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