Safety Stirrups Build Confidence in Your Riding

I was bucked off last fall. It made me a little apprehensive about riding my horse, because he hadn't bucked with me before and there was no particular thing that set him off. I decided to invest in some safety equipment even though I was only banged up a little from this incident.

I had seen safety stirrups in several equine catalogs, and I thought I'd invest in a pair to make it less likely that any future bucking event would cause me to get hung up in a stirrup. I ride alone most of the time, and if I were dragged by my horse, it could be awhile before someone misses me and even longer before someone finds me.

The stirrups I'd seen in the catalogs protected the rider by opening when the rider falls backward out of the saddle. However, I'd been bucked off and fallen forward. I did a Web search for "safety stirrups" and found a unique stirrup from a company called STI. The STI breakaway stirrups release both forward and backward and the video on the home page was pretty compelling.

I purchased the stirrups and I've been using them for four months now. They ride well and look good with my saddle. I haven't been bucked off again, but I've tested the release mechanisms and they work exactly as advertised. I'm more confident in my riding too.

If you're considering safety stirrups for yourself or your kids, take a look at these. They're not the cheapest safety stirrups on the market, but they're well made and look like they'll function when they're needed.