Tall riding boots vs short Paddock boots

Walkn'HorseLuvr

Walkn'HorseLuvr

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Jun 18, 2007
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To me, tall riding boots look better than short paddock boots, when they are over the riding breeches.
See, I'm hoping to get a pair of riding boots (my first pair) for either Christmas or my b-day which is in Dec.
I'll be needing them anyway since I'll be (hoping) taking a spring riding class which will be here before I know it, and plus I'll be going to college either part time or full time that's in the equine area, so I'll be needing them and riding breeches which are ,as in my last post, my first.
But, I figured I need riding boots first, then get the riding breeches, since spring isn't here just yet.

So, in ya'lls opinion tall riding boots or short paddock boots?
 
I wear short jodhpur boots and half chaps in dry weather, and long rubber riding boots in the winter. I don't find the rubber ones quite so comfortable though, I prefer my short boots but in the wet they just aren't as practical!:)
 
Well, it depends. If all you do is go to the yard ride your horse and go home, then I would say long boots. If you do any yard work, then I would go with short boots and chaps/gaiters option, as they are much comfier for yard work and walking.

Nina x
 
Also, I can only find leather riding (tall) boots that have tie strings like shoes instead of boots, like its half boot half shoe.
Know what I'm talking about?
If so, what do u think of those?
 
Walkn'HorseLuvr said:
Also, I can only find leather riding (tall) boots that have tie strings like shoes instead of boots, like its half boot half shoe.
Know what I'm talking about?
If so, what do u think of those?
Click to expand...

The tall boots with laces are called field boots. Without they're called dress boots.

So you have 4 possible combinations:

laces/zip
laces/no zip

(Both the above would be field boots.)

no laces/zip
no laces/no zip

(These would both be dress boots.)

I think the original idea of field boots is that they were for practice only. But around here, people show in them and go on formal hunts in them.

I must say I prefer the look and ease of cleaning of the nolace (dress) boots. Zippers are nice, also, but run up the cost some.
 
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The field boots - with the shoelace on the foot part, are for 'hunters' = show hunters. The dress boots - without shoelaces- are for dressage. If you're going to show jumpers at a hunter show, you can wear field boots, although you should be in top boots - with the brown band at the top - I think. For hunting, also top boots are more correct, although children are always in field boots. Hunt staff are always in top boots.

At least that's my understanding.

At $250 a pop, I think it's a typical load of US marketting hype, personally. I just live in Ariat Terrains and half chaps and to heck with it, although if we start showing again in the spring I'll have to invest again in long boots. Personally, unless you've honed in on your specific discipline, I'd get field paddock boots for now, or if you can get away with the casual look in lessons, then ariat terrains because they're built for the job of being with horses, rather than simply riding them, whereas leather paddock boots were created in the era when your groom prepared your horse and are really not designed to hold up to yard work, and tending muddy fields.
 
KateWooten said:
The field boots - with the shoelace on the foot part, are for 'hunters' = show hunters. The dress boots - without shoelaces- are for dressage. If you're going to show jumpers at a hunter show, you can wear field boots, although you should be in top boots - with the brown band at the top - I think. For hunting, also top boots are more correct, although children are always in field boots. Hunt staff are always in top boots.

At least that's my understanding.

At $250 a pop, I think it's a typical load of US marketting hype, personally. I just live in Ariat Terrains and half chaps and to heck with it, although if we start showing again in the spring I'll have to invest again in long boots. Personally, unless you've honed in on your specific discipline, I'd get field paddock boots for now, or if you can get away with the casual look in lessons, then ariat terrains because they're built for the job of being with horses, rather than simply riding them, whereas leather paddock boots were created in the era when your groom prepared your horse and are really not designed to hold up to yard work, and tending muddy fields.
Click to expand...

Well, the ones I've found are at www.statelinetack.com see i always wanted tall leather riding boots that were plain black with a zipper on side or back, so i looked at statelinetack.com and found only ones with zipper/laces that were tall boots , i don't want short paddock boots, always wanted tall boots.
 
What's your discipline ?

For dressage, you want the dress boots.

For Jumping - including hunters - go for the field boots with the laces.

This is US specific information - in England where most of this board is from, they do not have field boots with the laces.

You need to know what discipline you will be persuing before deciding what boots you need.

If you are only starting out, not showing yet, then you will be better off in short boots for the first year or so of lessons. Short boots are hugely more convenient. Typically, you'd keep your long boots in a box, specially polished, and only get them out to enter the show ring. If you're really serious, some people get on the horse - and have their groom polish their long boots after they've got on the horse !

Don't compromise on the zipper unless you really have to. It makes a HUGE difference in convenience if you don't have to struggle to pull your boots off and can simply unzip.

Don't buy long boots before you've bought breeches. You'll end up with boots that are too narrow in the calf. They'll fit like a glove and you'll parade about the house looking fancy, then the day your new breeches arrive, your fancy boots won't go over the top of them and yo'll struggle for three rides in tears as your foot goes blue and you need treatment for gangrene. Breeches first, then boots - try the boots on, over the breeches. With socks, unless you are only going to ride in August.

Don't buy long boots over the internet. It's not like a pair of shoes - they don't simply have to fit you at the foot - they have to fit you all the way up your calf too. If you have seen ones you like on stateline tack, then you're in luck, because they have outlets at Petsmart superstores so you can go in and try them on. Call first though, because even some of the bigger Petsmarts are cutting back now on their equine sections.
 
The thing about buying these riding boots (tall) at a store is that they only have boots that the heel is over 1" and my college im gonna be going to requires only 1", but the stores like JCpenny only have 1 1/2" or over riding boots, which doesn't cut it. That's why I was looking online.

In regard to the discipline question, I know I want to try jumping and maybe get into it if i like it, but I don't know if I will or even if i'll get a chance to try it at this college. But, I've always thought on jumping seriously if i ever try it and really like it.

Anyway, isn't there any tall boots that aren't just for specific riding stuff? What about riding trails and lessons, and stuff? Cuz I haven't really been thinking on shows.
 
( Uk people - JCPenney is a clothing store ... it's like saying maybe 'New Look' has boots in there. )

oK, you win. I give in. I gave you my best advice. If you can't look up your local tack store, I already told you PETSMART has riding boots in stock.

You can't wear Long Leather Riding Boots around in college for the day, to walk round, go to lessons, then ride in them, No. Not in English disciplines, No. The boots are very specific FOR RIDING. Try it. Try riding in your JCPenny fashion boots. They'll be fine, for about ONE LESSON, in walk, on the leadline. Or try buying proper long riding boots from stateline, and walk around in them all day. Neither of those options make any sense.

If you're not already committed to a discipline, then wait.

Else, when you're ready to start lessons, why not wear the same stuff you'd wear for saddleseat - it'll do just as well as anything else for one leadline lesson. Otherwise, no, you can't just pick up any old boots and wear them. It's not like western - you don't have great huge oversized wooden stirrups - sooner or later you're going to need specifically designed riding boots.
 
Alright, thanks for your advice. I never knew english riding had such specific stuff in riding apparel; unlike western riding-which im kind of used to.

The thing is, i can't lift the western saddle on the horse, just half way, since its heavy. Any advice on that?
 
I didn't realize you had in mind wearing these away from riding. It would look weird since they go on the outside of your breeches. :)

I DO think you can buy tall boots off the Web. Most brands have a sizing chart that includes shoe size, calf diameter, and height required. They explain how to meaure your feet and lower leg to come up with the correct boot. It's not rocket-science!
 
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