DefinitelyDressage.com

I need to replace my pads on my trusty Fillis style stirrup irons. So I was looking at stirrup options, too. Wow--there are so many choices out there!

I guess I am very old school with my heavy, simple stirrups. Do you have a type of stirrup that you love? If so, why?

Have always used and liked good ol' plain Korsteel fillis irons. I suppose I just like the weight and feel.

I've always used regular irons. I like enough weight to find my stirrups when I lose them! However, I've also found I like the metal fillis, only the more expensive style not the cheap cheese graters. They really have helped me be less loose in the stirrup and keep my weight in them since they are less slippery. They can be a bit hard to get in the first time, but you don't have to change them often.

Thanks for your comments. I feel more normal liking my heavy old fashioned stirrups! Srhorselady, can you point me to the kind of metal fillis you like? I mostly just see the cheese grater type.

I approach this like a jockey... take out weigh wherever you can. I took it off my body, bought a monoflap saddle, and use featherlite plastic stirrups.

Tsavo wrote:I approach this like a jockey... take out weigh wherever you can. I took it off my body, bought a monoflap saddle, and use featherlite plastic stirrups.

Do you find that the plastic stirrups feel any different to you?

piedmontfields wrote:

Tsavo wrote:I approach this like a jockey... take out weigh wherever you can. I took it off my body, bought a monoflap saddle, and use featherlite plastic stirrups.

Do you find that the plastic stirrups feel any different to you?

I like them better because if I do lose a stirrup they don't bang around so much. I was concerned about whether they would be harder to pick up if lost but I don't think they are. I really like them.

I replaced mine when I neded to replace the pads...and at that time realized I had been riding with two different size stirrups...I really don't see anything special about them: supposed to be easier on the ankles



http://greenhawk.com/wdItemDesc.asp?str ... KU=RIE3403

I have fixed 90 degree offset eye stirrups. Nothing special, I think I paid $50 for them.

I find that they stress my knees and hips less and that my leg position is easier to maintain. Probably because I'm not in pain.

I like the offset eye stirrups too. I have SafeStyle irons on my dressage saddle; if I end up riding both mares next year I'll probably get a pair of the non-jointed MDC irons for Annabelle's saddle and put the SafeStyle irons on Pickles for the piece of mind of not getting hung up if she tosses me. One downside to them is they're hard to run up and I basically have to tie the leathers around them to keep them in place.

At one point I tried the SS irons on my jumping saddle, and my knees did not appreciate the lack of joints, so I went back to a flexible iron. Now my jumping saddle has flexible plastic irons, which I love because they're so lightweight, and also have a little flexibility. I just have to be careful that my feet are out of them when dismounting because they have cheesegrater footbeds and with the light weight, will come along for the ride when I swing my leg over the horse.

Sorry Piedmont. I've been busy and not online much and then I forgot to go look at the stirrup fillis! There was no name I could find but comparing the two metal fillis: the cheap pair was thin metal and had holes. It looked like a cheese grater. The good pair was solid metal and had pointy little mountains. The latter work very well, the former not so good. My vague memory was of a $30 price difference.

Thanks!