How to choose riding boots?

Any sport includes a certain set of attributes, including equipment. It usually has specific features, as it is designed taking into account the characteristics of the sports process and the tasks it is designed to perform.

The legs are the part of the human body that plays an important role in equestrian sports. In this case, the only support for the legs is the stirrups, and one must hold on to them so as not to fall off the horse. For this and a generally comfortable ride, it is important to choose the most suitable footwear. The experience of a thousand-year history of horse riding has shown that boots fit best here.

This is explained by the fact that it is boots with a high bootleg that best protect against dislocations. And it is very easy to twist your leg while riding a horse, climbing on it or descending it. Especially if you are just starting out in equestrian sports. In addition, boots traditionally protect the feet from dirt, splashes of which are inevitable.

However, a choice is also possible in favor of boots that do not cover the bootleg. In general, this is not prohibited, but it is worth weighing the pros and cons or stocking up on leggings as an almost complete alternative to boots. They do not protect against puddles, but they can prevent your feet from rubbing against stirrups. Both do not have a significant difference in age or gender group, therefore women's and men's boots rarely differ from each other.

It is horse riding that we owe the appearance of heels on shoes. Initially, they served to hold stirrups under the foot.

For a budget option for the same plan, you can pick up regular leather or rubber boots. However, any will not work for this. Riding boots must meet the following criteria:

• wide heels;
• heel height - no more than 2 cm;
• bootleg height - to the knee;
• no lightning.

In the case of horse riding absolutely you will have to forget about stilettos or even just high heels... It might seem that the higher the heel, the easier it is to hold onto the stirrups, but this is not the case. A long heel may break and break even if it is not very thin. Moreover, if this happens while driving, you can get injured due to the fact that the foot will go sharply forward, and with this there is a risk of falling altogether.

It is imperative that boots do not cover the knees.... Horseback riding is an almost constant position of the legs bent at the knees. Boots that are too high are guaranteed to interfere with riding. An exception is a rather soft and flexible material or an open heel of the top of the boots, but such models are difficult to find and usually it is not justified in any way. Historical cavalry boots are very different in design from modern women's ones - they just have an open back of the knee (for example, in Russian), or the upper part is much wider and freer than the rest (Spanish).

Boots with an open zipper are absolutely not suitable here. Any lightning is the risk of getting caught in the stirrups or injuring the animal, especially if you are new to horse riding. But the model of boots, where the zipper is closed by a special flap, is a very suitable solution. Professional boots are usually equipped with such a valve with Velcro or buttons (the latter is more reliable), and you should focus on them.

As mentioned above, if you wish, you can do without boots, but here it is worth observing all the same principles and safety measures. The life and health of both yours and the horse directly depends on this.

If lace-up boots are not very convenient, since it takes a long time to put them on and off, then in the case of boots, lacing is simply a must. It is worth clarifying here that the climbing version with hooks is completely unsuitable, since these metal parts can be caught and injured.

Sometimes leggings are called horse riding shoes, but this is not true. Leggings are a universal name for pads on arms and legs, which are designed to protect them from external factors (hand leggings for riding are irrelevant if you do not plan to combine it with archery). They are easier than shoes to choose for your size or to fit it, and the wide selection includes various models, including children's ones.

Leggings for equestrian sports are most often made of leather or very dense fabric (for example, suede). This is necessary so that they can be a full-fledged replacement for a high bootleg. They are also needed to hold the legs, which can easily bulge or twist while riding.

For an overview of riding boots, see the next video.