Safety Stirrups · Tack ·Feb 25, 2022

Are peacock safety stirrups fading away? What's the alternative?

If you are one of the riders who started their riding career a couple of decades ago at least, you have definitely run into peacock safety stirrups once or twice in your life. However, nowadays not all barns use these safety stirrups anymore. So, are peacock safety stirrups slowly fading away, and what is the alternative?

In this article, we will look at the features of peacock stirrups and recommend a suitable alternative.

What are peacock safety stirrups?

If you have never seen or heard of peacock safety stirrups, we will explain the concept. These are the safety stirrups that have an open side that has been closed with a rubber band. You can read more about different safety stirrups in our blog post about the best safety stirrups.

The peacock safety stirrups have been around for a long time, and they were one of the first safety stirrup models in the market. The good thing about these stirrups was that they were especially suitable for children.

However, the popularity of these stirrups has decreased over the past years because the market has flooded with new brands and styles of stirrups. Besides that, there have been several reported accidents involving peacock stirrups where the rubber band either didn't release or the attachment of the rubber band caused injuries.

This is not to say that the effectiveness of these stirrups generally would have decreased: they are still a viable option for any rider looking for inexpensive safety stirrups. A good thing to know is that the rubber band closing the open side can stretch and even break over time, so it needs to be changed regularly.

What are the alternatives?

In the recent years, more and more new safety stirrups have entered the market, providing both amateurs and professionals with more options. In the blog post we mentioned earlier, you get to compare many different safety stirrups with their interesting features.

However, as the technology advances, so do safety stirrups. Ophena has created magnetic safety stirrups that feature a magnetic connection in addition to an open design that releases the rider's foot in case of an accident. The purpose of Ophena was to create safety stirrups that are stylish, trendy, and most importantly, super safe.

The Ophena magnetic safety stirrups include the following features:

Open design
Magnetic connection
Smart Attach™-system
Puristic, luxurious design
Possibility for custom engraving

In the video below, you will see how Ophena safety stirrups work in action.

What our customers say

Ophena S and Ophena S Pro have received over 1300 five-star reviews. There is a reason (or a few!) for that, too. Our magnetic safety stirrups stand out from the crowd for many reasons.

For instance, the open design allows the rider's foot to release in case of an accident should the rider fall off their horse. This is a foolproof (and very fail-proof) release mechanism that you trust.

Also, the magnetic connection places the rider's foot in the correct spot and keeps it there. It helps to improve the rider's balance and stability, and can even help riders with knee or hip issues. Some of our customers have even reported decreased knee pain during the ride, and many report an improved posture.

We should also mention our patented Smart Attach™-system. It allows for easy attachment and detachment of the stirrups with normal stirrup leathers, as you can see in the video below.