Tapaderos prevent your foot from slipping all the way through the stirrup if you should fall or lose your balance on treacherous trails.

Tapaderos stirrups help protect your feet from rain and scratching branches. They also help keep your feet dry when you ford a stream, especially if your exuberant horse makes things worse by pawing the water. More important, if you should fall, tapaderos prevent your foot from slipping all the way through the stirrup; a stuck foot can lead to a horrifying dragging. Extremely valuable for all riders, tapaderos should be mandatory equipment on a child’s saddle. Tip: To find tapaderos, do an online search for “tapadero stirrup.—Adapted from 101 Trail Riding Tips, by Dan Aadland