In order to stay safe and in control as a rider, there is some essential showjumping tack that you need to look into. Stirrups, also known as irons, are one of the most essential. Back in the days stirrups were just a piece of circular shaped iron, today there are several versions of stirrups made for showjumping. Most of these are so-called safety stirrups. Safety stirrups decrease the risk of getting caught in the stirrups in case of a fall. This is indeed one of the most important aspects of a stirrup for showjumpers, but of course an important aspect for other disciplines as well.

There are a lot of versions on the market and sometimes it can be hard to find the best safety stirrups. But do not worry, we got you covered. Below we have listed the best jumping stirrups for you and hopefully you can find your favorite!

1. Ophena S, The Magnetic Safety Stirrup

Ophena’s Magnetic Safety Stirrups are one of the latest and most interesting releases in a long time. The stirrups have an open design that protects you from getting caught in case of a fall. Therefore you do not need to trust any safety mechanism to release or work properly, which many riders have seen failing on all kinds of other safety stirrups. Further, these stirrups have an integrated magnetic system and are delivered together with magnetic insoles that you simply place into your normal riding boots and you are good to go.

The stirrups were developed together with professional showjumpers, so there is no question that they should be on our list for Best Jumping Stirrups.

It’s hard to say which stirrups will suit you best, but Ophena seems very confident that you will like their bestseller Ophena S. They are so confident in fact that they offer all customers a 60-day risk-free test period, which allows you to actually trial them for 60 days and return them if you’re not fully satisfied. So if you are considering new stirrups, you should definitely give these a try.

And if you want something extra, why not engrave your name onto the stirrups? A service we have only seen being offered by Ophena.
The stirrups are made out of stainless steel and have a patented solution for an easier attachment and detachment of the stirrups, something Ophena refers to as Smart AttachTM.

Ophena only sells these stirrups online at www.ophena.com and ships world-wide.

2. Soft’Up Pro

An oldie but goodie, a stirrup from Freejump. The stirrups are equipped with metal spikes, to increase the grip towards the riding boots.

The stirrups have a safety mechanism, which is a flexible side-arm. In case of a fall, the foot shall bend the flexible side-arm, thereby creating more room for your foot to get free. Under extreme forces the side can also break away completely. In that case, Freejump says that they will help you replace the stirrups.

Freejump stirrups have a plastic finish and come in several different colors, everything from beige to black. The stirrups are designed so that you can easily remove them from the saddle without having to remove the stirrup leather, indeed a very nice function. The brand also offers special stirrup leathers, which are pricey but make the use a little easier.

We guess a lot of riders have seen these stirrups break during some high-ranked competitions, but even with that in mind they are worthy of a place on this list. This product has been on the market for years and is surely worth looking into. The stirrups are sold in retail stores.

Flexcite Grip Stirrups

In these stirrups the German manufacturer Sprenger has integrated a chain-like material into the arms, so that the stirrups can flex during the ride. This helps you keep your heels down and shall provide relief to your knees. Sprenger offers different versions of their grips, the model we have looked into has a stainless steel grip inlay, which adds additional grip.

We would not consider this version a safety stirrup, since the stirrup is closed and does not have any safety mechanism. However, Spenger has designed the top part of the stirrup with a twisted stainless steel frame to give more room for the feet to get free in case of a fall. It is therefore important to attach them on the correct side since it otherwise would increase the chances of getting stuck. To summarize, if you care more about the flexibility in the stirrups than the safety aspect, then you should look into these.

Sprenger’s Flexcite stirrup is mainly sold in retail stores.

Venice Evo

Tech Stirrups are made from aluminum and equipped with a safety mechanism on the outer sidesides: The side-arm has a spring on one side, which holds it in a locked position until force is applied. Tech Stirrups explains the safety mechanism on their webpage: “the foot has to get the moving part open in case of a fall, and this part then goes back to closed position automatically.”

The tread has been developed for cross-country and showjumping and consists of an aluminum pattern. The stirrups are available in a lot of color variations and are sold in retail stores. If you end up giving them a try we recommend you to use a stirrup protector, since they have a pretty sharp tread which could otherwise damage your saddle.

Shield’rup

Samshield is well known for their riding helmets, but recently they released their first stirrup model, called Shield’Rup. This stirrup has a metal core covered with aluminum - available in brushed aluminum and matt black. We think that these stirrups look very appealing. Similar to the Venice Evo, we would recommend you to use a stirrup cover, to protect the saddle against the sharp design.

The stirrups have a safety mechanism that should open up in case of a fall. This model opens up pretty wide since the side-arm is only connected with an internal metal-string. Sadly there is a high likelihood for the aluminum coating to get damaged while the stirrup is open, since the side-arm can hit the main part of the stirrups creating some wear and tear. However, it is surely more important that you get free in case of an accident, than the appearance of your stirrups afterwards.

Summary

To summarize, when investing in a pair of stirrups for jumping, make sure that you go for a safety stirrup. It might seem like a lot of money, but investing in your safety is arguably one of the best investments you can make. Most stirrups on the market do have a good grip, but they differ in appearance and their level of safety. If you can try the stirrups before testing them or if you can have a test period, then this is highly recommended.

One topic that we have not covered is the general appearance, it’s always nice to wear something you are proud of and that makes you stick out in the ring. But we leave that up to you! Hopefully this article helped you in your search for the best jumping stirrups! See you over the fence!