Synthetic vs Leather stirrup leathers..?

The big plus going for synthetic is that they are easier to care for.

With both leather and synthetic you get what you pay for. There are cheap synthetic ones that are hard to adjust and generally horrible, and cheap leather ones may be chunky under your leg and wear out quickly.

I personally like synthetic "webbers", made by wintec. They have the little hook thing rather than the traditional leathers with a buckle. Like this:

http://www.sportack.com/images/133/typeclasses/pro...

But they make much better ones these days with the backing on them so the hook doesn't damage the saddle.

They're so easy! I've never heard of one breaking and most people I know have used them for years. Plus they're much flatter under your leg than traditional leathers.

I don't mind synthetic saddles. It's synthetic girths and stirrup leather that drive me nuts.

Stiff easily breakable, impossible to adjust in the saddle and overall VERY annoying.

Make an investment go with leather.

EDIT: Leather stretches but does a better job of molding to the shape youu want it to be in. Flexible and sturdy leather just does the best job.

I use leather stirrup leathers now since when I was galloping along the beach one of my leathers snapped and I came off. They were synthetic. They were also about 9 months old and I used them a lot. I've had my leather stirrups for about 2 years now and they are still going good for me. So I say you should use the leather ones as they are good quality and they smell nice too!

I like leather because it makes it a little easier to keep the right position because leather kinda sticks, while synthetic slips easily. But you should try them both out and see which one you like better!

i prefer leather because over time the synthetics will stretch and then you have to keep both sides on different holes

I've got a pair of Wintec Webbers I have used for thirty years. I can think of no reason to go out and buy anything else. They are easy to use, have not stretched out in any way, don't mess up my saddle and are flat under my thigh. They have outlasted saddles.