For those riding in Western type saddles; be sure
to run the fender all the way up to the bar & try to get as narrow a leather
area closest to the stirrup. If you remember seeing Ortho-Flex's Caliente
& Traditional models, they all had a slit/space forward of the calf flap
& behind the stirrup leathers that allowed the stirrup to 'easily' turn
which took the tork out of the knee from your leg having to turn the stirrup out
from the fender. Any saddle maker/repair person could modify your fender
with a slot so that a traditional fender could release that pressure that ends
up in the knee & ankle. That's one of the reasons they used the
biothane. Took the bulk out of that area & the biothane allowed the
stirrup to turn more easily.
i had some knee pain for a while, then put some of those stirrup
straighteners on my saddle. even synthetic fenders, etc., will put
a little side load on your knees and cause some pain. work on keeping
your toes pointed straight ahead too, which by the way is much easier with the
stirrups hanging straight. another thing i havent heard anyone mention
is, avoid riding with your stirrups too long. you need to have some flex
in your legs so you can move with your horse. if the stirrups are too
long you wont be able to flex your knees and you will put more of a vertical
load on them. you have to keep your legs loose, but be able to flex your
knees. experiment with stirrup length until you get it just
right! ed
