# Issue with stirrup length and knee pain



## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

I recently bought a pair of offset eye stirrups(these) I got them because I sometimes have knee pain while riding(which hasn't been bad lately but I got them on sale). On tuesday when I first used them they seemed pretty good. The hook makes then a tad longer then my normal irons, but it actually worked out pretty well and I had a great seat and posting was almost effortless, then I put them up a hole and jumped a little bit, no problems. Today on the other hand they were still up a hole and I felt like I was all over the place while posting and my knees haven't hurt so much since I first started learning to post! I had forgotten that I had put them up a hole so after a while I dropped them and again seat and posting were much better, but I can't canter at with them that long and no way I can jump! Why does one little hole make so much difference in my riding?!? I don't want to have to change the length constantly so does anyone have any advice on what I can do? Also I thought the offset eye irons were supposed help with knee pain, not make it worse! When my stirrups are at a comfortable length for cantering/jumping they kill my knee, I didn't have this problem with the regular Irons, they are great for w/t when I have them fairly long(I'm only about 5'4 and someone who is about 5'9 rode after me and she shortened them a hole, normally she drops them a hole or 2). I know this seems like kinda of a stupid question, but I'm kinda at a loss, I'm thinking about just stitching back to my regular irons but I'd hate to think I bought them for nothing even if I didn't pay much for them.


----------



## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I used to have knee/ankle pain especially when jumping and I ended up buying these bendy stirrups. Click here for a random picture I found. They really help a lot. 

Perhaps the offset stirrups are also stretching new muscles, and that is what the pain in from? I don't know, I've never used them, but if you can't canter with your stirrups length that is not good.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

It is often the position of the foot and ankle that causes pain in the knees.


----------



## DejaVu (Jul 6, 2011)

This can come from the position your saddle puts you in just as much as stirrup length. If you can, sit in a couple different saddles, and feel some different flap angles.

I used to have knee problems on my one bad knee, until I got a new saddle that put me in a different position, and my legs don't bother me anymore.

The flex irons are good for joint pain as well, since they're so springy. They're expensive, but some find it well worth it.
Herm Sprenger System 4 Stirrups - Stirrup Irons from SmartPak Equine


----------



## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

Thanks guys, I don't think it's caused by the saddle since I haven't really been having a problem lately, and when I was before it was caused by me tensing up and bracing into my irons. It was also a problem the matter what saddle I used(english or western). There is a chance that I was doing that yesterday since I rode in the neighbors outdoor ring and the last time(which was also the first time) I rode over there I ended up falling off. I'm not normally tense while riding Molly tho so I'm not sure if that was it or not and even when I went and rode in the regular ring my knees were still hurting. I guess that could be from the previous stress on them since I had already been riding an hour when I went back over. I have had knee pain for years, it was at it's worse when I was in my late teens, there were times I could hardly walk it was so bad. I seem to have our grown it for the most part but sometimes I do still have pain when the weather is bad and I'm doing a lot of walking. I wish I could afford those expensive stirrups but at the point I can hardly afford lessons.


----------



## countercanter (May 18, 2011)

I get knee pains from riding, and I tried the bendy stirrups and I feel like they actually made it worse. So I switched back to regular, solid fillis stirrups (George Morris would be happy to read that haha) with these stirrup pads: Super Comfort Stirrup Pads < Stirrup Pads and Accessories < Horse Tack|Dover Saddlery.
I rarely have knee pain anymore.


----------

