Finding Affordable Stirrup Irons

It’s been over a month that I have had my new wide stirrup leathers from Total Saddle Fit and I am absolutely loving them. If you haven’t heard of wide stirrup leathers, you should really read my review of them. They are fantastic!

But I wasn’t loving the stirrups I had to go with them so I have been testing out different irons.

I had never put a lot of thought into my stirrups. I mean they are just for resting your feet right? And for a long time, there really wasn’t much of a choice. But just like everything else, there have been some pretty fancy improvements in stirrups. And while they can be really expensive, I have found some very suitable and affordable options that I wanted to share with you.

Aluminium Stirrups

So I decided to go shopping for some new stirrups . And while the aluminium ones weren’t the first ones I bought, they are my new favorite. At first I thought they were just a fad, and not really something that would improve my riding. I was wrong.

I have seen these before, but could never justify buying them because of the price tag. So I thought I would share with you a couple of different options in a couple of different price points.

Jin Stirrups

The Jin Stirrups are lightweight and secure. They are made in Italy from top quality aluminum, which makes these stirrups so light. They weigh less than 300 grams each. And they have a wide, ergonomically shaped footbed angled at 4 degrees to ensure excellent grip and maximum stability. They also come in colors, which is just fancy!

And these are the ultimate aluminium stirrups, and they also have the highest price. You can find these stirrups at Riding Warehouse and they cost around $200.00.

Kavalkade Alu Durable Aluminium Stirrups

A more affordable option in aluminium stirrups would be these. These are the Kavalkade Alu durable aluminium stirrups. These wide tread stirrups enhance your security in the saddle with the wide foot tread. The Alu stirrups feature a high-traction, wide aluminum tread that offers a greater base of support while reducing slippage and improving safety in the saddle.  Just like the Jin stirrups, these are lightweight and have a very similar style to the Jin.

And while not super inexpensive, these stirrups are more affordable at $79.95 at Riding Warehouse.

No Name Aluminium Stirrups

And this is the route I decided to go. I found some no name aluminium stirrups on eBay for $39.99. I decided to see if I would like them, because they are different from any stirrups I had ever used before, and I just wasn’t sure if I would like them. But once I tried them, I was sold.

These stirrups are fantastic. The lightweight metal is super strong, just like traditional stirrups. But they wide footbed is so nice. I find it easier to keep my stirrups, and also find it easier to keep my leg on my horse, not my knee. I am so glad I found them, and even happier that they were so affordable.

I looked for them on Amazon, and they are a little harder to find than eBay. But if you like colors, they have them. I found purple, red, and yellow on Amazon for around $29.00, and they have the silver and black ones on eBay for around $40.00. Either way, this was the most affordable option for the aluminium stirrups. And they work great. I can’t compare to the Jin stirrups, because I haven’t ever ridden in those. But I am VERY happy with the ones I did buy.

Ultimate Offset Stirrups

And I wasn’t finished trying stirrups, I also wanted to replace the MDC Ultimate Stirrups I had at one time. Because I really did love them, but they were too big for me, and I had a hard time justifying that I had spent so much on stirrups, so I sold them. I guess I felt guilty.

MDC Ultimate Stirrup Irons

These are very nice stirrups. They are heavy though, because they are made of stainless steel. The MDC Ultimate Stirrups are touted as being the ultimate in performance and safety. They create customizable support and stability in the saddle. They offer patented positioning technology and shock-absorbing flexible sides. This stirrup delivers improved stirrup and leg position that relieves pressure on your ankles, knees, hips and back.

The patented adjustable top provides preset positions for a traditional angle as well as 45º or 90° open angles that improve the rider’s ability to regain a lost stirrup. These open angles also prevent the stirrup from turning back toward the horse’s side, reducing the risk of getting a foot caught up in the stirrup in the event of a fall. They do that, I can attest from personal experience when I got bucked off my horse. My feet came right out of the stirrups.

After I would ride, I had no knee or ankle pain, when I used these stirrups. To me, that was definitely a good thing. But these stirrups are at the high end of cost. The best price I could find was at Riding Warehouse. And they cost around $220.00. Yes, they are expensive, but they are a really nice stirrup. And if you have knee or ankle pain, you can ride and not have pain.

No Name Offset Stainless Steel Jointed Stirrups

So after I sold my MDC stirrups, I can honestly say I was bummed. I really liked them, but again, I didn’t like how much they cost. Why does horse equipment have to cost so much??!??!

But one day when I was looking for bargains on eBay, I found these…

And from the moment I saw them I was like “Oh yes, I need these!” And while they aren’t exactly the same as the MDC stirrups, they are similar. The one big difference is that they are in a fixed position where they attach to the stirrup leather. But they still lay relatively flat when they are run up on my leathers.

They have the same jointed and flexible sides which is great for your own joints. But the connection part is why I love these stirrups. It keeps your stirrup turned out and facing forward, even after you take your feet out of the stirrups. This makes it easier on your knees, and no more twisting stirrup leather under your leg.

Sometimes they can be challenging to find on eBay, but they do have them on Amazon. And on Amazon they have a lot of different color options. They have the traditional silver, but they also have black, rainbow metal, green, red, blue, and well pretty much any color you would like. But the best part is the price. You can buy these offset bendy stirrups for $44.99 and free shipping.

Bargain Prices Doesn’t Mean Lower Quality

In the case of these different stirrup options, I found the knock off stirrups performed very well. And while I can’t compare the Jin stirrups to the aluminum ones I bought, they are still great. I think I actually prefer the aluminum stirrups to the offset ones, but the offset bendy stirrups are great too.

And to be able to find more updated stirrups for about the same price as traditional Fillis style stirrups, I am very happy. And I am even happier that there are affordable options for great products we need for making the most of our riding time.

I hope you found this information helpful, and if you are thinking about buying a new pair of stirrups, hopefully these links will be useful for you. And for full transparency, the links I have provided here are affiliate links. Which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission from the company. Which helps me to continue doing what I do here, on my blog and over on my YouTube channel The Budget Equestrian. So thank you in advance for allowing me to continue doing what I do!