When you get a new saddle one of the first things you have to deal with is setting your fender length. Whether you are riding English or Western, here are some guidelines to follow to get an approximate starting length.
Getting Started On The Ground
Before you even step into the saddle you can start on the ground. Put one hand’s fingertips under the seat jockey right where the fender goes into the tree. With the other hand pull the bottom of the stirrup up to the armpit. Adjust the length so that the bottom of the stirrup is tight against the body at the armpit.
Checking The Adjustment In The Saddle
Next, step up into the saddle. With your feet out of the stirrups, check to see where your ankle bone is in comparison to the bottom of the stirrup. On average, a good length for most riders is when the bottom of the stirrup hangs right at the ankle bone. This will generally result in about 2-3 inches of clearance over the seat when standing in your stirrups.
Fine Tuning
So now that we have an average length dialed in, some other things to consider are:
Personal Preference
A lot of riders who have had little or no formal riding instruction may have just gotten used to riding with shorter or longer fenders. In these cases, whatever is comfortable works!
Riding Terrain
Depending on terrain you might shorten or lengthen your fenders. Compare a Dressage rider to a jumper or endurance rider. A Dressage rider usually has a longer stirrup length, with less bend in the knee.
A jumper or endurance rider, because they are constantly adjusting their body position to match the varied terrain, usually will ride with much shorter stirrups.
Conclusion
Start with an average length and then experiment a little by riding with a little shorter than average and then going with a little longer than average. Go with whichever feels the most balanced for you.
