Winter is rapidly approaching…and let’s just say it’s not my favorite season. That being said, I have access to an indoor so I WILL be riding. I’m really just looking for something lined, no something that I could trek through Iceland in. If it’s that cold, we won’t be riding. :lol: Is the Ariat Bromont my only option that doesn’t have a 4" sole and super thick insulation that will poke me in the ankle (and I’m sure subsequently split)?
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I love Mountain Horse and am on my third pair of MH winter boots. I think the Active Rider have a really nice profile and my spurs fit on them just fine.
I love my Bromonts. The Middleburg fleece-lined ones are also good but not as warm once the fleece gets tamped down. I liked them because they’re flexible and not as clunky, though. The Bromonts are super comfortable, warm with minimal sock, and feel the most like regular tall boots. I’m on my third winter with them and they’ve held up great.
I will second Mountain Horse. As a bonus, their wides in winter boots are the only off the rack wide boots besides Tuff Rider Plus Rider which fit my calves when I am at a weight higher than 40lbs under my ideal.
I’m on my 3rd pair of Mountain Horse Active Winter Riders. They don’t feel super bulky to me and are warm. But they DO split behind the heel counter and they’re waterproof only to the zipper so you’re cold and wet if you trudge through deep snow. They definitely don’t last very long but they are super comfortable to stand in.
If the Bromonts came in my size I’d probably give them a try because people I trust (I work in a tack store) recommend them highly.
I have an earlier version of these:
https://shop.doversaddlery.com/ariat-extrm-h20-inslt-tall-bt/p/X1-380710/
I probably have had them for 4 or 5 years and they are still going strong. They are nice and warm and very waterproof. They have one of those zipper liners that extends the waterproofing up beyond the start of the zipper, which is nice. There’s also a pretty big toe box so you can add toe warmers if you want without squishing your toes. The only drawback is that they only come in one height (or at least they did when I got them) and they are on the shorter side. Not a big deal but just FYI. I’m not the tallest person and they are about one inch shorter than I’d like in a size 6.
I got these for Christmas a few years ago when I lived in Ohio, they’re wonderful.
https://www.statelinetack.com/item/tuffrider-tundra-fleece-lined-field-boot/E007097%20105%20SLM/?srccode=GPSLT&gclid=CjwKCAjw7MDPBRAFEiwAppdF9LMGQyyssfGpgcKfRE7VJ39j8nS_bQ5M8xGv_tasVr5v9oZ68mej3BoCxbIQAvD_BwE&kwid=productads-adid^160636394091-device^c-plaid^277413194826-sku^305119-adType^PLA
I really like the Bromonts as well. They come highly recommended by my friends. They’re out of my budget but a friend loaned me hers a few winters ago and they were comfortable, dry, and they’re still going.
The Mountain Horse Iceriders and Rimfrost are very popular. They don’t last super long but they do their job while they do. Of the two I think the Rimfrost lasts a little longer. FYI, Dover usually has a “12 days of Christmas” deal that is just around the corner, and you can usually pick up any of the Mountain Horse winter boots up for $99-119 or so… Wonder if they’ll do the 12 days of Christmas this year, they’ve done it every year since time immemorial but they changed hands recently.
I was also looking for Winter boots, but I’m going to wait a few weeks and see if Dover does their sale this year.
Another fan of Bromonts, but I don’t usually ride below 20F. I found my pair a couple years ago for ~$200, and since I only use them when it’s between about 20-35F, it seems like they’ll last many years.
I love the Bromonts from a warmth and comfort perspective, but mine are distractingly noisy, and I still haven’t found a solution for it.
I can also vouch for the Mountain Horse Active Winter Rider boots - mine are in their 5th or 6th year - starting to crack a bit so will probably have to replace them, but they are WARM. . . I can’t wear the Bromonts - they don’t come in a calf width that would fit me.
I should add that I ride in temps down to about 15 degrees (but not colder than that) and have been quite comfortable.
I have a wide cafe and don’t like the Mt. Horse winter boots (the only ones I can find to fit my calf). The panel on the inside scratches my saddle up. So in the winter I switch to my paddock boots and half chaps with a warm pair of wool socks. I use my muck boots to go out in the deep yuck if needed.
I buy the same boot I use in the summer, 1 size larger for winter riding. I use sock liners and smart wool socks inside the boots and Cashel Cozy Toes on my stirrups.
Works great.
Hmmmm, I will definitely wait until after Thanksgiving to actually buy (maybe Black Friday or Cyber Monday if Dover bails on their annual sale), I recently lost some weight and could fit some thick socks in my regular boots for sure. Maybe money better spent buying new show tall boots that fit my new calf a bit better and invest in some good tall socks. Anyone found great socks to ride in?
I have the Bromonts and wear them with Darn Tough or Smartwool ski socks (knee high). I wouldn’t be warm enough in just tall boots and wool socks.
Darn Tough or Smartwool socks for sure. The synthetics aren’t quite up to the job.
-says scruffy, who worked 9 years as an outdoor/expedition outfitter and now works at a tack store.
I wish my calf could fit into the Bromonts but sadly they do not. I wear the MH Stella Polaris boots in the winter and find them warm and comfortable. https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/mountain-horse-stella-polaris-tall-boot-8002
And if you wear these out in public you get a TON of compliments. I think I wore mine about 5 times last year, but maybe it’ll be cold enough to wear them this year… I love them, and wish I had them in college!
I think the Stella Polaris are more what I am looking for – synthetic, but not brittle, leather looking synthetic that will crack. It looked like the ankle would wrinkle comfortably, not wrinkle and poke me in the ankle or crack. It’s why I was leary of the MH Active Winter, I think the material is not pliable enough in the cold weather to flex my ankle.
Has anyone tried the Ovation Blizzard Sport Boots?
The MH Active are very pliable. I think the stiffness is in between the MH Victoria dress boots (like wearing socks) and my semi-stiff Cavallo pull on dressage boots (once broken in, comfortable but have a stiffer shaft).
Just in case you can’t find the Polaris - which were on backorder a lot the last few years and hard to get but might be in stock again.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
