Stirrups are one of the most heavily used and abused parts of the saddle. Riders put wear and tear on the stirrups when they use them to mount the horse, as well as by using them for balance. Stirrups are frequently moved and adjusted to meet the needs of different riders. They also have a tendency to get hung on inanimate objects, which can tear or weaken the leather.
Things You'll Need
- Leather hole punch
- Latigo
- Saddle rack
- Measuring tape
- Permanent marker
- Clothes pin
- Razor knife
Instructions
Damage: One stirrup leather is longer than the other
Place saddle on saddle rack. Over time the left stirrup leather on most saddles will get stretched out. This is caused by always mounting and dismounting on the left.
Adjust right stirrup to ideal length for the rider who will be using this saddle.
Adjust left stirrup so that it is on the same hole as the right stirrup. Stirrups that are not stretched out will be perfectly even.
Use measuring tape to measure from bottom of each stirrup to the ground.
Subtract left stirrup (the stretched out one) measurement from right stirrup measurement. This will give you the difference between them.
Measure distance between holes on stirrup leathers. If the distance between the next hole up and the difference in the length of the stirrups are close to equal, adjust left stirrup one hole higher.
If the distance is too small or too large to be covered by the quick-fix above, take the tape measure and use the distance you calculated earlier to mark how far the stirrup leather needs to adjust in order to be even with the right stirrup.
Once you have found the correct place, mark it lightly with the marker. Attach the stirrup leather to itself with the clothes pin and double check your measurements to make sure stirrups are now even.
Take hole punch and punch two new holes on marked location. Adjust stirrup to use new holes. Stirrups should be even.
Damage: Torn or Ripped Stirrup Leather
Hand sew any small tears back together using a heavy duty needle and thick canvas thread made for sewing leather.
Cut straight across the torn leather on both sides of a large or severe tear with a razor knife. You will want to create smooth, straight lines.
Bring two sides together so that they overlap one another.
Punch two holes in overlapping section. Make sure holes are even with one another. Lace the latigo through the holes and tie it in place to fasten the two pieces together.
Adjust stirrups to equal length. This may require punching new holes in stirrup leathers.