[RC] Fw: [RC] more on Oxbow Stirrups ? - Dot Wiggins
Oxbow stirrups used to be more common. The
cowboy boots with real heels had steel arches that were curved on the bottom of
the arch. The bottom curve of the oxbow fit the shape of the steel
arch.
The curve followed the shape of the boot sole and
was close to the side of the foot. This close fit made it harder to lose a
stirrup on a bucking horse. Riders rode with the foot in the stirrup all
the way to the heel. With today's flat, wide, boot/shoe arches
and low heels the round bottomed oxbows are not comfortable and are inclined to
not let the foot come out of the stirrup in an unplanned dismount.
<g>
Ropers and steer wrestlers use a wide, flat
bottomed stirrup that is easier to get out of for fast
git-offs.
Most of us today ride on the ball of the foot for
more flex of the ankle and knee and like a wider stirrup.
