Haniwa horse statuette, complete with saddle and stirrups, 6th century, Kofun period, Japan.

For other uses of the word stirrup, see Stirrup (disambiguation).

The stirrup is a ring with a flat bottom fixed on a leather strap, usually hung from each side of a saddle to create a footrest for the rider on a riding-animal (usually a horse or other equine, such as mule). It greatly increases the rider's ability to control the mount, increasing the animal's usefulness in communication, transportation and warfare. It is considered one of the basic tools used to create and spread modern civilization. Some argue it is as important as the wheel or printing press. Haniwa horse statuette, complete with saddle and stirrups, 6th century, Kofun period, Japan. ... Haniwa horse statuette, complete with saddle and stirrups, 6th century, Kofun period, Japan. ... The Haniwa (埴輪) are funerary figures (literally, clay rings), found in thousands of kofun tombs (3rd-6th century CE) scattered throughout Japan. ... Tack is any of the various accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei Kofun is an era in the history of Japan... Stirrup may describe one of the following: Stirrups are metal loops attached to a riding saddle. ... A strap is a strip, usually of fabric or leather. ... Tack is any of the various accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. ... A working animal is an animal that doesnt live in the wild but is kept by humans, and often trained, to perform various tasks, regardless whether they are also used for consumption of meat and milk or for other produce such as leather etc. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The Horse (Equus caballus) is a sizeable ungulate mammal, one of the seven modern species of the genus Equus. ... Modern hammer A tool is a device that provides a mechanical or mental advantage in accomplishing a task. ... A civilization or civilisation has a variety of meanings related to human society. ... A wheel is a circular object that, together with an axle, allows low friction in motion, by rolling. ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ...

History

The stirrup was invented surprisingly late in history, considering that horses were used for bareback riding and to pull carts or war chariots since the fourth millennium BC. The true stirrup was apparently invented in northern China in the first few centuries CE, although a simple loop through which the rider placed his big toe was already to be seen in India either by 4th century BCE (Desmond Morris, Horse Watching 1998), or the 2nd century BCE. [1] Desmond Morris (born January 24th, 1928) is most famous for his work as a zoologist and ethologist. ...

It was invented at first as a single mounting stirrup only used in gaining the saddle; the first dependable representation of a rider with paired stirrups is in a Jin tomb of about 322 CE. The stirrup was spread throughout Eurasia by the great horsemen of the central Asian steppes. It is uncertain when it was first adopted by the nomads the first attested use is by the Alans. Some historians believe the Huns must have used them to enable their conquests. Jin may refer to: Jin Dynasty (265-420) Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) (Jinn) Jin, a state in China during the Spring and Autumn Period Later Jin Dynasty, founded in 1616 by Nurhaci Jin, a ruler of the Xia dynasty The Jin state of late Bronze Age Korea Jin, a character... 322 is also a magic number for Skull and bones secret society. ... African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the landmass composed of the continents of Europe and Asia. ... The steppe of Western Kazakhstan in early spring In physical geography, steppe (from Slavic step) is a plain without trees (apart from those near rivers and lakes); it is similar to a prairie, although a prairie is generally reckoned as being dominated by tall grasses, while short grasses are said... The Alans or Alani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of mixed backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and shared, in a broad sense, a common culture. ...

Vendel Age stirrup from Uppland, Sweden

Stirrups reached Sweden in the 6th century, leading to the establishment of mounted Thegns during the Swedish Vendel Age. From this period have been found rich graves of mounted elite warriors, which include stirrups [2]. The importance of the horse during this time is reflected in the later Norse sagas, where the 6th century Swedish king Adils is said to have been a great lover of horses and to have had the best horses of his days. Interestingly, all accounts of this king's warfare describe him as fighting on horseback, although the later Vikings never or rarely did so. To add a 6th century source, Jordanes claimed that the Swedes had the best horses beside the Thuringians, reflecting the importance of the horse during this time (see also the Battle on the Ice). Image File history File links image from the public domain version of Nordisk familjebok. ... Image File history File links image from the public domain version of Nordisk familjebok. ... The Vendel Age (550-793) was the name of a Swedish part of the Germanic Iron Age (or, more generally, the Age of Migrations). ... Uplandia, or Uppland, is a historical Province or Landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Thegn or Thane, is an Anglo-Saxon word (þeg(e)n) meaning an attendant, servant, retainer or official. ... The Vendel Age (550-793) was the name of a Swedish part of the Germanic Iron Age (or, more generally, the Age of Migrations). ... The Norse sagas or Viking sagas (Icelandic: Íslendingasögur), are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Adils pursuing Hrolf Kraki on the Fýrisvellir Eadgils (Beowulf), Adils the Great, or Athisl (Saxo Grammaticus) (all forms are based an older Aðgils, the Anglo-Saxon form is not etymologically identical but it was the only corresponding name used by the Anglo-Saxons) was a Swedish king of... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... The Thuringii was a tribe which appeared later than most in the highlands of central Germany, a region which still bears their name to this day -- Thuringia. ... The Battle on the Ice (German: Schlacht auf dem Peipussee, Russian: Ледовое побоище - Battle of Chud Lake), also called the Battle of the Lake Peipus, took place in 1242. ...

Stirrups were first indirectly documented in Central Europe during the reign of Charles Martel in the 8th century, when verbs scandere and descendere among the Franks replace verbs denoting "leaping" upon a horse. A pair of stirrups have been found in an 8th century burial in Holiare, Slovakia. Historical lands and provinces in Central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer, German: Karl Martell) (August 23, 686 – October 22, 741) was born in Herstal, in what is now Wallonia, Belgium, the illegitimate son of Pepin II (635 or 640 - December 16, 714) and his concubine Alpaida or Chalpaida. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ...

Advantages of stirrups

In the use of the horse in warfare, the stirrup was the third revolutionary step, after the chariot and the mounted horseman. Stirrups changed the basic tactics of mounted warfare and made cavalry more important. Braced against the stirrups, a knight could deliver a blow with a lance that employed the full weight and momentum of horse and rider together. Reacting to a sudden and urgent demand for cavalry, Charlemagne ordered his poorer vassals to pool their resources and provide a mounted and armed knight. Chariot was the name of a WW2 naval weapon, the British manned torpedo. ... Italian cavalry officers practice their horsemanship in 1904 outside Rome. ... A silver statue of an armoured knight, created as a trophy in 1850 For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... Charlemagne is also the name of a column in The Economist on European affairs. ...

Lynn White Jr., in Medieval Technology and Social Change (1966) suggested that the rising feudal class structure of the European Middle Ages derived ultimately from the use of stirrups: "Few inventions have been so simple as the stirrup, but few have had so catalytic an influence on history. The requirements of the new mode of warfare which it made possible found expression in a new form of western European society dominated by an aristocracy of warriors endowed with land so that they might fight in a new and highly specialized way." Feudalism comes from the Late Latin word feudum, itself borrowed from a Germanic root *fehu, a commonly used term in the Middle Ages which means fief, or land held under certain obligations by feodati. ...

Types of stirrup

There are two basic types of stirrup.

• The long stirrup was that used in Medieval Europe and survives in recreational horseback riding. Long stirrups allow the riders to stretch their legs out fully, placing them over the middle of the horse. This is the most comfortable position and provides a sturdy base for the use of lance or sword.
• Short stirrups require the riders the keep their knees bent. This places them above the horse's shoulder, which is a more comfortable position for the animals and allows for greater speed. Jockeys therefore use this type of stirrup. The horsemen of Central Asia, such as the Mongols, also used this type of stirrup as it allowed them to rise up and fire their bows from greater height.

Toulouse-Lautrec - The Jockey (1899) In sports, a jockey is one who rides horses in thoroughbred horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. ... The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China, particularly Inner Mongolia. ...

Stirrup leather

As the rider's whole weight must be carried at one side when (dis)mounting, the two straps, which may be part of a set of horse tack which the same saddle-maker produces, must be made of the strongest leather, and is therefore also suitable for use as a punitive strap. Tack is any of the various accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. ... A strap is a strip, usually of fabric or leather. ...

External links

• Albert Dien, "The stirrup and its effect on Chinese history"
• John Sloan, "The stirrup controversy"