Why do I keep losing my stirrups?

Many riders face the problem of losing their stirrups while they ride. Especially beginners may experience this time and time again, and it's not only irritating, but can be dangerous too. You may have tried different tricks and still keep losing your stirrups during your ride. 

In this article, we will address this subject of frustration and expand on why you may lose your stirrups while riding. We will also share some useful tips that may help you to keep your stirrups in the right spot throughout the whole ride. 

What causes you to lose (safety) stirrups while riding?

Losing your stirrups during a ride is not only irritating, it can lead to dangerous situations. Losing a stirrup can cause you to lose your balance and fall off, or a swinging stirrup can spook a sensitive horse and cause the horse to buck, bolt, or even rear. 

Before you can start practicing keeping your stirrups in the right place, you have to identify the problem. What is it that causes riders to lose stirrups during a ride?

Typically, there are two situations that cause the rider to lose the stirrups:

• The rider is tense and squeezes the saddle with their legs
• The stirrup leathers are too long

Tension in the leg can cause you to lose your stirrups

If you are not in balance and relaxed in the saddle, your leg will most likely tense up and cause you to squeeze the saddle with your knees or thighs to help you balance. This causes your heel to come up and your leg to "shorten," which can lead to losing your stirrups.

This is a problem that takes a while to fix, as the rider needs to improve their seat and balance, which does not happen overnight. You can easily start correcting this issue by telling your trainer about it and asking them to correct your seat during the lessons. 

You can also practice relaxing your legs on your own by riding without stirrups or bareback. This helps you to improve your balance and strengthen your core, and as this happens, it will be easier for you to relax your legs.

The stirrup leathers are too long

This is a lot simpler problem that is also quick to fix. If your stirrups are too long, losing your safety stirrups will simply be inevitable. When the stirrups are the perfect length, it will be easy for you to relax your leg and press your heels down, all the while feeling the support at the bottom of your feet. 

If your stirrup leathers are too long, you will not feel the support and you are unable to press your heels down when the ball of your foot touches the stirrups.

If the stirrup leathers are too short, you will not be able to relax your legs and you will feel as though you are leaning forwards in the saddle.

The solution is, of course, simple: shorten your stirrup leathers. 

If you don't know how long stirrup leathers you need, check our article How long stirrup leathers do I need?.

Ophena safety stirrups come to rescue

If you have already tried all the tricks and tips above and you still keep losing your stirrups, you might want to change your stirrups to Ophena S or Ophena S Pro.

Our magnetic safety stirrups can help you to find the correct position for your foot and leg, improve your balance, and build your confidence. The magnetic connection in the stirrups pulls your foot into the correct spot and keeps it there throughout your ride. 

In fact, many of our happy customers have said that their confidence improved since purchasing Ophena magnetic safety stirrups, as they weren't losing their stirrups during the ride anymore. Additionally, should you lose your stirrup anyway, the magnetic connection makes it easier to pull your stirrups right back. 

This is especially good for showjumpers and eventers.

Get your own Ophena stirrups

If you would like to join the roster of our happy customers, you can purchase your own Ophena S, Ophena S Pro or Ophena A (non-magnetic) stirrups from Ophena.com. 

Our magnetic safety stirrups include the following features:

• Magnetic connection
• Open design for a safer riding experience
• Smart Attach™ -system for easier attachment and detachment of stirrups
• Excellent grip

You can purchase your own stirrups on our website by choosing the stirrup model, the color, the size of your magnetic insoles, and adding them to cart. 

Psst! We also have a 60-day money-back guarantee!