Inverse stirrup

An inverse stirrup for use in horseback riding, comprising:

• a first strap having a distal end, a proximal end, and a center portion, said strap terminating at the distal end in a concave element that receives an upper surface of a horseback rider's foot, said strap terminating at the proximal end in a concave element that receives an upper surface of a horseback rider's foot, said first strap adapted to attach to a second strap that at least partially encircles a horse on a horse's underside, such that when in use the distal end of the first strap and the proximal end of the first strap extend on opposite sides of the horse substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the horse and in proximity to a locations of conventional horseback-riding stirrups, the concave element at the distal end of the first strap and the concave element at the proximal end of the first strap each resisting displacement of the horseback rider's feet upward.

An integrated girth-strap inverse stirrup system, comprising:

• a horses' girth strap, said girth strap encircling a horse on a horse's underside and attached at both ends to a horse's saddle, the girth strap including attachment means attaching a second strap to the girth strap, the second strap having at least a distal end and a proximal end, the second strap terminating at the distal end in a substantially-rigid concave element receiving an upper surface of a horseback rider's foot, the distal end of the second strap extending from the girth strap substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the horse in proximity to a location of a conventional horseback-riding stirrup, the girth strap resisting displacement of the attached second strap, the concave element at the distal end of the second strap resisting displacement upward of the horseback rider's foot.