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Tie the pony or horse to a post, rail, or crossties before beginning your stirrup adjustments. Never leave your horse or pony untied while moving the stirrups up or down. Alternatively, can have someone else hold the horse in place while you adjust the stirrups. Before measuring for your stirrup length, you need to be sure that the horse's saddle is on correctly. If it is not, the measurements you do will not be correct. Look both parallel to the horse and perpendicular, making sure that the saddle is square and that the stirrups are both the same length. If the saddle is not square, adjust the saddle on top of the horse before you start adjusting the stirrups. Find a starting position for the stirrup in which it is about as long as your arm. This will allow you to hold it out and do more exact measuring. Pull the stirrup iron straight out until it sits just under your armpit, and the leather runs the full length of your arm. If the end of the stirrup iron doesn't reach your armpit when your fingers reach the saddle, then the stirrup is too short. If it droops between your armpit and your fingers, then it is too long. While measuring, stand perpendicular to the horse and the stirrups. If you have just begun riding, have shorter rather than longer stirrups so that you will have more control. Once you know the correct length, you will need to adjust the length by putting the stirrup buckle into the correct hole on the stirrup leather. Get hold of the buckle at the top of the stirrup leather and adjust the buckle until the stirrup is the correct length. Most buckles are tucked up close to the saddle but can be pulled down lower during adjustment. This will make adjustment easier. Loosen the stirrup on the other side so that it is about as long as your arm. Pull the stirrup iron straight out towards your armpit. The length of the stirrup from the connection on the saddle to the bottom of the stirrup iron should be the length of your arm from the armpit to the fingertips. Once both are adjusted, look at them both from the front of the horse. They should be the same length. The length of stirrups you want may also differ slightly depending on what type of riding you are going to do. For example, If you are jumping or roping, you need a short stirrup length to sit higher in the saddle. If you are doing dressage, cutting, or saddle seat riding, your stirrup length should be slightly longer because the rider is sitting back in the saddle and using a lot of leg to control the horse.
Secure your horse or pony. Check that the saddle is on correctly. Measure the stirrup against your arm. Adjust the buckle on the stirrup leather. Repeat the process on the other side. Keep the type of riding you will be doing in mind.