I currently am transitioning over from the jumper world where I own a GPA First Lady. Being vain here but am I going to look silly taking lessons and schooling in this helmet?
What are some common brands/helmets that dressage riders are using these days both at shows and at home? 🎩
Nope. Really, no one cares. You’ll see GPA, Charles Owen, One K, Samshield, Trauma Void - basically all of them.
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Nobody much cares in Dressage. It’s not hunters 
and the age of rider skews much older, so not as trend driven.
The one thing you might consider is full seat breeches for all the sitting trot work. As much for butt and crotch protection as the slight amount of extra stick they provide. I mean full faux suede seat not fabric seat + silicon.
I would go with breeches that provide a contrast color to your saddle, so not black. But they certainly don’t need to be white or beige. A medium Grey or brown or similar is fine. Just so your leg position is really clear at a distance in the indoor arena.
Especially for schooling, people wear what is comfortable and fits well, but even in the show ring there is a big variety in what people wear
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Thank you guys! Also off topic but how do you feel about half chaps and paddock boots? (Obviously non showing)
should I invest in a pair of dressage boots? Does it make life easier?
Stick with what you’re used to for now. Learning a new seat and leg position/use is hard enough without adding new equipment into the mix. After 6 months or a year, you’ll have enough of a base to start making changes.
Half chaps and paddock boots are even legal for rated shows at the lower levels.
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It took me a few years after I moved to dressage from h/j land before I was ready to give up my paddock boots and half chaps in favor of stiff boots. Even then, I went through a pair of moderately stiff dress boots before getting my current very stiff dressage boots. There is a definite difference, and I do like them now that I have gotten used to them. That said, I know plenty of people who prefer a softer boot and show in hunter dress boots rather than traditional stiff dressage boots, even at the upper levels.
If you are new to dressage, I wouldn’t change yet. Wait a bit until you get more comfortable in a dressage saddle and with the longer stirrups before changing your boots dramatically.
They don’t make your life out of the saddle any easier, that is certain, but I do feel like they help me maintain my leg position and use my calf aid more than my heel/spur.
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Forget fashion or style. If you are investing in a new helmet, then get one with MIPS technology. The research shows they offer significantly better protection. If you are vain (and there’s nothing wrong with that!), Tipperary just came out with a MIPS model that is way more attractive than the Back on TrCk and Charles Owen ones.
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No.
Most people don’t even think about dressage boots until they are at the upper levels. They really are stiff! I don’t think I would even want them, if I needed them to show at that level I might go for dress boots instead (no laces). At the lower levels nice matching paddock/half chap combos or field boots are fine.
Many dressage students and trainers lesson and school in paddocks and half chaps for comfort, convenience, and cost. Even if they have $800 custom dressage boots they may not want to wear them out with daily trips to the barn. The more you ride and the more barn work you do, the more pragmatic you get about footwear!!
I don’t even let my field boots see the barn between October and May!! Too wet!
I reliably kill a pair of Artist Twin Gore H2O paddock boots or Blundstones in under 2 years.
And if you are just in weekly lessons you don’t need fancy boots either.
I’m going to disagree on the upper levels thing - almost everyone I know who has switched to a stiff proper dressage boot has found it helps tremendously with the correct leg position. Do you need them? No. Half chaps and paddock boots are just fine. But you don’t need to wait until you get to upper levels to benefit from them, if an when you are in the market for new boots
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Though there is a good argument for developing that leg position without the benefit of a stiff boot.
Also honestly the dressage boots come in considerably more expensive than field boots for whatever reason, and I’m guessing the fit is going to be trickier. I just kind of shudder looking at them on display. I expect they don’t drop at all. Of course I’ve never tried them on. I might be surprised.
Edited to add: I just went and Googled Ariat tall.boots. They have a larger selection of “dress boots” some of which are contoured and only a few “field boot” models. But they don’t have any of what I was thinking of as a dressage boot with the stiffening down the back. I assume you could use any of the dress boots (no laces) in upper level dressage but I don’t see where they’d give you any leg advantage over field boots
https://www.ariat.com/women-english-…ar-tall-riding
Something like this is more what I think of as a Dressage Boot but I’ve seen them even more extreme where the boot almost seems curved t
Forward.
https://www.dressageextensions.com/p…egance/p/6055/
Maybe more like this
http://sesporthorse.com/customized-deniro-boots-price-varies-accd-to-order/
Now I’m really curious. Maybe dressage boots are changing.
I don’t think I could get my muscled calves into a truly stiff boot unless it was custom, btw.
Stiff boots came into being because they give a uniformity to the leg aid. A lot of dressage involves small displacements of body parts meaning different things, plus in some cases the use of the spur, so a stiffer boot helps. It also helps with the appearance of a still leg when the ankle is absorbing a lot of motion from the trot.
I prefer a medium stiff boot, not a stovepipe but something with some structure.
I always ride in half chaps and boots, and get better fit and comfort with that. Partly, it’s a fit issue. I have a truly xw calf, and after a journey finding anything off the rack, the only decent fit in a tall boot I could get is the tuffrider dress boot. It’s quite soft and doesn’t have any more support through the lower leg than my paddock boots and half chaps do. The only reason I bothered is because I’m hoping to show second level this season, where a tall boot is required.
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My field boots are very worn and comfy and have a little more support than half chaps (old Artist Heritage full calf). I am trying to break in some Ariat Challenge full calf but they are a fraction too tall and will need a shoemaker to cut them down. They are stiffer because newer.
I am wondering how much stiffer the current Ariat dress boots are? I am guessing that if Ariat isn’t even offering a stove pipe boot, the fashion for the average rider might be changing?
I honestly hadnt even thought about it, last time I browsed boots I feel there were lots of stove pipes with stiffened calves.
I am a trainer. I wear stiff dressage boots every day, multiple horses per day. I can’t think, off the top of my head, of another trainer who wears half chaps regularly. Most everyone I know (trainers) wear stiff boots for schooling and showing. It’s annoying to go from a soft boot to a stiff boot just for competition.
Certainly more of my students ride regularly in tall boots vs half chaps.
To OP—ride in what you are comfortable in, both helmet and half chaps. Once you start to get used to riding with a longer leg, you can try out dressage boots and see if you like them—they certainly take some getting used to and aren’t great for walking, but they’re (for me at least) much more comfortable to ride in. I do have a pair of super soft dress boots that I wear for backing the babies.
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Interesting! When you say stiff boots do you mean the full scale “stove pipe” boots or is there something in between that and soft boots? Do people usually buy stiff boots off the shelf or do they need to be custom?
I personally ride in thick leather dress boots, but not stiffened boots. I’m particular to Mountain Horse, I forget the model name. It’s never mattered - and I’ve worn my Mountain Horse through Dressage Finals, CDIs, and all. That said, I’m the only person in my barn who doesn’t ride in stiffened boots daily. Some day I’d really like to try a pair, but when my weight fluctuates even a few pounds it impacts my calves. That little elastic panel gets used! And I’d really like to lose a bit before committing to full customs.
My understanding is that there are different levels of stiff when you order from the real dressage boot people, not the more mainstream h/j focused companies like Ariat, e.g. DeNiro, Petrie, etc.
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There are all different varieties and there are more options than the stove pipe look these days. I have a few pairs of Petries that are very stiff but with a tapered ankle, so they look more modern—they work for me because I have small ankles. I have a pair of Kingsleys that are stiff in the leg but softer in the ankle. They are sheepskin lined polo boot style so very comfy. There was an option with these to get them made extra stiff, and I would choose that option for a normal schooling or show boot. I wear a stock size in both brands. Dressage boot brands have, generally speaking, a much wider variety of stock sizes than say, Ariat. I did try on a pair of Cavallos at some point that were softer than my preference but would be a good in between boot.
Lovely, lovely horse! :love-struck:
I too have just one pair of boots for schooling and showing. It’s too hard for me, an amateur with little time and less talent, to adapt to stiff boots for a test if I’ve been schooling in softer ones. Plus I need the support of stiff boots to help my vague leg aids.
@Scribbler, zippers are the great equalizer. Even those of us with, erm, curvy calves can achieve a nice silhouette. My boots are put on just before I hop on and are taken off as soon as my horse is back in the cross ties. Depending on the season, I’m in paddock boots or clogs for grooming, cleaning, mucking, etc.
To the OP, welcome to the world of fancy prancing!
I’ve seen all types of helmets, so go with whatever you feel best in (but I would stick to a darker, conservative colour). I don’t like half-chaps, so I ride in tall boots. I’ve shown in both regular field and dress boots. I really have no interest in the stiff dressage boots - I like flexibility in my boots. For reference, I’m in Canada, and have shown up to 2nd level.
