As a rider that suffers from chronic pain, being comfortable during my ride is important. I tried all sorts of solutions but continued to look over a small but vital piece of equipment that changed everything for me, my stirrups. For years, I had ridden is the most basic stainless steel stirrups and pads that you could find. They offered no shock absorption, support, or stability in any way, and honestly did more harm than good to my joints.
In the summer of 2017 my trainer and good friend, Lauren Knopp, turned me onto a stirrup company called MDC Stirrups. She had had back, ankle, and knee pain while riding previously but after using their stirrups had no pain. At the time, I was undiagnosed and didn’t have as high a pain level so I put the information in the back of my mind. When I did get my diagnosis I looked for solutions. Braces, compression sleeves, stretches, exercises, you name it, I probably tried it. Until Lauren brought up her stirrups again. Intrigued, I did more research and asked my orthopedic surgeon, who gave me the go ahead.
Upon looking into all the different models, I decided the Super Sports were the best option. The rotating top offered relief in what I call ‘airplane feet’, the rotation that your leg does to compensate for putting your foot out to set in the stirrup. Flexible sides helped to absorb the impact from jumping, posting, and pushing your heels down. Along with all the other awesome features, I opted for the wider, grippy metal tread pad. This type of tread gives a more stable and supportive base to the rider.
After my first ride in them, I knew I’d made the right choice. There was basically no pain during my ride and I was considerably less sore afterward as well. I personally set my rotational top to be at 90º. By having it at that angle, it makes ‘airplane feet’ a thing of the past and also has an added benefit of having it be easy to pick right back up if I lose it. The weight is also a very nice happy-medium of not heavy but still weighed down enough that they don’t bounce all over the place. If you are interested in looking into my choice of stirrups, you can find them here.
MDC offers a really wide range of models and styles in their product line. With a money back guarantee if you don’t love them, you can trust the product that you are buying. They even offer a stirrup consultation program to make sure you are getting the perfect stirrup for you. You can email or call them using the email on their about us page.
I hope y’all enjoyed this article about my favorite stirrups, MDC Super Sports! If you ever have any questions feel free to DM on Instagram @equestrian.syd!
Until Next Time Preps,
Sydney & The Ponies
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