American Equus "E'Lan" English Stirrups - Hunter & Dressage

A wide-footbed iron with branches contoured to the horse's barrel, in billet aluminum. Sold as a pair.

The branches are the design. Rather than dropping straight, they are shaped to follow the leg around the barrel of the horse, which takes pressure off the knee, the ankle and the foot over a long session. The footbed is the wide version with the ramp-in design, and American Equus argues that spreading the rider's weight across the whole foot rather than the ball of it also settles the seat. The traction pin system grips the sole of the boot directly instead of relying on a rubber tread. The body is 6061 T6 billet aluminum machined from solid, finished in Super Chrome, with a stated lateral crush strength of 3,000 lb per square inch. The footbed itself is a quick-change component.

Specifications:

• Ergonomically contoured branches
• 6061 T6 aircraft billet aluminum, machined from solid
• Stated lateral crush strength 3,000 lb per square inch
• Wide footbed, quick-change
• Interchangeable traction pin system
• Hand polished, Super Chrome finish
• Weight 395 g each
• Dimensions 4.95 in W x 3.2 in D x 6.5 in H
• Footbed color: Chrome or Illusion Black
• Traction pin style: Apex pointed top, or Stud flat top
• Sold as a pair

Two choices to make at the selector:

Footbed color. Chrome matches the branches for a single bright finish. Illusion Black is the darkened footbed, which sets it against the polished branch. Pin style. The Apex pin has a pointed top and bites harder into a sole. The Stud pin has a flat top and is gentler on boot leather. The pins are interchangeable later, so this is not a permanent decision.

This iron has no release mechanism.

Worth stating plainly. A release is a movable outer arm that opens under the pressure of a foot pushing outward, and this iron does not have one. What you are buying here is shaping, finish and the quick-change footbed, so if a release is what you want, buy for that first and choose the shape second.

What sets this one apart:

Branches contoured to follow the leg around the barrel of the horse rather than dropping straight, with no release mechanism. The footbed is the wide one, 3.2 inches deep, ramp-in and quick-change, with an interchangeable traction pin system and a choice of footbed color and pin style. It is 6061 T6 billet aluminum in Super Chrome at 395 grams each, with a stated lateral crush strength of 3,000 lb per square inch.

Why it is here:

Branches shaped around the barrel. A straight branch forces the ankle to do the accommodating, and a rider feels that at the end of a long day rather than at the start of one.