Crash bar (riding)
The crash bars , also fall stirrup or safety stirrups called, is a special kind of stirrup .
The crash bar is equipped with a device based on the spring force , which is intended to prevent a rider who has fallen from a horse from getting stuck in the bar and being dragged along.
There are essentially two forms. Either the stirrup itself opens when you fall, so that the foot hanging in it becomes free, or the entire stirrup strap unhooks from the saddle . There are two basic principles for the first type. In the first principle, the bar looks similar to a normal model, but contains different types of release mechanisms which, in the event of a load typical for falls, cause the closed bar to disassemble and thus release the trapped foot. With the other principle, one leg of the bracket is not made of metal, but consists of a clamped elastic band that loosens if the foot is tilted in the bracket. This system is very functionally reliable and quite insensitive to soiling, but the temples , which are open on one side, are perceived by many riders as mentally and physically unstable.
There are also different types of stirrups in which the legs are provided with a kind of cardanic joints. These are often counted among the crash bars , as they counteract tilting of the foot in the event of a fall, but the ability to internal torsional movements of these bars has, in addition to the safety aspect, decisive advantages in terms of comfort and contact stability for the foot, which makes these bars especially for show jumping and Makes eventing interesting.