LeMieux Vector Balance Stirrup Safety Bracket

Before every ride, check that the outer arm is fully locked into the base of the frame and that it still comes free easily when you push it sideways. Sand and dried mud between the arm and the frame make the movement sluggish, so rinse the stirrups after a session in the outdoor school and wipe them dry afterwards. Store them somewhere dry, not in a damp grooming bag. If you ride with pins in the tread surface, check your soles regularly, because pins bite into soft rubber. Since the arm forms only one side of the stirrup, hang left and right the right way round on the stirrup leathers, with the arm on the outside each time.

The Vector Balance suits riders who want to set the foot on a slightly sloping tread and find their leg settles because of it: dressage, showjumping, eventing and plain daily work. If you would rather have a flat tread surface, with the foot horizontal and the drop of your heel entirely up to you, the LeMieux Vector Control is the logical alternative within the same range: same frame, same arm, but a tread at 0 degrees. For young riders there is the Junior Vector Balance, with an arm that comes free with less force. And if you are after a stirrup with more mass under the foot, the Zandona Omnia at 680 grams each is the better fit.

Thread the stirrup onto your stirrup leather with the hinged arm on the outside, mirrored left and right, and check that the arm is fully clicked into the base of the frame. Push it sideways before every ride to feel that it still comes free. If it has opened, push it back by hand until it clicks. Wipe the stirrups with a cloth, clear any sand between the arm and the frame, and store them dry.

What is the difference from the LeMieux Vector Control?

Only the tread. On the Balance the tread surface sits at 5 degrees, on the Control it is flat at 0 degrees. Frame, arm, weight and grip are the same.

How does the outer arm work exactly?

The arm is spring-loaded and locked into the base of the frame in two stages. Under sideways pressure it comes free and the foot can leave the stirrup. You then push it back by hand until it clicks.

Does the arm always open in a fall?

No. LeMieux states itself that no stirrup with this type of arm opens with certainty in every fall. An unusual angle of exit or a loose girth can hinder the mechanism.

Which size do I need?

There is one size. LeMieux advises keeping at least 10 mm of space on each side between the frame and the widest point of your foot.

Will the steel pins damage my boots?

They grip into the sole, so in soft rubber they leave small dents over time. With a boot with a firm, profiled sole you notice little of it.

How do I clean them?

Wipe with a cloth and store dry. After wet or sandy work, make sure no sand stays between the arm and the frame.

May I use them at a competition?

LeMieux states that the model is permitted under the rules of the FEI, British Dressage, British Eventing and British Showjumping. If you ride in Belgium, check the rules of your own federation.

How much do they weigh together?

419 grams per stirrup. LeMieux does not give a total weight for the pair.

• Stirrup with an opening outer arm, machined from aerospace-grade aluminium.
• 419 grams per stirrup, one size, eight finishes.
• Tread at 5 degrees with cross-hatch grip and inset steel pins.
• Hinged arm with two-stage locking; release force 36 N (3.62 kg).
• Offset top holds the stirrup roughly 45 degrees outwards.
• LeMieux states that no arm of this type opens with certainty in every fall.
• Care: wipe with a cloth, store dry.
• Tread width and a rider weight limit are not given by LeMieux.