirrup IronsStirrup irons for English riding disciplines come in a variety of styles. The style you choose depends on your riding discipline and any special preferences or needs you may have.
- Traditional Fillis irons are appropriate for all disciplines, are made of durable stainless steel with replaceable rubber footpads, and come at a range of prices.
- Quick release stirrups are designed to free your foot in the event of a fall. Popular types are Peacock, with one side made up of a rubber band that will snap off, and Foot Free, with one side sculpted to allow your foot to slip out if necessary.
- Offset stirrup irons are Fillis style with a stirrup leather hole placed to help the leather lie flat against your leg and saddle. The design helps you keep the stirrup straight against the ball of your foot and can make recovering lost stirrups easier.
- Flexible stirrups are designed to help lessen joint pain and/or assist you with leg and foot positioning. Flexible features can include a footpiece with a swivel action, or jointed branches, or an adjustable top that allows stirrups to hang at differing angles.
- Lightweight, composite stirrups are designed to help competitive riders concerned with speed lessen weight.
Stirrup PadsStirrup irons come with stirrup pads provided by the manufacturer; some technical stirrups include two sets of varying levels of grip.
Types of pads depend on the style of stirrup, and all types have treads to offer traction. The most common types are:
- Textural, heavy-duty rubber.
- Metal grates with spikes for maximum grip.
- Textural, plastic/polymer.
Some stirrup pads offer the added benefit of providing cushioning or shock absorption.
Ordering Replacement Stirrup Pads Ordering Replacement Stirrup Pads
Replacement stirrup pads are available if you lose or wear out the pads that originally accompanied your irons or if you want to try a different type of tread.
You'll find heavy-duty textured rubber, metal grate, and polymer replacement pads. For an ideal fit, choose replacement pads according to the brand and make of your stirrups.
Order replacement pads according to the size of your stirrup irons. For example, if your stirrup irons are 4 3/4", order 4 3/4" replacement pads.
Replacement rubber bands and leather tabs are also available to keep Peacock stirrups in working order.
How to Size Stirrup Irons How to Size Stirrup Irons
Stirrup iron sizing is measured in inches inside the branches along the top of the footbed. Correctly sized irons are critical for good riding; an iron should be 1" wider than the width of your boot at the ball of the foot. With your foot in the iron, you should have 1/2" inch of space on each side for safe clearance.
If you change your boot style to a thicker style, such as an insulated winter riding boot, you may need to get larger sized irons for the season.
While you don't want your boot to fit too snugly into your iron, you also don't want your iron to be too wide. This could allow your foot could slip "home" more easily, and you may struggle to keep your irons in the correct position on the balls of your feet.
The most common size stirrup iron for adults is 4 3/4". Sizing for children varies greatly by age and foot size; irons are available starting a 4".
Our Guarantee 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
The Easiest and Best Guarantee in The Business
Shop with 100% confidence at Dover Saddlery. If something doesn’t fit you or your horse, return your original purchase within a year, and we’ll make it right with a refund, exchange or replacement.
Our experience as riders and horse owners ourselves is that in most situations a year’s time is fair enough to evaluate proper fit and function. PLUS: For manufacturer’s defects, we’ll extend the manufacturer’s warranty to a maximum of 24 months, regardless of their individual policies. (AND: Manufacturer warranties longer than 24 months will be honored and supported by us as well up to the length of those warranties).
Exceptions: Safety items such as helmets and protective vests may only be returned within 30 days, with their original tags intact. Saddles and riding boots may be returned within the one year period, but are subject to a prorated refund based on usage. Used saddles may be returned for 30 days only. For everyone’s protection, treats and vet meds which have been opened are not returnable, and returned blankets must clean and free of debris.
Special Conditions
To protect all customers and ensure that every return or exchange is handled fairly, we may require a receipt or decline a return in these situations:
• Item was not purchased directly from Dover Saddlery. (It was purchased at a used tack sale or from a retailer or online seller other than Dover Saddlery.)
• Item is missing a label or has been defaced.
• No receipt and no valid identification in our stores.
• Item is wet, dirty or contaminated, or until it has been cleaned. (For health and safety reasons, we cannot accept returns on used, defective or poorly fitting blankets if they are UNWASHED.)
• Item has been lost, stolen, damaged, or misused.
• On rare occasions, based on the nature of prior transactions.
• Supplements have been opened or used.
• Multiple returns of the same item.
• Personalized items may not be returned unless defective.
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Dover Saddlery understands your concerns regarding online security. We share in your concerns and therefore work hard with experts in the field to maintain a highly secure ordering environment. Along with our comment to security, we offer you a Secure Order Guarantee - this gives you 100% protection for your credit card transactions on Doversaddlery.com.
Our Secure Order Guarantee means that you will never have to pay any money related to unauthorized charges to your credit card account, as long as those charges are a direct result from a transaction on Doversaddlery.com.
How it works: If you experience credit card fraud, the Fair Credit Act specifies that your credit card company can hold you liable for no more than $50.00 in fraudulent charges to your account. Our Secure Order Guarantee will reimburse you for any amount up to $50.00 billed to you by your credit card company for unauthorized charges to your account, if those charges result from an order you placed with Doversaddlery.com. For this protection you must promptly notify your credit card company of fraudulent charges and follow their procedures as outlined in your credit card agreement.
