Dress vs Field boots - ankle support?

[kdow]

Right now I actually have paddock boots and fake suede half chaps for lessons, so this isn’t a huge issue, but since I have stupidly big calves (I blame my dad) I want to kind of keep an eye out for any good deals on tall boots that would fit that might spring up.

With that in mind - any thoughts as to if dress or field boots (probably with zips, since I think trying to put on or get off ones without might kill me after a day of riding) are likely to provide more support in the ankle area? I have arthritis in both ankles and while they’re not weak and don’t tend to swell, it does seem likely that being able to give them proper support from the boots would be a Good Thing.

(My current paddock boots are pretty well-loved, so even though they’re zip rather than lace, the elastic is stretchy enough that if they weren’t giving me enough support alone, I could easily wrap my ankle a couple of times with something and still get the boots on.)

[lizathenag]

I have a lot of hardware in my ankle and LOVE my mountain horse field boots.

[wateryglen]

JMHO!

I have a bad ankle so I think the field boots are better BUT… ANY lace up boot would work. My favs are some good low heeled packers (like paddock boots but western and better made and go higher on your leg) Lace them up snug for max support. I think zip ups are not as long lived also.
Go lace up for sure. Anything lace up!!
You can always use an ace bandage under your boots or even over them too.

[kdow]

[QUOTE=wateryglen;4945357]
I have a bad ankle so I think the field boots are better BUT… ANY lace up boot would work. My favs are some good low heeled packers (like paddock boots but western and better made and go higher on your leg) Lace them up snug for max support. I think zip ups are not as long lived also.
Go lace up for sure. Anything lace up!!
You can always use an ace bandage under your boots or even over them too.[/QUOTE]

Are paddocks + nice half chaps (you know, the fake-boot-top type) pretty much acceptable in most low level competition these days? That could be another thing I could keep an eye out for. (Although it seems like most of the nicer fake boot top half chaps don’t really come in ‘ridiculously large calf’ sizes, or else they’re SUPER tall also. Darn my dad and his short, stocky legs.)

My current paddocks (the zip ones) are so beat up that I don’t think they’d really be suitable for showing even with a nice polish (they’re well loved and broken in - so very comfy, but hard to make look really spiffy) so I couldn’t just throw on a nice half chap with them anyway.

[veezee]

I have found with my severe arthritis that the field boots are the most comfortable for my ankles. I have both field and dressage high boots but because I can’t move my ankles to get comfortable enough in my Maestro’s I prefer wearing the lace up field boots. Just make sure the footbed is comfortable too. We all are different in our sizes so the best thing is to just keep trying them on and find what fits and feels the best.

[SmplySweet1021]

Not sure how these would be but I was at Jumping Amsterdam this January and saw the Sergio Grasso dealer. Now these are custom boots so yes more expensive but they had designed these boots with padded ankles. The padded ankle gave support to the boot so that it didn’t break down and bunch at the ankle. I’m sure the padding in general would be supportive of an ankle and no bunched leather at the ankle would always be great

[myvanya]

I wear Ariat Westchester Dress boots that are designed for both jumping and dressage. They work really well. Back zip and supportive enough for dressage but flexible enough to let me grip and get my heel down over fences. I have RA and find that on bad days my ankles collapse very easily and have had no trouble in them. I’m sure custom would be ideal, but I couldn’t afford custom. They have been very comfy for me and are a nice mixture of allowing me to move and yet are still supportive.

[Couture_TB]

I’ve had my ankle put back together a couple of times (horse flipped over a jump and crushed my ankle, it was pointed backwords) and I usually jump in a very very good ankle brace with my ariat tennies and half chaps at home and use a smaller pull on brace at shows under my tall boots. I have a pair of tretorn riding boots coming this week (hope they fit my calfs!) because they are suppose to have a ton more support.

[Trakehner]

Even better, 3-buckle field boots by Dehner (they’re what Ronald Reagan used to wear in his riding photos).

http://www.dehner.com/pics/largephotos/3buckle_fieldboot_large.jpg

Dehner’s having a sale, $150 off till August 31st. I’ve got 2 pairs of these boots and they’re great. I’ve got calves from riding since I was a kid, a previously nicely broken ankle that doesn’t want to bend very well and these work great. You unbuckle the leg and you step right out, no bending etc. and you can really make them snug for support without worrying about being able to get your foot in/out of the boot. Straight field boots can only have so much room to tighten them, this style gets away from that problem. You can adjust them in the calf for winter/summer thickness changes in britches

[kdow]

[QUOTE=Trakehner;5027221]
Even better, 3-buckle field boots by Dehner (they’re what Ronald Reagan used to wear in his riding photos).

http://www.dehner.com/pics/largephotos/3buckle_fieldboot_large.jpg

Dehner’s having a sale, $150 off till August 31st. I’ve got 2 pairs of these boots and they’re great. I’ve got calves from riding since I was a kid, a previously nicely broken ankle that doesn’t want to bend very well and these work great. You unbuckle the leg and you step right out, no bending etc. and you can really make them snug for support without worrying about being able to get your foot in/out of the boot. Straight field boots can only have so much room to tighten them, this style gets away from that problem. You can adjust them in the calf for winter/summer thickness changes in britches[/QUOTE]

Would they be considered acceptable in the show ring in general? (Not omg-everything-has-to-be-just-so Hunters, but low level Dressage/Jumping/Eventing type stuff.)

[Trakehner]

You can cub in the brown ones. In black, I don’t believe anyone would be having a fit (especially now that everything seems to zip up the back.)

I showed 3-day in a pair of black ones. They fit and were very very comfortable…this was before the zippered boots were all over and they didn’t get snarky comments.

They’re comfortable, great on the joints and have a nicer look on your leg since you can have a smaller top of the boot more sculpted to your leg…besides, it seems almost anything goes nowadays…beginners in shadbelly’s because they like the look…ACK!

[Invite]

I don’t know how wide your calves are, but the Mountain Horse boots in wide might be doable. I have the “Classic Dress Boot” and find it very supportive. The MH boots have the nice, heavy duty zippers like most 1/2 chaps usually have. If you calves are too wide for MH boots, you might want to take a look at the “Fuller Fillies” boots carried by SmartPak.

For dressage, I believe it is now legal to wear paddock boots and half chaps through either training or first level.

[system]

I would go with field boots because I think they have more ankle support, which is what im looking for.

[LaLuna]

I have an arthritic ankle, and get more mobility in my field boot. My dress boots are tighter around the ankle and I feel like they support me more.

Although, when I use my field boots I definitely have less pain in my ankle.