A Short History of a Useful Item - The Stirrup
By mosquito
•
11th May 2010 •
19,531 views
•
5 comments
|
|
Just about every rider – English or Western - relies on stirrups to get on and off, to keep their balance, and to make riding more enjoyable. It’s easy to take them for granted. But where did they come from?
The first time horses were used for riding was in Asia, around 5000BC. Before that, horses were domesticated, but they were mainly food animals. It was quickly discovered that they were more fun to ride than to eat, and from that point on began all sorts of innovations in equipment for riding.
The very first stirrups weren’t made of metal, but were just loops of leather on either side of a simple surcingle, and these were invented in India around 500BC. The rider would put only their toes in the loop (they usually rode barefoot back then), but it was enough to make riding much easier. More importantly, it gave the rider much more stability and strength, which was especially important when they were trying to carry and use spears or other weapons.
Soon after the invention of saddles with trees, around 200BC, more complex stirrup designs were developed in China and Japan. A longer loop, not unlike the modern stirrup leather, was designed specifically for mounting. During the Jin Dynasty in China (about 300 - 500AD) actual paired stirrups become commonplace. Even though the ancient Romans had treed saddles, they did not develop the stirrup.
It wasn’t until long after, in the 6th century AD that the stirrup appeared in Europe, and its first appearance was in Sweden. Its arrival revolutionized warfare, as no longer did mounted soldiers have to be extraordinary athletes to be able to stay aboard their horse while using their heavy weapons. In fact, some historians say the arrival of the stirrup in Europe was as influential and revolutionary as the invention of the printing press or the discovery of gunpowder.
Even with the success of the Swedish warriors because of their stirrups, southern Europe didn’t start to sue stirrups until much later, in the 7th century. The design for these stirrups came from contact with the central Asian warriors – so Europe does have something to thank Attila the Hun for! Word spread quickly though, and by the 8th century stirrups were in widespread use across Europe. Some historians believe that the stirrup was what made it possible for knights to ride in armor – to carry all that extra weight securely without falling off – and so the stirrup was integral to the rise of medieval feudalism, and that stirrups were what made long campaigns like the Crusades possible.
Nowadays stirrups come in all kinds of styles, designed for specific types of riding or with extra safety features. Most people will experience riding without stirrups as they learn to ride, when their instructors take their stirrups always to help them learn to balance naturally. When this happens, it sometimes comes as quite a surprise to the rider just how much they use their stirrups for balance and stability! Expert riders attract awe when they accidentally lose their stirrups in the midst of competition, yet manage to stay secure aboard their horse due to experience, balance and strength.
Most riders hope to avoid that scenario when competing, but despite all of the advantages of stirrups, there’s no doubt that the very best riders are those that put their stirrups away from time to time and rediscover their natural balance with horses, no matter how unfamiliar and difficult it may be! |
|
|
whisper rules
wow i never knew all that!
wow i never knew all that!
|
May 11, 2010
• 17,596 views
|
|
|
|
Merlin
I never knew that! Wow!
I never knew that! Wow!
|
May 11, 2010
• 17,400 views
|
|
|
|
|
May 11, 2010
• 17,405 views
|
|
|
|
Sweetbriar
Very well written......
Very well written......
|
May 12, 2010
• 17,453 views
|
|
|
|
Ebony Acres
Hehehe! Good article... Reminds me of the time when I lost my stirrups cantering wildly on Bear, an ex-TB racer...
Hehehe! Good article... Reminds me of the time when I lost my stirrups cantering wildly on Bear, an ex-TB racer...
|
Jul 3, 2010
• 17,583 views
|
|
|
|
|
More News by mosquito
|
|
I couldn’t believe my eyes. For having been so little there before, it looked like a whole town had been turned inside out. Ben shook his head, and walked down to the trail slowly, carefully, picking out way around what was now de ...
|
|
We’ve seen how the lower legs and hoof all work together to help the horse move, even without any muscles there. Now let’s start looking at how the muscles of the horse really give him power, speed, and balance. Where better to st ...
|
|
We’ve taken a look at the solid structures of the lower leg – the bones – now let’s see what makes those bones move. First of all, remember that there are no muscles below the knee or the hock, so there’s no actual ‘engine’ to mov ...
|
|
There was no shelter, no trees, nothing. Ben called again and we turned further right, angling away from the train. We were going uphill, and that seemed even more foolish to me until we reached the crest. What goes up, goes down, ...
|
|
It wasn’t long before Luke rode up alongside us on Snowy. I couldn’t see him for my blinkers, but I could hear Snowy’s little quick hoofbeats and smell his carroty breath. Snowy reached over and gave me a nip on my muzzle; I turne ...
|
|
As the sun grew higher in the sky, the dew dried on the grass, and the last few lingering clouds fluttered and disappeared. The bright blue sky – with that deep blue of a cold morning – changed to a softer hue, as a muggy haze be ...
|
|
Now that we have the foundations – the hoof – let’s move up our horse and find out a little more about how he moves. In this article we’ll visit the lower leg. For the most part, the front and hind legs (below the knee and hock) a ...
|
|
I heard the rooster crow, and shifted in my stall to try and stretch as much as I could. First he crows, then Farmer Ben comes along, Bess and I have breakfast, and we get to work. Sunday was yesterday, when we got brushed up nice ...
|
|
|