PVC/rubber riding boots?

[dianneS]

Okay, I bought a pair of PVC tall boots, used, for only $20. They're "Cottage Craft" and fit really nice. I bought them for convenience more than anything.

I wantedsomething cheap and low maintainance to work in as well as go for the daily quick ride. I'm trying to make riding less of a chore so I will do it more often. I can jump into these boots and go for a quick ride and still wear them for barn chores and even gardening, mowing and weeding too. No need to hassle with breeches, paddock boots and half chaps for every single ride.

I tried them out today and I'm not sure what I think of them?

The Pros (besides convenience):
I could feel my horse better with them for some reason. I didn't have to adjust my foot in the stirrup at all, not even once! I could feel my legs sliding down on my horse, my heels dropping down and my seat opening up, I think because the boots didn't have as much "grip" and allowed my leg to fall down into proper position. I was able to sit so much deeper and really stick to the saddle while sitting the trot too.

The cons:
These boots felt like they were "slippery", almost to the point of feeling unsafe (but that factor did allow me to position my leg more accurately on my horse too, so not necessarily a bad thing) plus they squeeked like crazy! (But I soon got used to that). The "slipperyness" felt really awkward to me, but how much grip should my lower leg have really? I mean its my seat that should stay "stuck", I shouldn't be gripping with my lower leg at all.

I don't know if I was truely feeling "unsafe" or if it just felt "different"? Maybe I just need to get used to them?

Anyone have experience with these boots?

 

[michickenwrangler]

I have rubber boots for chores, but I don't like them for riding. Not enough ankle support. I had a pair of PVC boots to start for show, but as I got more serious we splurged and got the leather boots. Holds your legs, feet in a better position and are sturdier, still pretty easy to clean and look better. I learned from a Navy guy to keep Pledge wipes on hand and just wipe every so often.

 

[patandchickens]

I wore rubber boots for schooling from teh time I started riding at age 9 til they invented riding shoes (the high-top sneaker type) and I bought my first pair of them when I was 25 or so and never looked back.

My experience is that, aside from being ugly, rubber boots can work perfectly well, assuming they fit you comfortably as yours apparently do.

Unfortunately the downside of my experience is that (I do not know about the newer ones, this is all from the 70s and 80s and very early 90s) the finish layer on the outside of the rubber would wear off very quickly and then they would start to deposit a thin, burnished-on layer of black rubber onto your saddle flap. For saddles you ride in frequently e.g. your own saddle this could be a serious problem as the stuff is nearly impossible to remove without damaging the leather. Again, I do not know whether or not modern rubber boots still do that.

My suggestion would be that you keep the boots and see how you ultimately like them. Even if you eventually decide not to wear them routinely, there are times when they are really handy. And I think most of your questions, plus the issue of whether they deposit rubber on the saddle flap, will only really be solved by time and mileage.

(Although your lower leg should not be gripping, it will still have the mild friction of just laying there against the horse's sides; thus it is possible to notice, and be disturbed by, a change in slipperiness of boots [or half chaps or whatever] even if you are riding basically correctly)

Personally I really like riding sheakers and half-chaps though

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[dianneS]

These boots are definitely PVC, not rubber thus they are a bit slippery and I don't think they will rub off on my saddle. My saddle is black anyway, and so are the boots! These boots are really attractive and you'd never know they weren't PVC unless you look at them very closely. The calf fits nice and snug and the lining inside is very comfortable.

They really do hold my ankle in proper position. They just squeek like crazy!

I was riding yesterday and for some reason my mare just didn't want to pick up a canter. I actually hopped off and changed into half chaps and paddock boots to see if the squeeking pvc was bothering her or if she thought I felt off balance in those boots, but it didn't make a difference to her. She was more concerned with her new bit, not my boots.

There are pros and cons to both and I think I'll have certain applications where I'll use the pvc boots and other times the half chaps.

I did have a crazy idea about possibly gluing a suede patch to the inside of the boot! Sort of a half chap and tall boot in one! The boots were only $20 and I know of a cheap fabric outlet that has pieces of suede and leather, really inexpensive. However, the boots would not be able to be hosed off that way, or at least I'd have to be careful when hosing them. I might try it! Maybe I'll come up with a cool new boot design and patent it!!