Sprenger Bow Balance Stirrups - Stainless steel 120 mm

Watch the marking when you hang the stirrups: the L belongs on your left, the R on your right. Hang them the other way round and the curved shape works against you. Ride the first few times deliberately quietly: a jointed stirrup feels looser than a fixed one and your foot takes a moment to find its place. Before every ride, check the stirrup leather and the buckle, and feel whether the joint moves freely, without play or grinding. After a muddy or sandy ride, rinse the pad and let everything dry. A few times a season, look at whether the nubs still have pattern; if the rubber is smooth or hard, replace the pad.

This 120 mm suits adult riders with a normal riding boot size who want a jointed stirrup and a wide tread, in dressage, showjumping, eventing or out hacking. Riders who spend many hours a week in the saddle, or who ride with short stirrup leathers, also notice the difference with a fixed stirrup most clearly. If you have a narrow boot or a smaller shoe size, take the Bow Balance in 110 mm. If you prefer the classic, flat line of a stirrup without a joint and with a narrower tread, the Sprenger Fillis is the more logical choice. And if you specifically want an open outer side, look at a safety stirrup such as the Sprenger Peacock.

Slide the stirrup leather through the eye and hang the stirrup on the right side: L left, R right. Before every ride, check the leather, the buckle and whether the joint moves freely. After the ride, rinse off sand, mud and sweat with water and dry the stirrup. Store it dry. Replace the rubber pad when the nubs are smooth or hard; it is available separately per size and swaps over in a few moves.

Is 120 mm the usual size for an adult rider?

Yes. Sprenger calls 120 mm the standard size and 110 mm the children's size. Measure your boot sole if you are between two sizes.

What do you notice from the System 4 joint while riding?

The sides give with the movement of your foot, so your ankle is not locked at one angle. A deeply lowered heel therefore feels less stiff.

Is this a safety stirrup?

No. The outer branch stays closed. The joint gives way in a fall, but this is not a stirrup with an open or hinged outer side, and no standard is stated for it.

Why are there an L and an R on them?

Because the arch is curved, left and right are different. The marking shows which stirrup belongs on which side of the saddle.

Can I replace the rubber pad later on?

Yes. The pad for 120 mm is available as a separate part. Replace it as soon as the nubs are gone or the rubber turns hard.

May I use these stirrups in dressage competition?

Sprenger names dressage, cross-country and showjumping as uses. Always check the rules for your discipline and your federation with your own federation.

How heavy is this stirrup?

Sprenger gives no weight. Stainless steel weighs more than aluminium, so this is not a light stirrup.

How do I look after them?

Rinse with water, dry off and store dry. Check the joint and the pad regularly.

• Pair of jointed Sprenger stirrups in stainless steel.
• Tread width 120 mm, the standard size at Sprenger.
• System 4 joint in both side branches.
• Curved arch: leg closer to the horse, stirrup easier to pick up.
• Extra-wide tread with a rubber pad in two hardnesses, black/blue.
• Pad replaceable; stirrups marked L and R.
• Made in Germany at Herm. Sprenger.
• Closed outer branch, so not a safety stirrup.