I am very thankful and lucky that I get to review and give my thoughts on products for Winderen. Previously I teamed up with them to review The Gel Bit Systems, and still I use the bit almost every day in training and in competition. The team have ever so kindly send me out the Winderen Knee Protect Solution Stirrups to try out. When I say all my Christmas’s came at once, I certainly mean it! Keep reading below as I go through the features & my thoughts on the stirrups after trailing them over a number of weeks at shows, in training, on hacks and at home.
About The Product
The Winderen knee protect solution shock absorbing stirrups (To mention their full name!) have been designed as Innovative stirrups with a Knee Protect Solution and an a kinetic energy absorber system installed in order to significantly reduce strain on the rider’s knee / joints whilst they ride.
When creating the Winderen Knee Protect Solution stirrups they really wanted to achieving quite a specific product in terms of creating something specifically for the rider. The end goal was to create an unusually solid stirrup giving the rider an unchangeable foot position in the stirrup, which in turn would give the rider a stable and comfortable lower leg whilst in the saddle.
Features
Before I get into my thoughts and opinions on the product, let me run through some features to give you the reader a full overview.
Adjustable Footpads
The stirrups have an adjustable tilt of the footpad. This means, you the rider can adjust the tilt of the stirrup base to suit your comfort levels whilst in the saddle. All riders have different preferences, so Winderen made it possible for each stirrup to be capable of being individually able to adjust to the rider’s needs. You can adjust it flat or a to a tilt of 5 degrees.
I won’t lie, I can across this feature by mistake, it is a fantastic feature in terms of adjusting to suit flatwork or jumping.
Footpad Grips & Durability
The stirrup footpads are made of durable, abrasion resistant composite. They have small spiked like ridges that give your riding boot additional grip in turn preventing your foot from slipping around or out of the stirrup.
The brand Winderen seem to really focus on catering to riders needs ensuring they have the best quality of product at all times. I was quite surprised when I read that if your stirrup grips (the part your foot sits on) start hard-wearing or the grips get abrased or worn out, you can send your stirrups directly to Winderen and they exchange the footpads for a new ones.
This is a service I did not expect to be available & continue to be ever so impressed by this brand.
Kinetic energy absorber system of Winderen riding stirrups
The stirrups have 2 absorbers, upper and lower. The upper absorber has been developed to absorb energy created by direct pressure. It mainly kicks into effect when you land after a jump making the rider feel more safe and secure in their foot position. The lower absorber provides a stable comfortable foot support, endurance riders find this quite beneficial as they tend to hold the same foot position for long periods of time.
My Opinion on The Product
Here we go, the truth will set you free and all that! The timing for this product review was impeccable. I was on the lookout for a new pair of stirrups for quite a while before this opportunity arose. My current stirrups just weren’t cutting it anymore. Reasons why, I won’t mention but the selling point of the stirrup and the stirrup itself in action it didn’t add up for me.
Winderen Knee Protect Solution Stirrups, I won’t lie, I hadn’t actually hear an awful lot about the product, after doing some research and reading about the extensive trailing and tests to create the stirrups I was simply extremely impressed.
I have one bad knee, and I have one leg that is shorter than the other (only by a few centimeters) this was from a bad leg break of my leg when I was younger, so comfort in the stirrup is something I longed for. Being able to adjust the positioning of the foot was a massive plus for me and it meant I could adjust one stirrup specifically to suit the way my leg sits.
The Winderen Knee Protect Solution stirrups reduced strain on my knees, something I always felt when I dismounted after a long ride in other branded stirrups. Comfort wise, whilst they are quite a large bulky stirrup, they feel and ride super light, almost like a hand in a glove but in stirrup form!
With all the above mentioned, I have seen massive improvements to my leg position whilst in the saddle, I feel stable, secure and my leg is naturally working in a better position. I feel as if I can ride my horse without having to think about what my leg is doing. The Winderen stirrups have noticeably improved the position of my lower leg. Looking back at old videos & recent video my leg looks stable especially on landing from a fence, the swinging back and forth has almost disappeared.
Overall both mine and my horses comfort has come on leaps whilst riding. I would say that everyone needs to go out and buy these stirrups, but in hindsight they really have not compared to stirrups on the market similarly or even priced higher. Having good quality riding equipment can make such small changes leading to substantial improvements in the way we ride.
I do however have one slight con, the hole where you thread your stirrup leather is quite tight. I panicked when I first tried to put my leathers in as I thought they would never fit through (they may just be stiff due to my lack of cleaning) after speaking to the team at Winderen, they have brought this to their design team and are looking at improving the stirrup eye to be slightly larger so that no1 else comes across this issue!
Looking to Try The Winderen Knee Protect Solution Stirrups?
Well you can do so via the Winderen website. (The brand that keeps on giving!) Winderen allow you to rent the stirrups for 7 working days, this does not include weekends, you do however need to cover the cost of shipping. A deposit is also required which can be used if you decide to purchase, it gets refunded fully if you decide they are not for you.
Click Here To Rent Your Very Own Pair Before Your Purchase
To Summarize..
Well you can do so via the Winderen website. (The brand that keeps on giving!) Winderen allow you to rent the stirrups for 7 working days, this does not include weekends, you do however need to cover the cost of shipping. A deposit is also required which can be used if you decide to purchase, it gets refunded fully if you decide they are not for you.
Cost per set – €239.00
Colours available – Over 14 colours to choose from
