Alutech Stirrups; In Review.

So....I may have sunk and splurged on buying these puppies!

I have been eyeing these up for a year now but at $380 CDN I just couldn’t bite the bullet. But then! My trustey tack wholesaler had two pairs in her paws and just wanted to scale down stock so I picked them up for $150!
How can I say no right!?

For years I have struggled with my stirrups and coming from nonstop hunter land I like them a bit short, it just feels right, my knees however no longer like that.

I tried swapping from my jointed stirrups to regular fillis, then I added the Super Comfort pads to my fillis irons which felt better giving the wider footbed yet I was still playing to get my footing to feel comfortable and stay that way.
Cheese graters were not an option.... I spend too much on boots!


I actually bought these back in December and waiting until now to ensure thorough test time.

I opted to go with the silver/black option with the new magnetic break away side function just in case incidentally something happens knowing baby horses.
Now, you may think the magnet would come undone easily and sacrifice security but it doesn’t. It actually takes quite a bit of force to pry open.

The entire stirrup structure is aluminum, though not light as one may think. They have a good weight to them!

The footbed is nice and wide and has an ultra grippy pointed pattern without being sharp like the graters and my foot never slips! Even with baby horse jumping the standard from a standstill! (Jump was all but 2’ with filler)


Analysis.

Pros.

- ultra wide footbed lending the secure feeling of standing on the ground rather than perching
- the solid aluminum build ensures long lasting wear and very little  maintenance
- neat style while remaining traditional in most aspects
- tons of personalizable colour options
- footbed is not sharp, not has it worn at all
- majorly secure feeling, no slip!
- knee pain. What knee pain? I had that?
- easy to clean and look like new
- safe with the magnetic opening arm
- replaceable footbeds if you want another style of they are damaged



Cons.

- small springs inside footbed that operates the arm does squeak slightly  when sand gets in the opening.
- look a bit bulky... to me...
- cost!!!! Way expensive at retail
- foot bed grid is arched inwards to avoid scratching tack when rolled but if you had a very smooth leather  I would venture to buy a pair of stirrup covers
- they are directional for the arm to operate. So making sure you instal the right side is a bit puzzling..... until you figure out that the ‘L’ and ‘R’ mean. Duh!
- tricky to adjust if you need to move your foot


Conclusion.

If you can accept the slightly unconventional look, compared to fillis for those very traditional folk, these are fabulous and something I could never give back having tried them.
I feel like I am standing on the ground. My foot does not move until I physically kick them off or reach down to maneuver.
My knees never hurt anymore and the nagging feeling that my foot doesn’t feel right is gone which is worth the price ten times over. Really boosts my confidence working with unpredictable babies.

I.... I just don’t know if I could pay nearly $400 bucks for them but for $200 or less I could handle it.
You will never need another pair of stirrups ever!

Buy them. Tomorrow! Go go!