I have a horse and spend a lot of time at the barn where he is stabled, so it’s important that I have good boots to wear when I’m out there.  Finding the right boots, though, is easier said than done.

One of the most important things is that they don’t have too much tread on the bottom.  By this I mean that the gaps can’t be too big, because mud and manure will get stuck in them too easily.  It’s annoying to go out there when it’s muddy after a rain or snowstorm, or to step in a pile of manure by accident, and have it all stick to the bottom of your shoe!

You also have to have something that gives your foot a reasonable amount of protection, in case it gets stepped on.  A paddock boot or riding boot is the best for this, I’ve found, because they are after all designed for wearing around the barn.  Work boots are good too.  I personally don’t like cowboy boots because they are so narrow in the toes; can you imagine how much it would hurt to have your toes stepped on when they are squeezed together like that?  Tennis shoes work out okay if they provide pretty good support, but canvas shoes aren’t very good, and sandals or flip-flops definitely aren’t any good.

The material is also important.  At the barn it’s often wet, muddy, etc., so I don’t like canvas shoes or anything that will soak through or become ruined if they get wet.  Leather is generally the best because it lasts the longest if you take care of it the way you’re supposed to.  You can also get fake leather paddock boots, but in my opinion they don’t hold up well enough to be worth the savings — I learned that the hard way.

I always see girls, usually teenagers, who go to the barn in dresses and sandals, or bikini tops and flip-flops.  In my opinion, it’s a big risk to your feet (and your future ability to work with horses), all for the debatable advantage of looking cool!

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