How to Care for Your English or Western Riding Boots

Riding boots, whether for show, schooling or work, can be an investment and they see a lot of daily wear and tear. Regular care will make your boots last longer, and clean boots in the show ring give a favorable impression to the judge. Besides cleaning, you also need to properly store your boots between wearings.

Things You'll Need

  • Clean, dry cloths
  • Leather conditioner
  • Leather waterproofer
  • Suede brush
  • Boot trees
  • Shoe polish
  • Boot bag
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Instructions

  1. Schooling boots

    • 1

      Wipe mud and grime off your smooth leather boots with a damp cloth that you have wrung as much water out of as you can get. You don't want to saturate the leather with water. As you clean, pay special attention to stitching and treads.

    • 2

      Apply conditioner to smooth leather boots with another clean cloth, either dry or damp depending on the product's instructions.

    • 3

      Brush the dirt off suede or roughout leather boots with a suede brush, and wipe the soles off with a damp cloth. If the boots are muddy, wait until they dry before you brush them off, and you may need to brush pretty hard to get the dirt off.

    • 4

      Waterproof your boots after every cleaning by wiping the waterproofing agent onto smooth leather with another clean cloth, or by spraying the waterproofing agent onto the suede boots.

    • 5

      Use boot trees to help your boots dry out and hold their shape between uses.

    Show Boots

    • 6

      Avoid applying leather cleaners or conditioners to show boots, since these might break down the leather or darken the leather of western boots. Instead, follow Step 1 above.

    • 7

      Polish your boots after every use and before showing with black shoe polish for black boots and clear polish for all other colors. Buff with a clean, dry cloth.

    • 8

      Dust your boots off with a cloth before entering the show arena.

    • 9

      Clean and polish boots after the show, then put in boot trees and store your boots in the luggage-like storage bags made specifically for boots. These bags are often lined with nylon or fleece that helps keep your boots clean and polished when not being worn.