Sunday, February 10, 2013

Some disjointed thoughts because I'm in a hurry:

What are your favorite riding boots?  I'm looking for regular old cowboy type boots, not lace up, not English.  Something pretty would be nice but my more important considerations are comfort and durability.  My pair of Ariat boots are over 8 years old now and well, I need new ones.  They only lasted this long because they were pretty uncomfortable and I only wore them when I had to.  I want something I could walk several miles in, or ride in.  Nothing short enough to get caught on the bottom of my stirrup fenders.  The cheaper the better.  I'm not picky or anything.  ;)

Bella rode in a bit today.  I thought she might lose her cool, but she didn't.  She actually did really well.  We used a Myler cradle bit.  It has a comfort mouthpiece with a slight port, different adjustments for a shank or you can use it like a snaffle, and a noseband.  Apparently that's supposed to help disperse the pressure.  I don't know.  We both lived through it.  :)  I didn't take pictures but I will next time.

Before we rode I tied her up to give her time to play with the bit, and I trimmed Pedro's hooves.  He'd finally grown to the point where I felt safe taking off a fair amount of sole at the toe.  Then I took him for a short walk and asked him to "hurry up" or "trot" and rewarded with a treat.  I think it worked.  Later when I was heading out to feed I ran along the driveway and invited him to join me on his side of the fence, and he broke into a happy lope!  Wow!  Feet feeling better, wanting food, or whatever his reasoning, it sure was nice to see!

2 comments:

Marissa said...

These are my favorite boots, hands down

http://www.tonylama.com/en/kids_3r.html

Yes, you read that right, they are kids boots.

They are super lightweight, stylish, but also workable. They have a little heel, but not too much as to throw off balance the way too much heel does, and not too little as to look funny.

With them on I can feel my stirrups really well, something about them being made for kids, so they aren't huge and hefty. They break in easily and I just LOVE mine.

Of course, this only works if you have average, not large feet.

I wear a size 8.5 in Double H's, and I usually wear like a 8 in most regular shoes. In the kids boots, I have a size 5.5 and a size 6. The sixes are a touch too big. They mold really nicely to your feet as well!

My favorite part? They run about 70 dollars on the online retailers!

They don't last quite as long as an adult boot (the quality is good, but it is made for children, not as durable as for an adult that wants years of wear from them)

Hope that helps!

Unknown said...

I have two favorites.
Have you ever tried Twisted X brand? They make several different styles.

This is my favorite

http://www.twistedxboots.com/class/All%20Around.htm

Because they have wonderful arch support and great traction. But if you are looking for something with a higher top and more traditional, they also have these which are nice.

http://www.twistedxboots.com/class/Top%20Hand.htm.

I'm a round toe gal, rather than square or pointed, but if I was going traditional, this is where I would go. Twisted X are a little pricey but I have had mine for 3 years now, and they show no wear at all. But of course I do not wear them everyday. I alternate with my Justin Gypsys.

TC wears his all day everyday, and he goes through maybe 1 pair a year. Which is much longer than his Justins or Ariats were lasting.

I also love my gypsys. I think I have 3 pairs of those. I wear them till I slit the sides out from getting them wet too many times, and then get a new pair. I still have all the old ones too. I just can't bring myself to throw them away.

(Although I have decided I'm going to take my oldest ones, and clean them up real good, then shellac them several times over- then I will insert a cup inside, and make my own toilet brush holder with much more character than the ones you can buy!)