The main reason for a rider to become hung up in the irons is due to the ' closing door effect ' of a lost stirrup trying to return to lay flat against the side of the horse.

The F-units did have grab irons and stirrup steps, but these features were a hindrance in locations with tight clearances.

Other precautions are done with stirrup design itself.

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

Terms that, in Latin, are translated as the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup.

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.

Athletic tights are absolute opaque and often footless, although they may have a " stirrup " that goes under the foot to hold the cuff down near the ankle.

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.

There are safety concerns associated with the use of stirrups, including a risk that a fallen rider may get their foot caught in the stirrup and be dragged by the horse, or that long hours of use without rest may cause problems in the human foot's Peroneus Tertius tendon.

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.

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

Because different riders are of different heights, and stirrups also may need to be adjusted up or down to accommodate different types of activity, stirrup leathers have buckles and holes that allow length to be adjusted.

There are two basic methods of using stirrups, a shorter stirrup to allow more mobility and a longer stirrup to allow greater control.

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

The first is a safety issue: even with a properly fitted stirrup, there are several ways in which the rider's foot can be trapped and cause the rider to be dragged in the event of a fall from the horse.

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.

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.

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.

With the appearance of heavier mounts and the invention of the stirrup, the horse-mounted cavalry became the most prestigious military arm in Europe for several centuries.

* The stirrup was invented in China, no later than 322

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.

This allows more mobility than a longer stirrup would, but at the cost of having less feel of the horse and less security.

Obviously, a stirrup leather so long that a rider cannot reach it is useless, and a stirrup length that does not allow a rider with a properly positioned leg to keep the heel lower than the toe is also easily lost.

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

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 is generally suggested that the stirrup be no more than 1 inch larger than the widest part of the sole of the rider's boots.

The Bisley mainspring is longer than the SAA mainspring, and the two are not interchangeable ; it is attached to the hammer with a stirrup via a forked upper end.

The modern riding boot is relatively low-heeled, with a heel of less than one inch, though historically a higher heel was common, as it has always been critically important for riding boots to prevent the foot from slipping through the stirrup.

The Western style is seen in a long stirrup length, often longer than even that used by dressage riders, an upright posture ( equitation riders are never to lean forward beyond a very slight inclination ), and the distinctive one-handed hold on the reins.

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

The stirrup, which gives greater stability to a rider, has been described as one of the most significant inventions in the history of warfare, prior to gunpowder.

One of the most dangerous problems with the stirrup is that the rider can get a boot stuck in it in the event of a fall, which would result in the person being dragged.

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.

* Standard iron: The most common stirrup iron, consisting of a tread, with two branches, and an eye at the top for the leather to run through.

This is seen most often in sports such as polo and eventing, where the speed and sudden changes of direction of the former, and the great change in terrain and solid fences of the latter, make the rider more likely to be jarred loose from the saddle and increases the risk of losing a stirrup.

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.

Any unevenness in the leathers can be managed by adjusting the stirrup length, and if necessary, by adding extra holes in the leathers to allow them to be buckled at an intermediate point between the existing prepunched holes provided by the saddle manufacturer.

A Western saddle has wide stirrups and heavy stirrup leathers

The classic boot comes high enough up the leg to prevent the leathers of the saddle from pinching the leg of the rider, has a sturdy toe to protect the rider's foot when on the ground, and has a distinct heel to prevent the foot from sliding through the stirrup.

* Position of the stirrup bars: The bars must be properly balanced under the saddle so that the rider is not put off balance when rising in the stirrups ( such as when posting or jumping ) Riders also should check that the stirrup bars are properly recessed and do not stick out in such a way that the buckles of the stirrup leathers will cause bruising or rubs on their legs.

The advantage of jodhpurs is that expensive high riding boots are not required to protect the calf of the leg from rubbing against the horse's flank or the stirrup leathers.

These are intended to protect the rider's leg from wear by the stirrup leathers and other saddle parts.

# redirect stirrup # Stirrup leathers