I've been making Western Stirrups for over fifteen years and have been lucky enough to have some of the top competitive riders in the world ride in them. There's also a lot of them in trophy cases, on fireplace mantels, and hanging on the wall. They have been used as awards in many shows.
The stirrups that I make are individually crafted by me and there are no two pairs that are exactly alike. I choose the different veneers that are pleasing and attractive, place them in the molds, then shape them the way I, or the rider, want them to be. They can be up to almost four inches deep front to back and are either flat bottom bells or straight sided and tapered. I also make a "cut-back" that has one side of the stirrup cut back a little to relieve pressure on the in-step. Some riders prefer these. The outside of the stirrup remains wider so there's room for the various initials, brands, or motifs that can be put on.
Due to the fact that I'm the only person making them, production is limited to about one pair a day. The finishing can take up to two weeks additional time because of drying time, lasering, and placing the wear leathers on them.
I also make ox-bows up to 1-1/2 inches wide. I use 21 or 22 layers of veneer in each stirrup which makes them quite strong and the flat bottoms are wide enough to take the wider boots used today.
There are many beautiful varieties of veneers that can be chosen and the list is available through my supplier or on my web-site.
We all know that a saddle comes with a good pair of stirrups hanging on it. But when they wear out, bust, fall off or when you want to attract attention at the next show, there's nothing that will get that job done better than a pair of customized, beautiful stirrups by Tom Lowe!!