Side Step Safety Stirrups

[guest@endurance.net]

April Johnson tannasmom@gmx.net
Hi, RideCampers,

I haven't been reading RC much lately. I've had way too much fun riding
and
hanging out at the barn.

Now that my horse, Tanna, and I have bonded and are getting more
comfortable
on the trail, even by ourselves, I have been looking to make my rides
easier
on my knees, ankles, and feet.

I ride in an old hand-me-down leather Western saddle. It fits Tanna about
as
well as I can hope for now, so I'm postponing buying another saddle until
I
get enough money and settle on what saddle to buy.

So I need stirrups for a Western saddle. I know a lot of people like the
EZ
Ride stirrups and the Cloud stirrups. I have ridden once or twice with EZ
Ride and like them a lot.

I'm also considering Side Step Safety Stirrups. They run for about
$100/pair. (Can get weird colors on Ebay for about $50) You can look at
them at
www.surerider.com. My husband and I like the look of these and the safety
feature
that would allow me to come off Tanna cleanly instead of being dragged.
Another distance rider pointed out to me that the stirrups may lean or sag
and
ultimately cause ankle pain over long distances.

So my question to you is: Have you ever used Side Step Safety Stirrups? If
so, what distances have you ridden with these stirrups? What did you like
best? Or least? Would you recommend them to a fellow distance rider?

Thanks for any responses. Private email or list email is fine for me. I'm
posting from Guest because I keep getting my emails back from trying to
post directly.

April (ow, my knees and feet hurt)
Tanna (stop wiggling, mom!)
Daniel (what if you fall off?)

tannasmom@gmx.net