Posts Tagged ‘Horse Rugs’
Horse Tack: Safety Stirrups
Safety stirrups are a relatively new component of horse tack designed to reduce the risk of being dragged. Whether attached to western or English saddles, stirrups can be dangerous for a couple of reasons. equine supplements If they are too wide, the rider’s feet can potentially slip through the front. Or, if the stirrups are too narrow, there is the danger of the feet getting stuck. Should the rider fall off the mount, there is a danger of being dragged behind.
Instead of completely enclosing the foot with the irons and tread, safety stirrups are partially open or hinged in one part. In the event that the rider falls, the force of the dismounting rider causes the stirrups to break away and release the feet. double bridle They are meant to be comfortable for both horse and rider, with wide tread and an ergonomic design.
With some safety stirrups, if there is too much lateral or upward movement, they will break away. When the stirrup releases the feet, a dismounted rider will not be dragged behind the horse as it continues to move.
An alternative to safety stirrups are attachments known as a tapaderos. This component, also called toe stoppers, is essentially a leather cup that closes off one end of the stirrup, keeping the rider’s feet from slipping through accidentally. treeless saddles
Moving parts on stirrups – because of the work they are put through – can lead to them more quickly wearing down. This might be a problem for some horseback riders who don’t want to deal with replacement parts. With some designs, the force required to release the safety stirrups is greater than can be exerted by the movement of the feet. Their feet may still get hung up should their legs not move in the direction required to release the stirrups. Safety stirrups designed to break away from the top when the toes point upwards at too high a degree occasionally do not. Should the rider’s toes turn to the side of the stirrup, it fails to release. For these reasons, designers have experimented with many types of safety stirrups with the intention of making a set that is failsafe.