365 Days in Horse Country – The Invention of the Stirrup
If there is one piece of equipment modern riders take for granted, it’s the stirrup. These days, every saddle uses stirrups, no matter what the style. Before 300 AD however, the stirrup didn’t exist. Riders essentially rode either bareback or with a treeless saddle, and nothing to support the foot.
In India in 500 BC, a toe loop was used to stabilize the rider’s foot. It wasn’t until the Chinese invented the dual stirrup 800 years later that riding styles began to change.
With the invention of the stirrup, warfare on horseback became very different. Mounted warriors were no longer so easily cast from their horses during battle.
They were also able to use their weapons with more force because they were able to brace themselves against the stirrup as they plunged their swords toward the enemy.
Some scholars believe that the invention of the stirrup was as important as the development of the wheel. Its effect on civilization was profound because it made horses much more useful in the areas of warfare and transportation.
Stirrups never fell out of favour over the centuries and they still remain a vital piece of equipment for riders of every discipline. Next time you mount up, think about this invention that literally changed the world.
Michael