RunNitroRun - 2016-05-02 4:13 PM

Rubber bands break if you have momentum from the stirrups (if you fall off your horse or your horse goes down and your body weight causes the bands to break) but they don't always let go in an emergency.

My friend and her horse were standing ready to go at a jackpot (rubber bands on) and the horse got stung by something just under the corner of the pad. He spun around away from whatever stung him and in the process slipped and went down. My friend wasn't able to kick out of her stirrups and was knocked out (she learned her lesson and rides in a helmet and thank goodness she was otherwise okay).

When the horse got up she broke free but she couldn't get out of her saddle because she couldn't kick free. I always thought they'd break free but I tried afterwards kicking out of my stirrups if I needed to get off and truth is they don't break that easily which is why they keep your feet in the stirrups.