Why Ophena's Magnetic System is more than a Magnet

When you order one of our magnetic safety stirrups (Ophena S or Ophena T), you will receive four parts: two stirrup irons and two of our magnetic insoles. A pair of our magnetic insoles are always included and needed to get the full potential out of our Ophena stirrups. The installation is easy: you simply slide the insoles into your riding boots and are ready to go.

Ophena Stirrups + Ophena Insoles = Soft Magnetic Connection

Safety Advantages of Ophena Magnetic safety stirrups

We are confident that Ophena is the safest stirrup ever made. And the magnetic system plays its part: by holding the stirrups to your feet, it effectively decreases the risk of you losing the stirrups. This plays perfectly with our open stirrups and is particularly great during jumping.

The magnetic connection also gives additional grip, regardless of the weather conditions. Rain, snow or sunshine? Magnetic fields don't mind.

Now you might wonder, what happens if you suddenly need to get off the horse, or even fall. Isn't it a safety risk to "be stuck" to your stirrups? We totally agree, and that is the exact reason for why we developed the safety stirrups Ophena. Other solutions on the market, unfortunately, have the risks to be either stuck to or get caught within the stirrup.

When we developed Ophena, we took greatest care to make the magnetic connection only so strong that you will never have issues shaking the stirrups off or escaping in case of a fall. To put some numbers on this: Ophena's magnetic system establishes a field with a force of around 40N. If you fall, you create a force of around 10 times your body weight. Hence, the magnetic connection will break and Ophena's open design will let you get out of the stirrups.

Performance Advantages of Ophena magnetic safety stirrups

The above-mentioned safety advantages are of course also advancing your performance: Safety is paramount since accidents will likely set you back for a few months or even years. And losing your stirrups usually means an end to your performance. So the Ophena magnetic safety stirrups can help you in several ways.

The magnetic grip also feels somewhat special and gives you a really good feel for the horse.

You certainly have to experience and judge this yourself, but this is the feedback we have received from hundreds of riders.

Health Advantages of Ophena Magnetic safety stirrups

Since the magnets hold the magnetic stirrups to your boots, you don't need to worry about applying a permanent force on your stirrups. Riders often describe this feeling as “soft”, because they can relax their legs and feet a bit. This relaxation and flexibility likely protects your joints, particularly your knees, from micro-impacts that constantly happen during riding. In the long run, this can be a worthwhile investment in your health.

Technology behind Ophena magnetic safety stirrups

For the curious engineer out there, we also want to give an idea of why our magnetic system works like it does: Ophena's magnetic system consists of several magnets and steel-plates that together form a magnetic field with several benefits:

• The magnetic field is reduced below the stirrup, so it is less likely to attach itself to metal, e.g. metal bars in a stable
• The field is reduced toward the feet. This minimizes a potential magnetic interference between the magnetic insoles and boots with steel toe.
• Instead, the magnetic field is focused on where it’s needed - the connection between insole and stirrup.
• Lastly, our magnetic field holds your feet centered on the stirrup, although a slight adjustment/rotation of the feet is still possible.

The strength of the field is about 40N if the boot’s soles are around 14mm thick. Thicker boot soles lead to a lower force and vice versa. 40+-5N is a good strength to make the stirrup follow your feet, without having the feeling of being stuck to the stirrup. With other words, you will be able to adjust the foot position while still being connected to the stirrup at all times.

Conclusion

Ophena magnetic safety stirrups are the top of equestrian tech and possibly the safest safety stirrups on the market. If you have any questions regarding our safety stirrups, feel free to contact us!