Depending on the design of a saddle, stirrup leathers may be attached to a " stirrup bar ," a small forged steel bar embedded into the saddle tree, or may be wrapped around the bars of the tree itself.

Modern English saddles are designed with a stirrup bar that allows the stirrup leathers to fall from the saddle if the rider starts to be dragged.

At Monterrey, he demonstrated his equestrian ability, carrying a dispatch through sniper-lined streets on horseback while mounted in one stirrup.

The stapes ( stirrup ) ossicle bone of the middle ear transmits vibrations to the fenestra ovalis ( oval window ) on the outside of the cochlea, which vibrates the perilymph in the scala vestibuli ( upper chamber of the cochlea ).

It is highly likely that the stirrup had been introduced to the Sassanian cavalry two centuries before Khusrau's reforms ( and are mentioned in Bivar ( 1972 ) ), and a " stirrupped " foot position can be seen on the Sassanian bullae and at Taq-e-Bostan.

A modern working stirrup on an endurance riding saddle

Stirrups are safer to use when riding boots are worn, and proper sizing and placement of the foot on the stirrup increases both safety and usability.

Maurice's manual notes the appropriate equipping of Imperial cavalry: " the saddles should have large and thick clothes ; the bridles should be of good quality ; attached to the saddles should be two iron steps, a lasso with a thong ...." Dennis notes that the lack of specific Greek word for stirrup evidences their novelty to the Byzantines, who are supposed to have adopted these from their bitter enemy the Avars, and subsequently passed them on to their future enemies, the Arabs.

In what today is France, Charles Martel distributed seized lands to his retainers on condition that they serve him by fighting in the new manner, which some attribute to his recognizing the military potentialities of the stirrup.

It is argued that the rising feudal class structure of the European Middle Ages derived ultimately from the use of stirrups: " Few inventions have been so simple as the stirrup, but few have had so catalytic an influence on history.

As the rider's whole weight must be carried at one side when mounting, on an English saddle, one stirrup leather often becomes stretched longer than the other, usually the left one, because most mounting occurs on that side.

There are a spectrum of stirrup lengths, which the rider may chose depending on the purpose.

Proper stirrup placement, on the ball of the foot, instead of jammed " home " clear up to the arch, also lowers the risk of a rider being dragged.

A tapedero prevents the rider's boot from slipping through and also prevents brush encountered while working cattle on the open range from poking through the stirrup, injuring or impeding the horse or rider.

Disciplines that require long hours in the saddle, such as endurance riding and some types of western riding on a working ranch, often use a wider stirrup to provide more support to the foot.

This " ridge " created by the raised heel will usually catch on the bottom of the stirrup, preventing the foot from slipping through the stirrup and dragging the rider.

There are many variations on the standard stirrup design, most claiming to either be safer in the event of a fall or to make it easier for a rider to maintain a proper foot and leg position.

* Side-saddle stirrups: usually have a slightly larger eye to accommodate the thicker stirrup leather on a sidesaddle.

A variation on the hinged stirrup is the Icelandic Stirrup, which has the eye fixed at a 90 degree rotation to allow for less stress on the tendons, and easier retrieval should a stirrup be lost.

Next, some saddles, particularly English saddles, have safety bars that allow a stirrup leather to fall off the saddle if pulled backwards by a falling rider.

The English stirrup ( or " iron ") has several design variations which are either shaped to allow the rider's foot to slip out easily or are closed with a very heavy rubber band.

The English word " stirrup " stems from Old English stirap, stigrap, Middle English stirop, styrope, i. e. a mounting or climbing-rope.

A show jumping rider will have a shorter stirrup than other English riders, in order to maximize the jumping effort of the horse.

Some English stirrups are also designed with breakaway sides or non-standard designs intended to make it easier for the foot to come out of the stirrup when necessary.

The stirrup of a western saddle is more difficult to remove or replace than the English stirrup and therefore, unless damaged or a different style is desired, the same stirrups usually are kept on for the life of the saddle itself.

It also showed up the English cavalry techniques using the lance, as compared with the Irish method of no stirrup and overhead spear throwing.

The redcoat officer collapsed like a punctured bolster, and the horse reared and threw him from the saddle, except that one booted foot caught in the stirrup.

A bas-relief of a soldier and horse with saddle and stirrup s, from the tomb of Chinese Emperor Taizong of Tang ( r. 626-649 ), c. 650

But the introduction of the wraparound saddle during the Middle Ages provided greater efficiency in mounted shock combat and the important invention of the stirrup enabled a broader array of attacks to be delivered from the back of a horse.

A number of saddle styles incorporate a tapedero, which is covering over the front of the stirrup that keeps the foot from sliding all the way through the stirrup.

Knights rode in both the Muslim style, a la jineta ( i. e. the equivalent of a modern jockey's seat ), a short stirrup strap and bended knees allowed for better control and speed, or in the French style, a la brida, a long stirrup strap allowed for more security in the saddle ( i. e. the equivalent of the modern cavalry seat, which is more secure ) when acting as heavy cavalary.

A bas-relief of a soldier and horse with elaborate saddle and stirrup s, from the tomb of Emperor Taizong, c. 650

A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a stirrup leather.

Later, a single stirrup was used as a mounting aid, and paired stirrups appeared after the invention of the treed saddle.

As a tool allowing expanded use of horses in warfare, the stirrup is often called the third revolutionary step in equipment, after the chariot and the saddle.

The invention of the stirrup occurred relatively late in history, considering that horses were domesticated in approximately 4500 BC, and the earliest known saddle like equipment were fringed cloths or pads with breast pads and cruppers used by Assyrian cavalry around 700 BC.

The invention of the solid saddle tree allowed development of the true stirrup as it is known today.

Therefore, stirrups are attached to a saddle by means of adjustable straps, called stirrup leathers.

On a western saddle, with a heavier, permanently installed fender and stirrup leather that cannot be switched, stretching is slower and less extreme, though it also occurs in this type of saddle.

Western saddles have wide stirrup treads that make it more difficult for the foot to become trapped.

Perhaps the most important technological advancement for medieval warfare in Europe was the invention of the stirrup.

The stirrup irons are heavier than most, and the stirrup leathers are wider and thicker, for added safety when the player stands in the stirrups.

Lynn White Jr., in his book " Medieval Technology and Social Change ", argues the adoption of the stirrup for cavalry was the direct cause for the development of feudalism in the Frankish realm by Charles Martel and his heirs.

The ossicles were given their Latin names for their distinctive shapes ; they are also referred to as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup, respectively.

The malleus gets its name from Latin malleus, meaning " hammer ", the Incus gets its name from Latin Incus meaning " anvil " from incudere meaning " to forge with a hammer ", and the Stapes gets its name from Modern Latin " stirrup ," probably an alteration of Late Latin Stapia related to stare " to stand " and pedem, an accusative of pes " foot ", so called because the bone is shaped like a stirrup-this was an invented Modern Latin word for " stirrup ," for which there was no classical Latin word, as the ancients did not use stirrups.

Modern stirrups come in a wide variety of styles, sizes and materials and are attached to most saddles by means of adjustable stirrup leathers, which can be altered in length to fit both the size of the rider and the need to remain over the horse's optimal center of balance for a given equestrianism discipline.

In each case, the stirrup length allows the rider to remain over the center of balance of the horse for the average speed characteristic of the discipline ; the faster the horse travels, the more forward the rider must be positioned, and hence the shorter the stirrup.

For example, in dressage, the longest possible stirrup length is used in order for the rider to have complete control over every nuance of the horse's movement.

Riders jumping low fences may wish for an intermediate length stirrup that can allow the horse some freedom of movement, while supporting the rider over the fence, and still providing enough leg for excellent communication.

A rider travelling rapidly cross-country, over varying terrain while fox hunting or endurance riding, will also have an intermediate stirrup, needing to strike a compromise between mobility for the horse and the need of the rider to not be unseated.