Horse Riding Boots: How to Choose Between Long Boots, Jodhpur Boots and Gaiters

Horse riding boots are the one piece of kit that sits between you and the stirrup, so they do more work than most riders give them credit for. The right pair stops your foot sliding through the iron, protects you on the ground around a horse, and gives your lower leg the close contact it needs to talk to the horse. The wrong pair, whether that is a set of takkies, a chunky yard boot or a long boot that fights your ankle, makes every ride harder and less safe. Here is how to choose the right pair.

What Makes a Good Pair of Horse Riding Boots

Whatever style you choose, three features matter more than the brand or the price tag.

• A defined heel. The heel is what stops your foot sliding forward through the stirrup. The British Horse Society's footwear guidance recommends a small heel of no less than half an inch.
• A smooth sole. The same guidance asks for a smooth sole with no break from heel to toe, so there is nothing to catch on the stirrup. A deep hiking or yard-boot tread can wedge in the iron, which is the last thing you want if you are unseated.
• A firm toe and upper. Sooner or later a horse will stand on your foot. A sturdy toe takes the worst of it, and a supportive upper keeps your ankle steady in the saddle and on uneven ground.

That is why takkies, gumboots and most hiking boots are not riding boots, however comfortable they feel. Endurance riders in trail shoes rely on caged stirrups that stop the foot going through, which is a specialist set-up. For everyone else, a proper riding boot is the starting point.

The Main Types of Horse Riding Boots

Long Riding Boots

Long boots, also called tall boots, run from the foot to just below the knee. There are a few variations. Field boots are laced across the front of the foot so the ankle can flex, which makes them the jumping rider's choice. Dress boots have no lacing and a stiffer leg that suits the long, still leg of dressage. Hunt boots look much like dress boots with a cuff at the top. Wikipedia's riding boot overview covers the history of each style.

Long boots look smart and give an even, close contact from ankle to knee, which is why they remain the traditional choice in the dressage and show-jumping ring. The trade-offs: they cost more, they have to be fitted carefully to both your calf and your leg length, they take time to break in, and they get hot in a South African summer.

Jodhpur and Paddock Boots

Jodhpur boots, often called paddock boots, are short boots that finish just above the ankle. Most have elastic sides in the Chelsea style, though some lace up or zip. They are worn with jodhpurs, which run all the way to the ankle and sit over the top of the boot. Our guide to choosing jodhpurs covers how the two work together.

For everyday schooling, hacking, lessons and yard work, jodhpur boots are the most practical riding boot there is. They are easy to get on and off, comfortable to walk in, and much kinder on the budget than a pair of long boots.

Short Boots with Gaiters or Half Chaps

Add a pair of gaiters or half chaps to a jodhpur boot and you get most of what a long boot offers. They wrap the lower leg from the ankle to just below the knee, stop the stirrup leathers pinching your calf, and give the look of a tall boot. Leather gaiters are the smarter option; synthetic half chaps are hard-wearing and easy to wipe clean. Our guide to riding chaps and gaiters goes into the differences in detail.

Yard Boots and Gumboots

Gumboots and heavy yard boots belong on the yard, not in the stirrups. They are ideal for mucking out and wet paddocks, but the British Horse Society describes wellies as unsuitable for riding, and a chunky tread can jam in the stirrup iron. Keep a pair at the stable and change before you get on.

Long Boots or Jodhpur Boots and Gaiters: Which Should You Choose?

For most riders, the best horse riding boots are jodhpur boots and gaiters rather than long boots, at least to start with. This is how we would think it through:

• New riders and children: jodhpur boots. Young riders outgrow boots quickly, and a short boot is far easier to replace than a fitted long boot.
• Everyday schooling, hacking and lessons: jodhpur boots, with gaiters or half chaps once you want more contact and less rub from the leathers.
• Riders who spend hours on the yard: jodhpur boots, because you can walk, muck out and ride in one pair.
• Competition: check your discipline's dress rules before the show. Leather gaiters over jodhpur boots are a popular choice for training and lower-level competition, while long boots remain the traditional look at the top end of dressage and jumping.

The boot-and-gaiter route also gives you some flexibility in the heat. On a hot Highveld or Lowveld afternoon you can unzip your gaiters after a ride instead of sitting in sealed leather up to the knee.

Leather or All-Weather Jodhpur Boots?

Our own jodhpur boots come in two versions. Both are made in South Africa, both are black, and both have elastic side panels and stitched and glued soles for durability.

• Leather jodhpur boots are made from genuine leather and run from child size 9 to adult size 9. They are the choice if you want a traditional boot that you can clean, condition and polish for a show.
• All-weather jodhpur boots are waterproof, keep your feet dry in rain and mud, and wipe clean with a cloth. They have a removable perforated insole for breathability and run from child size 10 to adult size 8. The foot is a bigger fit, so size down by one.

If you ride through a Highveld summer of afternoon storms or a wet Cape winter, and your boots spend as much time in the mud as in the stirrups, the all-weather pair earns its keep. If you want a boot to look after and show in, choose leather.

How to Get the Fit Right

Horse riding boots that fit badly are either a blister or a safety risk. Before you buy:

1. Try them on in your riding socks and jodhpurs, ideally later in the day when your feet are at their largest.
2. Check the heel. Your heel should sit snugly and not lift much as you walk.
3. Leave a little room at the toes, but not so much that your foot slides forward in the boot.
4. Check your stirrups. The British Horse Society recommends a half-inch gap between the stirrup and the widest part of your foot. If your new boots are wider than your old ones, your irons may need to go up a size, and our stirrups and leathers range covers the common widths.
5. Measure for gaiters in your boots. Take the widest part of your calf and the height from the floor to just below the knee. If you are between sizes, size up. Riders with shorter or fuller calves should look at our wide-fit leather gaiters, which are cut specifically for wider calves and shorter lengths.

Standard Horse Tech leather gaiters are made from soft full-grain leather that moulds to your leg, with strong zips and elastic inserts, and they pair neatly with short jodhpur boots. You will find them alongside our synthetic and leather half chaps in the chaps and gaiters collection.

Caring for Your Riding Boots

Good leather boots last for years if you look after them. Knock off the mud after every ride, wipe them down with a damp cloth, and let them dry naturally, never in front of a heater or in direct sun. Condition the leather regularly so it stays supple and does not crack across the ankle, where boots flex the most. Our leather care range has the soaps, conditioners and dressings to do it. All-weather boots are simpler still: wipe them clean and leave them to dry.

Looking for Boots for Your Horse?

If you came here looking for brushing, tendon, overreach or travel boots for your horse rather than footwear for yourself, you will find them in our horse boots and bandages range.

Find Your Next Pair of Horse Riding Boots at Solo Saddlers

Solo Saddlers has been making saddlery in South Africa for 35 years, and the people who work here ride in the kit we sell. Start with our leather or all-weather jodhpur boots, add a pair of gaiters from our chaps and gaiters range, and complete your kit from our riding clothing. Not sure of your size? Get in touch with the Solo Saddlers team and we will help you find horse riding boots that keep you safe and comfortable.