What length stirrup leathers do I need?

Most adults who jump or ride general purpose land around 54 inches, and most dressage riders go longer, around 60. Those are the averages Horse & Hound gives in its guide to stirrup leather length. Short adults may need 52 inches or even 48, children usually take 48, and young children may need 42 inches or shorter. Taller riders go longer and shorter riders shorter.

Your own number depends on your leg and your discipline, so treat the chart as a place to start. A rider who is between sizes should think about which way she'll ride most. Leathers have holes, so a pair a little long is easier to live with than a pair that runs out.

Browse leathers in our stirrups, leathers and fenders category once you know your length.

Measure from your armpit to your fingertips and double it for a ballpark length. That's the arm method in Horse & Hound's guide. If your arm measures 27 inches, doubling gives 54, which matches the adult average. You can also check before you mount: put your fist against the stirrup bar, pull the stirrup down, and see if the iron reaches your armpit when you stretch along your arm.

Dressage riders sit with a longer leg. Horse & Hound says to measure from your inseam to your ankle bone and double it. The result is typically six to eight inches longer than the arm measurement, and the average is about 60 inches.

Check how the store labels the length. Most list the full length, such as 48 inches, but some list the length with the stirrup attached, such as 24 inches. If the number looks half what you expected, that's usually the reason.

Dressage is the longest, showjumping is shorter and cross-country is shorter still. That order comes from what each job asks of your leg. In dressage the rider sits deep and the leg hangs long. In showjumping a shorter stirrup lets you stay off the horse's back over the fence. Cross-country is shorter again, so you can ride in a two-point seat at the gallop.

For trail riding and general lessons, most riders choose something between the two. Your trainer will tell you where your leg belongs. If you change disciplines or saddles, expect to move a hole or two, and don't be surprised if you need a different length of leather.

Show rules touch the leathers too. In USEF dressage, DR121 requires that the stirrup leathers hang freely from their anchor point, without extra attachments to the saddle or girth. See the USEF Dressage rules and our safety stirrups Barn Talk page.

A child usually takes 48-inch leathers, and a young child may need 42 inches or shorter. Those figures are from Horse & Hound. Short adults often wear 52, or even 48, so a 48 can carry a growing rider from childhood to her teens.

Adjustment holes are the point of buying a bit long. Horse & Hound mentions that a hole punch can add holes to leathers you already own. Ask your trainer before you punch anything.

Remember the iron as well. Some safety stirrups set their release by rider weight, and Horse & Hound notes that junior versions of some models suit riders under 40 kg. Check the weight limits on the stirrup you choose, and read our Barn Talk page on safety stirrups. Our page on the peacock stirrup ban explains which safe alternatives the US Pony Club suggests.

Plain leather stirrup leathers stretch a little over time, and you should replace them when you see cracking or thinning at the stress points. Our stirrups and leathers page says to check leathers regularly for wear at the buckle holes and along the leather itself. If cracking or thinning shows at a stress point, replace them. Look at both leathers, since one side often wears first.

You'll see 'non stretch' and 'nylon center' in the names of some leathers in our catalog, and the Horze review earlier on this page praises a nylon-reinforced pair for not stretching. If one leather seems longer than it was, measure both before you ride.

Go with your own measurement, not the average. Taller riders need longer leathers and shorter riders need shorter ones. Horse & Hound says so directly for dressage, and the same logic holds in other saddles. A short adult may sit right in the 52-inch range, or even in a child's 48, while a tall dressage rider may need more than the 60-inch average.

If you land between two lengths, think about how much room the holes give you. A pair that leaves you in the middle holes can move a few inches in either direction. A pair that puts you on the last hole has no room left, and a stretching leather will make it worse.

Check how the store labels length. Many list the full length, and a few list the length with the iron attached. Measure both before you assume you've found your size.

It can, because the leather has to fit through your iron's eye, and the buckle and width decide how it feels under your leg. Our catalog lists leathers in several widths, such as 3/4 inch, 7/8 inch and 1 inch, plus wide comfort styles, and in materials from plain leather to leather with a nylon center and synthetic.

Match the leather to the iron's eye. Before you buy new leathers, make sure they'll pass through the iron, and check the buckle sits where it won't pinch your leg. If you're replacing only the leathers, take a note of the width of the pair you have now.

Choose irons one inch wider than the width of your boot at the ball of your foot. Horse & Hound's stirrup guide says that leaves half an inch of clearance on each side once your foot is in. Measure your boot, not your bare foot, and measure across the widest part.

Not every stirrup comes in several sizes, and safety stirrups may be sized by rider weight. Check the limits for activating the safety mechanism, then check again if your child grows. Our page on the peacock stirrup ban says to choose a stirrup with a wide tread for a secure foot, and a weight and size that suit your boot.

Show rules shape the iron as well. USEF dressage rule DR121 says safety stirrups must have closed branches of metal or other breakaway material, that the foot must not be fully or partly enclosed, and that the closing mechanism must not have an upward-projecting hook. Our peacock stirrup ban page notes the US Pony Club ban on peacock stirrups from January 1, 2025, and USEF's rule on saddle attachments with a rigid upward projection from December 1, 2025. Check your own division's rule before you show.

Winter boots are bulkier. If you ride in a heavy barn boot, measure that boot. Our Barn Talk page on keeping your feet warm in the stirrup has more on that.

Put them on, hang your leg, and check you still have holes to spare in both directions.

• Compare the label with your measurement, and ask whether it's the full length or the length with the iron attached.
• Check that you're near the middle holes, so you can go shorter or longer.
• Check both leathers are the same length, and the buckles sit where they won't pinch under your leg.
• Ride a few minutes, then adjust a hole. Most riders will.
• Look at the leathers every few weeks for wear at the holes.