Safety Stirrups and What to Look For

Posted by Mary's Tack and Feed on 30th Jul 2025

Equestrian safety stirrup technology has evolved to offer riders improved performance and greater confidence. Older designs may have features that are now considered ineffective or even dangerous for riders to continue using.

Recently, the US Pony Club and United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) have banned the use of peacock safety stirrups. For those who are unfamiliar, peacock stirrups–or “hook-and-loop” stirrups– are an outmoded form of safety stirrup that is designed to break away in the event that a rider falls off the horse. This design was intended to prevent the rider’s foot from getting caught in the stirrup as they fall. Unfortunately, the hook aspect of this design was reported in many incidents to get caught on the rider and cause injury.

So what does this mean for riders who want the peace of mind that English safety stirrups have to offer? Not to worry! Mary’s Tack and Feed offers several safety stirrup options such as: beginner stirrups, safe stirrups for children, and safety stirrups for dressage, hunter, and jumper disciplines. The types of stirrups available to us now are incredibly varied, and even offer ergonomic safety stirrup options, allowing riders to enjoy comfortable irons and their safety features with every ride.

First let’s identify other types of safety irons that follow Pony Club safety regulations, and USEF safety regulations.

Breakaway Safety Irons:

Breakaway Safety stirrups follow a similar logic to peacock irons, just without some of the problematic features. Should the rider take a tumble, putting pressure on the sides of the stirrup–also known as the stirrup’s branch–causes the stirrup to open and release. Breakaway stirrups can come in different designs, but the general function is to give the stirrups a hinged branch that unlatches when a strong amount of pressure is applied.

Equipe Safety stirrups are a lightweight breakaway stirrup with a modern appearance. These stirrups have a hinge at the bottom of the stirrup, and a latch that breaks open at the top. In the event that the stirrup is opened, the branch can easily be pushed back into place, ensuring that the irons can be reused after opening. These irons are made of lightweight aluminum and come in multiple colors, including black, silver, and dark gray.

American Equus Hunter Escape safety stirrups break away from the bottom rather than the top. These stirrups are specifically designed for the hunter ring by mimicking that classic, fillis irons look. They are made with lightweight aluminum and come in silver, or powder brushed black. This classic design is a great safety stirrup for dressage riders and hunter/jumpers.

Tech Venice Quick-Out Safety stirrups vary slightly from other breakaway stirrup designs. These are magnetic safety stirrups that implement a magnetic mechanism to hold the thin outer branch in place. This allows the stirrup’s branch to automatically reattach after it separates. With a hand polished, Italian design, and slanted stirrup leather slots to prevent strain on the rider’s joints, this stirrup offers ergonomic advantages as well.

For even more ergonomic benefits all packed into one set of safety stirrups, take a look at Tech Venice Plus EVO Stirrups. These have the same magnetic breakaway technology as well as slanted stirrup pads, and shock absorption features. Tech stirrups also makes safety stirrups for children with their specially sized Tech Venice Children Stirrups to ensure the comfort and safety of young riders.

LeMieux offers multiple safety stirrup options, such as the Vector Balance Stirrup and the Vector Control Stirrup. Both of these designs are hinged at the top and break away from the base of the stirrup. They are made of light, yet durable aluminum and come in multiple colors including auburn, rose gold, black, and classic silver. The main difference between the Balance stirrup and the Control stirrup is how the ergonomic footplate is slanted. Depending on the rider’s preference, a slight footplate adjustment can improve the rider’s foot placement in the stirrup.

In addition to implementing a standard breakaway branch, Acavallo Arena Alupro Stirrups are designed to relieve stress on the rider's ankles, knees, and hips. These are made with lightweight aluminum and flexible polyamide to maximize comfort for every ride.

If you have concerns about your safety stirrups opening when you’re riding, don’t worry! These stirrups are specifically designed and tested to handle light pressure from your foot, and should not break open while you’re riding normally. Many of these designs are also subtle enough in appearance, that riders can use these safety stirrups for horse shows.

Bent-Arm Stirrups:

Bent-arm stirrups have an open design with flexible branches that open with strong pressure and automatically return to their original shape. This provides a sleek, seamless appearance without compromising safety. Because these are flexible safety stirrups, they are typically made of a polymer rather than metal, allowing for a durable and lightweight design.

There are multiple Free Jump stirrup irons that make excellent safety stirrups for jumpers by utilizing the bent arm feature. The Freejump Soft’up Pro, Freejump Soft’up premium edition, and Freejump Soft’up Classic Stirrups. These high tech safety stirrups have two years of research to back their safety features, while also allowing for maximum comfort. This not only ensures safety for the rider, but also relieves tension on the rider’s joints, and can enhance foot placement. These three designs leave room for riders to choose a stirrup that matches their personal preference without compromising safety. For example: the Freejump Classic stirrups emulate the silhouette of a typical fillis iron, while the Freejump Pro and Freejump Premium stirrups have a more modern appearance.

The Royal Rider Concept Stirrup provides the same bent-arm feature, while keeping the classic fillis iron shape. They are made of a flexible polymer, giving just enough weight to provide stability while you ride. They also have a wide foot bed to evenly distribute pressure along the ball of the rider’s foot and allow for a more comfortable ride.

Bow-shaped Stirrups:

Bow-shaped stirrups provide more safety by creating a wider opening at the top of the stirrup, as well as an S-curve through the outer branch. This is a relatively simple design alteration that creates more room for your foot, thus creating less risk of getting stuck.

The Intrepid Foot Free safety stirrup irons have a bowed shape along the outside branch, leaving room for the rider’s foot to come free. These stirrups are made of heavy weight stainless steel, providing the weight of a traditional hunter stirrup. These are very “no fuss” stirrups because they don’t have any mechanisms to pull apart or latch into place. They make great safety stirrups for hunter riders.

Closed-branch Stirrups:

Much like a breakaway stirrup, closed-branch stirrups are designed to open with the right amount of force.

The difference is the end of the branch has a closed loop that attaches to a blunt pin at the foot of the stirrup. When a strong pressure is applied, the branch pops free from the stirrup’s frame, allowing the rider’s foot to slip through.

Flex-on offers this closed-branch safety feature for all ages with their “Safe-On” stirrup line. The Flex-on Safe-On Stirrup delivers a quick release safety stirrup in a highly customizable design. These stirrups are composed of eco-friendly polyamide and stainless steel, allowing for flexibility, durability, and a lightweight feel.

Flex-on also makes safety stirrups for children with Flex-on Safe-On Junior stirrup. These stirrups offer the same features as the original Safe-On design, just sized down for the comfort of younger riders.

Mary’s Tack and Feed prioritizes the safety of the rider and the horse. We strive to stay as up-to-date as possible with the safety technology that is available. Even as older safety features become outmoded, there are still many types of safety features that achieve excellent comfort and stability. Whether shopping for a solid beginner stirrup to start out with, or safety stirrups for a dressage, hunter, or show jumper, these stirrups offer the variability to meet the standards of any English rider’s needs.