I know there was a previous discussion on this, but I didn’t really find what I was looking for. I’m trying to decide between the Dublin River and Pinnacle boots for light winter riding and a fair amount of work 1-2x a week. I have normal to slim calves, and am wondering if one fits better than the other, the drop is worse, and the pros/cons of each. Thanks!
Don’t know about the River boots, but the Pinnacles come in only one size calf, and it’s quite wide. I happen to like that, since it leaves plenty of room if you want to wear them with jeans in the winter, but of course that’s just me.
I don’t have the River boots, but I have the Pinnacles as well. I have slim calves and I love that the calf is adjustable starting at the ankle through the top of the boot. I love them and they’ve held up really well for me.
I have the River boots. I really like them but they do have a pretty wide calf. I would say my calves are pretty proportionate to my body and there is still a generous amount of room in boots. For that reason, I don’t love them to ride in during winter unless I am trail riding. When my gelding was at indoor this winter, I got him, tacked up, etc. in those boots and changed into my paddock boots and half chaps to ride. I also am quite tall and River boots are a bit too short for me to ride in - they tend to get pushed down while in saddle. I’m on my second pair - finally had to pitch my first pair this winter (this was year 6 for them) as the lining tore away and my foot kept getting stuck trying to pull it out. But they were still warm and waterproof. I waterproof mine a couple times a year and keep wine bottles inside them to retain the ankle shape. My new pair is still in great shape after 2 years of use in Canadian winters - I use mine as winter chore boots.
If you go with the River boots, don’t be horrified by the initial colour. My first pair I remember being brown out of the box but my newer ones were orange. I was a bit disappointed but as soon as I waterproofed them, they were a nice dark brown colour.
