Finding the right Western horse riding boots for you

Horse riding boots come in different styles that are fit for any horse riding discipline. If you are involved with show jumping, there is a particular boot designed to help you conquer any event. When you are into barrel racing, any woman competitor would definitely want brightly colored boots to add some fashion into her fierce riding. Newly trained riders who start off for pleasure riding, especially children, perform best when they wear low cut riding boots. If you are into dressage riding the English riding boots are recommended. These are just some examples which show that every riding discipline has a specific requirement for a particular pair of boots designed for a specific purpose.

If you are into Western riding, a good pair of Western horse riding boots is imperative if you want to make each ride adequately comfortable and secure. Usually, the sorts of Western boots differ in the height of the uppers.

The tall Western boots also referred to as the tall “cowboy” or “riding” heels, have uppers that may extend up to the knees. They were initially created for use in fashion, as they have intricately designed uppers out of alligator, snakeskin, or ostrich that are quite expensive and their use for complex riding will prove to be impractical as they can only be destroyed due to constant rubbing against the saddle’s leather parts. However in the modern times, they are now used for actual horse riding, but with minimal designs on the uppers. The Western boots in mid-calf height keep the fenders of a Western saddle from rubbing against the ankles and calves of the rider. They are the most classic style of the Western boots as they are just enough to protect the calves and ankles, and comfortable enough to move without restrictions especially when going about hunting, herding, or roping around the farm. The low-cut “roper” style Western boots rise just a bit above the ankle to aid in more comfortable wear when going about the daily routines and errands around the barn.

It is best to have a number of pairs for horse riding, each pair with a specific purpose. Having one pair for a variety of purposes won’t be ideal as it will damage the pair sooner than expected.

How to buy the perfect horse riding boot

Horse riding boots are no doubt an essential part in your horseback riding hobby or profession. Do not make careful consideration in your selection of boots and that will be a guaranteed disaster. The roles of the riding are outlined below:

  1. To prevent the legs from discomfort against the leathers of the saddle
  2. To protect the calves and ankles from the fenders of the saddle
  3. To protect feet from slipping from the stirrups

There are obviously plenty of boots to choose from in the online market and through local tack stores. However, be it known to you that the two most basic types of the riding boots are the English Equestrian riding boots and the Western “cowboy” riding boots.

The first consideration you should emphasized on when making your choice in riding boots is for what riding discipline you will be engaging in. usually, the low cut riding boots are ideal for everyday casual riding that do not entail complicated routines when riding on horses. Simply put, it may be used for pleasure riding. Children can also benefit from the low cut boots in their early stages of training because high cut boots can eventually become uncomfortable when the kids rapidly grows. Trailing typically requires high cut boots to protect your legs from dirt, water, mud, and tall grasses. High cut mountain horse riding boots are crucial in riding moments that require tougher footwear.

Horse riding shows and tournaments commonly prefer English riding boots that may belong among the groups of English boots for field, dress, and hunt or top. These boots are ideal for equitation, show jumping, eventing and other forms of English riding disciplines. The Western boots on the other hand are present in cowboy events and competitions such as rodeo, barrel racing, other forms of racing, reining, and roping.

Western horse riding boots

A pair of riding boots is an essential part of the equestrian’s wardrobe to prevent the feet from slipping from the stirrups and keep the feet comfortable as well whether you are involved with pleasure or competitive horseback riding. Each style of the riding boots has unique attributes and each type is ideal for a particular horse riding discipline. It is therefore important to be familiar with the many characteristics of the riding boots and understand for which riding discipline the boot will be before you decide on buying your very own pair of horse riding boots.

For this article, we will focus on Western horse riding boots. The other type of boots is what we know as the English riding boots that are usually in black and come just under the knee. The western style is also referred to as the cowboy boots, and we know that when we talk about cowboy boots, we speak of the brown colored ones. Although they may be available as well in black, its distinction is seen with its exotic styles and high heels. They are categorized into three types that differ primarily with height: high, intermediate, or low cowboy boots. The higher riding boots rise nearly to the knee, and its upper is widely decorated. The intermediate length, or shall we say the mid-calf length of cowboy boots is the most classic style that keeps the fenders of the Western saddle from rubbing against the ankle and calf of the rider. The lowest boots is similar to that of the English riding boot’s paddock type only that it is at least one inch higher.

Most Western horse riding boots are made of cowhide. They can also be made in suede. However, the uppers of the very expensive designs are usually made from exotic animals, like alligator, ostrich, and snakeskin.

English equestrian horse riding boots

Any person with a passion for horseback riding whether for pleasure or competition knows that it is not right to wear just about any horse riding boots without considering for which riding purpose it will be used. There are plenty of riding boots available for men, women, and even kids. Having enough knowledge of the style, the materials they are made of, and the design of the riding boots will make you appreciate even further the art of horseback riding.

In general, riding boots are of two types: the English horse riding boots and the Western horse riding boots. The English boots are commonly seen on horse events that involve showing, jumping and galloping. The Western boots on the other hand are commonly visible at rodeo events that may involve barrel racing and herding. We will now focus more on the English riding boots.

The English riding boots can be categorized into tall boots or short boots. The tall boots end just a little below the knees that are commonly worn by competitive riders in jumping and dressage disciplines. Plenty of riding disciplines benefit from the tall boots as the legs are protected from rubbing against the leathers of the saddle. Some of these riding disciplines are hunt seat equitation, show jumping, fox hunting, and eventing. When looking for tall English riding boots, they may be referred by boot makers as field boots, dress boots, or hunt boots.

The shorter English riding boots are what we know as the paddock boots, also known as the Jodhpur boots. They rise just a little above the ankle and are commonly used for pleasure riding. They are also ideal for children beginning their training on horseback riding. A child’s rapid growth will not make the taller boots attractive for them as their legs will eventually increase in size as well, and insisting on the tall boots becomes eventually expensive when you buy at one point or another set of boots as soon as the child gets bigger. Instead, wearing half chaps to cover the legs that may sometimes be combined with the paddock boots is recommended.

The two basic types of horse riding boots

A riding boot is the footwear used primarily for the purpose of riding on horses. The main reason why a horse riding footwear is in boot style which comes high up just slightly below the knee is to prevent the legs from rubbing against the leathers of the saddle. A horse riding boot comes in many styles and colors depending on the riding purpose.

Typically, a pair of boots can either be an English equestrian style or a Western style. These are the two basic types of riding boots.

  1. English equestrian horse riding boots. When we speak of English riding, we refer to riding styles intended for horse shows or pleasure riding. The English riding boot can be further categorized into the tall boots, or the shorter paddock boots. Tall boots are those boots that end just below the knee is mostly chosen for competitive riding such as jumper and dressage riding. Particular styles are created for more convenient riding to people engaging in hunt seat equitation, show jumping and eventing. The tall boots are also used in fox hunting. On the other hand, the shorter boots known as paddock boots (also called Jodhpur boots), rise just above the ankle for protection. Its use is normally for the purpose of everyday riding or pleasure riding. They are ideal for use among children as you won’t have to worry about the fast growth kids experience in which tall boots will not be flexible to adjust with.
  2. Western horse riding boot. Also known as cowboy boots, they are commonly seen on rodeo events. They are usually brown in color as dirt that will stick on the boots won’t be too visible compared to the black boots. However, with women known to be active participants in an event known as barrel racing where they are expected to make quick turns around barrels in a cloverleaf pattern, more vibrant and bright colors for the Western boots emerged.

How to Choose the Right Horse Riding Boots

Purchasing a new horse can be an exciting time for the entire family.  Everyone is going to be excited at the prospect of having a pet that can be ridden for fun or in competitions.  Before grabbing your dirty sneakers and jumping on the horse, it is important to know that there are horse riding boots that are going to make riding much safer and easier on those who are just learning.  Even experienced equestrians make a point of having riding boots on at all times while mounted on their horses.

The horse riding boot is made to protect the rider from many dangers.  Mountain horse riding boots are going to protect the legs from being scratched up while riding through heavy brush or trees.  These are made to be high cut so that the calves up to the knee are protected.  If you or your family plans on riding mountain trails, they should wear a pair of these boots every time they are going for a ride.  Never allow anyone to ride your horse on the trails without the proper protection.  You would not allow your child to ride in the car without seat belts so do not let them ride without proper footwear.

English horse riding boots are also made to be tall.  This is more for the look of the boot these days than it is for protection.  In the days of the Calvary, these boots would protect the rider from lances, sword and stab wounds.  Since there is no fighting done when riding English style today, the boots are more for show.  You should know how to take care of these show boots so that they are going to last a long time.  Regular cleaning and polishing is the most maintenance that they are going to need.

Western horse riding boots are also known as cowboy boots.  These can be made in the tall style such as the English and mountain as well as the shorter style that is popular in fashion these days.  When you go shopping for western boots, keep in mind that pretty does not always equate to function.  There are many fancy styles that can be purchased for a good amount of money.  It is much better to have sturdy horse back riding boots than to spend the money on fancy ones.

You can find kids horse riding boots where you purchase adult ones.  They are miniature versions of the same boots that the adults are going to wear.  All the styles mentioned above can be purchased.  Childrens horse riding boots should be chosen, again, for function rather than looks.  They are going to wear them out before they outgrow them in many cases.  This is because it is important to make sure that the boots fit properly when purchasing them.  You do not want the child’s feet to be slipping and sliding inside the boot while they are mounted.

It is also a good way to lose a boot if it falls off during a ride.  Not only is this going to protect the child, but they are going to get a better feel of the horse if they can feel their boots that fit properly.  You can give the old boots to a younger child if they are not too badly worn.  In some cases, the child is going to outgrow their childrens horse riding boots before they do wear out depending on the age of the child and their growth spurts.  If they are going through a growth spurt when you purchase the new horse riding boots, then you may want to get a cheaper pair that is not going to put you out of pocket too much.

You may want to purchase two pairs of horse riding boots for your child.  One pair can be a cheap type that they can use while mucking out stalls and grooming the horse.  The other pair can be used for shows or rodeos depending on the style of riding they are going to do.  Many children enjoy competing with their horses and this can be a fun way for the family to spend time together.  Even if the horse is only going to be ridden around the property, two pairs of boots is not a bad idea.  Again, one pair can be for the dirty stuff and the other pair can be worn during the actual riding.

Having proper fitting horses riding boots is important no matter the age of the rider.  It is even more important for children whose feet are still growing.  It is also important to purchase the correct riding boots for the style that is going to be used.  You do not want to have western boots at an English riding competition.  Find out what style your child is more interested in before purchasing boots or tack for the horse.