These leathers were rated "favorite" by Michael Plumb's
Horse Journal because they "are made of beautiful leather
and wear like iron."
Courbette leathers are made of the strongest vegetably
tanned leather butts. The stainless steel buckles feature
a curved tongue and a grooved buckle bar to lie flat
under the jockeys. The buckles are triple-row stitched
by hand for extra strength and longevity. Twelve oval
numbered holes make adjustments easy.
1" wide. Available in Black, Havana, and Newmarket
(not shown), in Child's (50"-52" - $84.00), Regular (56"-58" - $94.00),
and Extra Long (62"-64" - $99.00).
Courbette's advice on selecting leathers:
A rider's life can depend on stirrup leathers, so never
compromise on their quality. The leathers of a pair
should both be cut from the same spot on the hide, side
by side. Only pre-stretched hides are selected for all
our stirrup leathers.
Even the best quality new leathers
will stretch some in use, because this is a natural
characteristic of leather. But it is important that both
leathers stretch equally. Riders mount the saddle from
the near-side and put a greater strain on the mounting
side leather than on the off-side leather. Leathers must
be rotated regularly from side to side to ensure equal
stretch.
Only buy leathers with the flesh (rough) side and the
numbered holes on top, because the smooth side can take
more friction imposed by the irons without fraying. All
four edges need to be beveled to minimize wear. Avoid
punching additional holes--buy leathers in the correct
length!
