Passier Stirrup Leather Velvet Touch

Before you order, measure your current stirrup leathers from the end to the buckle and compare that with the lengths above. If you ride short, over a course for instance, you need a shorter leather than a dressage rider who rides long. Swap left and right regularly, so both leathers take their turn on the mounting side. Every time you tack up, check the hole the prong sits in and the stitching at the buckle; those are the places the force comes onto. Clean the leather with saddle soap and then feed it with leather balm. Sweat draws moisture out of leather and leaves it dry and brittle, so after sweaty rides clean them sooner rather than later.

These leathers suit riders who want a narrow, flat stirrup leather that does not stretch: dressage riders who want to feel as little as possible under their leg, showjumpers who want the same length left and right every time, and anyone who rides daily and wants a leather that lasts for years. In black they stay neutral on any saddle; havana is what you pick with brown leatherwork. If you ride a dressage saddle with a single flap and want no double layer of leather under your leg at all, mono stirrup leathers make more sense. And if what you are really after is extra width or a thicker leather as support, a wider stirrup leather will suit you better.

Slide the leather through the stirrup bar of the saddle, then through the eye of your stirrup and back up, and buckle it. Every time you tack up, check the hole the prong sits in and the stitching at the buckle. Swap left and right regularly. Clean the leather with saddle soap, let it dry and then feed it with leather balm. Store the leathers dry, not in full sun or next to a heat source.

Are these stirrups or stirrup leathers?

Stirrup leathers. You get a pair of leathers to hang your own stirrups on the saddle with; no stirrups are included.

Which length do I need?

Measure your current leathers from the end to the buckle and choose the same length. Riders who ride short need a shorter leather than riders who ride long. The lengths run from 110 to 170 cm in steps of 10 cm.

Do they stretch after a while?

Passier states that the nylon core works against stretching, also with intensive use. So do not count on breaking in: choose the right length straight away.

How wide are they?

2.5 cm. That is the narrow version, meant to build up little bulk under the saddle flap.

How many holes do they have?

25, set close together. That lets you adjust in small steps and level left and right finely.

Are they suitable for a dressage saddle?

Yes. The narrow leather and the curved stainless steel buckle are meant to lie flat under the saddle flap. If you have a saddle with a single flap and want no double layer at all, mono stirrup leathers make more sense.

Which colours are there?

Black and havana. Black comes in every length; havana in 110, 120, 130, 140 and 170 cm.

How do I look after them?

Clean the leather with saddle soap and then feed it with leather balm. Sweat dries leather out, so clean them after sweaty rides. Do not dry the leathers next to a heat source.

• Pair of Passier stirrup leathers, not stirrups.
• European calfskin with a Velvet Touch finish, supple from the start.
• Nylon core against stretching, so left and right stay equal.
• 25 closely spaced holes for fine adjustment.
• Curved stainless steel buckle that follows the saddle.
• Width 2.5 cm; lengths from 110 to 170 cm.
• Colours black and havana.
• The leather needs care with saddle soap and leather balm.