When I was packing for the schooling show, it occurred to me once again that I don't own a pair of open fronts anymore; my last pair met their plastic-y end in the top loading washing machine accident of last year.
Every time I go looking at open fronts, though, I'm never convinced that I need to replace them. I want to put boots on my horses, and Bailey definitely benefits from the open fronts, as she tends to be less carefully when wearing full boots, but there's just something about them.
Perhaps it's the fact that the 20$ pairs and the 150$ pairs look about the same.
Or perhaps it's because I can never decide if I want brown, or black...
Or because I am crazy.
I can never seem to pull the trigger on open fronts. With the holidays slowly approaching (#winteriscoming) I am considering putting a set on my Christmas list... but with tack stores locally only carrying the standard brands (Roma, Eskadron) I am left wondering what the blogger world prefers and why.
Leather, or plastic?
Lining preferences?
Type of hind boot?
Are the more expensive plastic ones really...worth it?
Every time I go looking at open fronts, though, I'm never convinced that I need to replace them. I want to put boots on my horses, and Bailey definitely benefits from the open fronts, as she tends to be less carefully when wearing full boots, but there's just something about them.
Perhaps it's the fact that the 20$ pairs and the 150$ pairs look about the same.
Or perhaps it's because I can never decide if I want brown, or black...
Or because I am crazy.
I can never seem to pull the trigger on open fronts. With the holidays slowly approaching (#winteriscoming) I am considering putting a set on my Christmas list... but with tack stores locally only carrying the standard brands (Roma, Eskadron) I am left wondering what the blogger world prefers and why.
Leather, or plastic?
Lining preferences?
Type of hind boot?
Are the more expensive plastic ones really...worth it?
I love my leather Majyk Equipe open fronts. I'm really particular about lining material in boots, I will not put neoprene on a horse's leg. That rules out 99% of boots immediately. I also didn't like how memory foam retained heat (and dirt), so the Equifits were quickly sold. I prefer the look of a leather boot for showing (because they look the nicest), and I prefer stud closures (because they're the easiest and I'm lazy), both of which the ME boots have. Their liners are great - removeable so you can wash them, and they're a nice lightweight breathable foam. NO neoprene! I've been really happy with mine. The leather is thick and rugged, so there's a lot of protection and they're built to last.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I do love those boots of yours... do you use them for day to day schooling? I worry that regular interfering or exposure to some less kind elements will cause them to look worn (having never had leather boots) and they're too pretty to destroy!
Deleteyea i really don't really gravitate toward the open fronts either.... simple brushing boots or splint boots (or even just polos) work well enough for our day to day schooling. my horse doesn't show much of a difference in his willingness to clobber a fence whether he's booted or not, so that helps. if i'm investing in boots, it's in the boots that can pull double duty on xc and in stadium since most of the shows i do go immediately from one phase to the next without time for a boot change.
ReplyDeleteand fwiw i haven't really noticed a major difference between the $$$$ stuff and the $ stuff. expensive boots will still turn and rub if they don't fit right, and sometimes the cheapies are perfectly fine for getting the job done. and the gimmicky stuff really doesn't excite me enough to pay for it lol
I should probably do a case study to see if Bailey really does jump better bare-legged or if I just imagine things - because I have a ton of brushing and splint boots I don't use enough! I'm anxious but also lazy. Our local shows never go from SJ to XC, so that's really different! We always mash dressage with one of the jumping phases, and have the other jumping phase on a separate day. We don't have any one day trials, either (and basically no schooling shows).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who does the cheap stuff expensive stuff comparison and it makes me more confused than ever. I've been eyeballing some ones that seem soft and meshy, but they're less appealing when they magically jump like 25$ in price on Amazon. Stupid Amazon.
Bobby was a serial pole clonker in ALL boots--open fronts did absolutely nothing to deter him from bashing his legs on stadium jumps. Bare-legged was really the only thing that kept him from feeling his way around.
ReplyDelete