LeMieux Vector Control Stirrup Safety Bar

Ride the Control in boots with a sole firm enough to take the pins; soft rubber wears through sooner. Hang the stirrups mirrored, with the hinged arm on the outside each time, and feel before you mount whether that arm is locked and still comes free under sideways pressure. After work in a sandy school, rinse the stirrups and wipe them dry, so no grains stay between the arm and the frame. That is also the spot you look at first in the yearly check: an arm that sticks or no longer clicks back easily does not belong on your saddle.

Choose the Control if you are used to a flat stirrup and want to set your own foot position. That goes for showjumping, eventing, dressage and hacking; the choice here is about feel, not about discipline. If you want the stirrup to push your heel down for you, the LeMieux Vector Balance with its tread at 5 degrees fits better. For a young rider the Junior Vector Balance is the one, with an arm that comes free with less force and a less aggressive tread surface. And if you would rather ride a stirrup without pins, the Zandona Omnia with its rough, rasp-like tread surface is an alternative within our range.

Thread the stirrups onto your stirrup leathers with the hinged arm on the outside, mirrored left and right. Check that the arm is fully clicked into the base of the frame, and push it sideways to feel that it still comes free. After a fall, or after it has opened, push the arm back by hand until it clicks audibly. Wipe the stirrups with a cloth, keep the arm clear of sand and store them dry.

What is the difference from the Vector Balance?

The angle of the tread surface. The Control is flat at 0 degrees, the Balance at 5 degrees. Frame, arm, grip and weight are the same on both.

Who suits a flat tread?

Riders who are used to a classic stirrup and who manage their heel position with their own leg rather than with the shape of the stirrup.

How does the outer arm come free?

Through sideways pressure. The arm is locked into the base of the frame in two stages; LeMieux measures a release force of 36 N (3.62 kg) for that. You then push it back by hand until it clicks.

Does the arm open in every fall?

No, and LeMieux says so itself. With an unusual angle of exit or a loose girth, the arm can stay shut. So keep taking your usual precautions with this stirrup too.

Which size should I take?

There is one size. Keep at least 10 mm of space on each side between the frame and the widest point of your foot, wearing the boot you actually ride in.

Are the pins hard on my boots?

They grip into your sole. On thick, profiled rubber you hardly notice it; on a thin or soft sole they leave small dents.

How do I care for them?

Wipe with a cloth and store dry. Above all, keep the space between the arm and the frame clear of sand, because the movement has to stay easy there.

May I start at a competition with them?

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

• Vector stirrup with a flat tread at 0 degrees, machined from aluminium.
• 419 grams per stirrup, one size, seven finishes.
• Cross-hatch tread surface with inset hardened steel pins.
• Hinged outer arm, locked in two stages, release force 36 N (3.62 kg).
• Double arch system under the tread spreads the weight across the base.
• Hangs roughly 45 degrees outwards, which makes picking it up easier.
• LeMieux states that such an arm does not open with certainty in every fall.
• Tread width and a rider weight limit are not specified.