Types of Horseback Riding Boots

Horseback riding covers a broad range of equestrian activities including dressage, hunter/jumper, western and fox hunting. Depending on the discipline, riding boots are designed for functionality, providing protection, support and traction to keep a rider's foot in contact with the stirrup. Most horseback riding boots are fashioned out of leather, including the use of exotic hides. Riding boots may also be made with synthetic materials as they offer the added functionality of being lightweight and breathable. All riding boots have a prominent heel to ensure that the rider's foot does not slip through the stirrups.

  1. Paddock Boots

    • Riders wear paddock boots when they are in an informal setting, such as practicing at home. These boots extend to a height just above the rider's ankle and can either have a zip-up or laced foot bed. The Jodhpur boot is a specific style of paddock boot worn by small children that has a smooth foot bed with elastic sides that allows the foot to slip easily into the shoe. Since paddock boots do not protect the lower leg of a rider, they are often worn with half chaps.

    Tall Boots: Field and Dress

    • Tall boots are the formal footwear of the English riding disciplines. As the name implies, the tall boot is an elongated version of a paddock boot stretching from the rider's heel to below the knee. Tall boots are monochromatic and fashioned in two styles: field and dress. The field boot has lacing in the foot bed and is appropriate for use in hunter/jumper disciplines. The dress boot is the more formal tall boot and has a smooth finish. Although the dress boot is most popular with dressage riders, it is considered formal attire for all English disciplines.

    Hunt Boot

    • Hunt boots are the formal footwear for fox hunting and are styled almost identical to tall boots. Hunt boots are most often two-tone, the lower of the portion styled in black with the top capped with brown trim. Hunt boots are also fitted so that they sit slightly lower on the rider's leg, approximately an inch to two inches below the knee.

    Cowboy Boot

    • Western boots often have fancy patterns and decorations.

      Cowboy boots are a staple of not only western riding, but of American fashion. Western boots come in a large variety of styles and colors, often with intricately tooled leather patterns and rhinestones. Western boots have a loose fit around the ankle and extend about half way up a rider's calf. However, the height can vary widely, depending on the intended use. As with all riding boots, western boots are fashioned with a large heel.