BR Stirrup Treads Classic

Measure your stirrup before you order: lay a tape measure inside it, from one side arm to the other, at the height of the footbed. That measurement decides your choice, 11 or 12 cm. Always replace both pads together. If you choose white, bear in mind that white rubber shows sand and sweat; a brush and water keep it tidy. Take the pads out of the stirrup now and then and rinse the sand out of the profile, because grit between rubber and steel works like sandpaper. Let them dry before you put them back, so that no moisture is left standing under the pad.

Choose the classic when a studded profile that bites in a pointed way suits you, when your stirrups measure 11 cm, or when you need white for a competition stirrup. Dressage, showjumping, eventing and hacking make no difference; the pad is discipline-neutral and goes into a schooling stirrup as often as into a competition stirrup. If you ride with stirrups of 12 cm and would rather have a ribbed profile with a rounded front and back, the BR square stirrup pads are the other version. And if your stirrup has its own fixed tread, no separate pad belongs in it.

Lay the pad studs up on the footbed of the stirrup and push it under the side arms with your thumbs until it lies flat. New rubber is stiff; a bit of pushing comes with it. When you tack up, look whether both pads lie flat and have not shifted. Take them out regularly to rinse sand out of the stirrup and out of the profile, and let them dry before you put them back. Replace the pair when the profile is flat.

Do I choose 11 or 12 cm?

Measure the inside width of your stirrup: the distance between the two side arms, at the height of the footbed. That measurement decides the size of the pad. Your shoe size plays no part.

What is the difference with the BR square stirrup pads?

The classic has a studded profile. The square version has a ribbed profile with a rounded front and back and comes only in black and 12 cm. The rubber is the same in both cases.

Will they fit my stirrups?

They fit almost all standard stirrups, such as Fillis stirrups. Stirrups with a fixed built-in tread do not take a separate pad.

Do I get one or two?

You get them per pair.

Does white rubber stay white?

White rubber shows sand, sweat and leather grease more clearly than black. Water and a brush bring it back to tidy; a lasting grey cast after a few seasons is normal.

How do I clean them?

Take them out of the stirrup, rinse them with water and brush the sand out of the profile. Let them dry before you put them back.

How long do they last?

That depends on how much you ride and on your boot sole. Replace them when the studs are flat or when the rubber turns hard or crumbly. The manufacturer gives no service life.

Can they go in a safety stirrup?

A Fillis safety stirrup with a rubber release holds the same kind of pad. Measure the inside width and take the matching size; then check that the pad does not run up against the release.

• Separate rubber pads for stirrups, per pair.
• Straight model with an anti-slip studded profile.
• 100 per cent natural rubber, non-toxic and PAH-free.
• In black and white, in 11 and 12 cm.
• Fits almost all standard stirrups, such as Fillis stirrups.
• Suitable for dressage, showjumping, eventing and hacking.
• Not for stirrups with a fixed built-in tread.