Jodphur, paddock and mucker boots - what's the blooming difference

[willow]

As you can tell from title, it is a long time since I bought new boots. Want something that has a good, grippy sole as planning on doing a trek next year that will involve a fair bit of hopping on and off in varied terrain. Don't want to go arse over tit. Suggestions and explanations gratefully received!

Definitely not mucker boots then - they're not really suitable for riding. You'll be OK with jodphur or paddock boots tho.

Other than that it's up to you - the important thing is that they're comfortable and fit. Best way forward is prob to find a nice shop and try on lots of different types.

I've always found Mountain Horse paddock boots to be very comfy and sturdy so can highly recommend them.

Enjoy your trek!

May I tack a question on (apologies for the pun):

DD (9yo) may need some riding boots. Would be ideal if they could double as walk-in-the-snow-to-school type boots. Would it be okay to go for Jodphurs, and what do I expect to pay? She is a size infants 13, btw.

Jodphur boots tend to have a very slippy sole so are not suitable for slippy surfaces. DD has a pair of fur lined muckers that she rides in in the winter (I'm hoping they still fit anyway...). They have a bit more of a grippy sole and a heel - I can't see why they wouldn't be suitable for riding tbh. As far as I know Muckers are designed for riding and yard work.

Paddock boots are like jodphur boots but generally have a seam across the toe and are lace up. I love paddock boots, much more stylish than jodphur boots but not easy to find these days.

You will probably be best off with a pair of Mountain Horse rough riders: www.rideaway.co.uk/mountain-horse-rough-rider/default.aspx?var=139257&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=purenet_feed and something similar for your DD.

Aack, 60 quid for those boots! .

I know, and they are at the lower end of the scale. Have a look at Ariat boots (I covet a pair of their Cobalt Performer's).

Also, Equestrian Clearance is great for end of line bargains and Ebay is always worth a look for secondhand stuff - especially useful with children's stuff.

Thanks for the link. :)
Are these good quality and good enough to walk around in?

I nearly broke my neck trying to walk in the snow in ordinary jodhpur boots and never tried again. They were almost impossible to stand up in on a slippery pavement.

Willow, I've got these and I'm very pleased with them. I got them to replace my Mountain Horse Safe riders which were very good on rough or icy ground but these were half the price and I actually find them more comfy.

Mloo, I'm liking the ones in your link. I've got a birthday coming up soon...

I like the look of Mountain Horse stuff, but the only experience I have is a pair of gloves that leaked red leather dye all over my hands as soon as they got wet. Having said that, my next pair of winter riding boots may well be Mountain Horse.

I like the chunky look of those boots Pixel (and the price) - do you think they would make good winter boots?

May I just ask please which category these would come under?

I wear them all the time as do a lot of garden/pet stuff, they're really comfy.

Not sure what true purpose is though!

Thankyou

Well they do keep my feet dry in the rain (obviously when it's not wet and muddy enough to need wellies) and I've walked quite a few miles in them and been fine, no blisters!. The only thing is the steel toe-caps do make them heavy if you aren't used to them.

The soles on muckers are too ridged for riding in IMO; same applies to wellies which I also wouldn't ride in.

The benefit of using a paddock boot in particular is that they are usually designed to offer to foot the support it needs under the arches & where the stirrup rests - Ariats are perhaps a bit over-engineered, hence the price, but are really lovely

I am in a similar quandary. My latest pairs of Ariat Devon Pros have lasted exactly 2 years but the sole is coming away and leaking.

I want something equally smart (ie I want them to look like shoes under trousers like Ariats) but hopefully last longer and be cheaper.

I'm going to have a good look around at HOYS as there should be a good selection and some competitive pricing. Shoes/boots are one of the few things I like to buy after trying on rather than on internet.

I remember paying around £80 (lots of money for me at the time) for a pair of Caldene paddock boots which didn't even last 1 season. Ever since then I have been very wary of paying anything more than £50 for a pair.

I have got a pair of Harry Hall yard boots which wern't that expensive (less than £50 I think) and have done several seasons of mucking out plus year round dog walking/gardening in all weathers. Maybe I should look at Harry Hall again as whenever I get anything by them it seems to last and last.

Thank you so much for all the advice and links. Will go off and have a good browse.

Oh that's interesting, DD's riding teacher said today that wellies would be fine as long as they have a firm discrete heel on them -- to catch properly in the stirrups. But you all think wellies are a bad choice, do you?

I've ridden in my Hunters before now. As long as the sole isn't too chunky and cleated and the heel is reasonable I don't see the problem. However, wellies don't give you ankle support so although DD occasionally hacks out in her wellies (Joules, smooth sole, small heel) she doesn't have lessons in them. She is only 5 though so fairly weak through her leg still.

Okay . I guess we will give it a try and see how it goes.
These look suitable, I hope.

But Callisto, Hunters are chunky and cleated.

I don't want to bang on (but I will )....a friend's Mum fell off and got her foot caught in the stirrup wearing hunters - snapped her leg clean in half. Horrible. For that reason I don't ride in wellies.

My Hunters arn't chunky and cleated . Loads of people I know ride in them. You can get your leg caught in a stirrup wearing the smoothest soles if you fall badly.

I understand the point you're making, and getting a foot caught is always going to be bad news, but I don't think the Hunters were to blame necessarily. Anyway, I only seem to ride fizzy, silly TB's atm so I am always in proper footwear.

My Hunters aren't chunky or cleated, either :).

Having researched this further I realise it's a hugely divisive issue (oops!). I spent hours today in the City Centre trying to find in DD's size wellies with a proper heel and with some grippy bits (not deep grooves, iyswim). No luck at all unless we go for hideous ones in Next.

So... I am back to eyeing up 2nd hand on Ebay. Problem is still fit; DD has very wide feet with high insteps, I am far from convinced we'll easily find a Jodphur boot that suits her feet no matter where we go, wellies might be a reasonable choice after all. And I saw some in Clarks that would do as winter walk-to-school boot (50 quid, though).

Local tack shop advised against wellies because of the get-caught-in-stirrups problem, but any boot that fits DD needs to be wide and deep like a wellie... then they went off on "Safety first" -- if Safety was paramount I wouldn't let DD ride at all, would I?

ps: If I do buy second hand, can anyone advise which brands are more likely to suit wide feet with high insteps? I am looking at some Toggi and Harry Hall online. Some are only elasticated on the sides (no zip) and some are zips in the back or on the sides. Are there other brands to look for?

Ragged-how much riding is your DD doing? You may be overthinking the width/instep issue and might find that going up a size or whatever would solve the problem? Did the tack shop have any that suited her that you could buy online for less?

DD has very skinny feet so I sympathise with awkward feet issue but so long as she can get her feet in and out and they're not pinching she'll be fine. It's not like buying school shoes.

Me, overthink? . Simply not possible .

Oh, she barely rides at all (about 20min/week on average). But I can't in good conscience have her in boots that crush her feet even that long. And I don't have the brass to go into a tack shop, find one that fits, and then not buy it there and then but instead go try to buy online (what if I couldn't find the same thing online, that'd be about typical for my luck!)

Found some perfect style local wellies today... but not available in DD's size (sigh).

Oh come on, surely that's what the internet is for, isn't it? I've even got an app on my phone that will zap barcodes and immediately tell me where to get whatever it is I've just zapped cheaper online - it's brilliant!