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Half chap life span?

Hunter/Jumper
#1

I’m back and forth on what I want for new schooling footwear. Riding is sporadic; this time of year I may go weeks at a time without riding, summer time I may ride 3-5 a day and spend all day on my feet at shows, mucking, braiding, general horse show work. So I want something that will withstand some abuse.

i had pretty much made up my mind that instead of buying tall boots for schooling that I would just go to paddock boots and half chaps. But I tried on a pair of Ariat V Sports today and fell in love with them. They cost about the same as a decent pair of paddock boots and half chaps. Does anyone have any suggestions on how long a set of paddock boots and half chaps would last in comparison to a mid-range tall boot?

i just wonder about the lifespan and durability of both. I about want to cry when a nice set of tall boots start showing wear. That being said, I have two sets of Tread Steps that I hate, that simply refuse to die. But I’m pretty sure my luck wouldn’t be so great if I loved the boots…

#2

I ride 1-2 horses about 4 days a week, year round. My Ariat paddock boots and half chaps last me about 3 years on average? I find them more comfortable than tall boots, but then I don’t have the budget to buy very nice ones!

#3

I’ve had my Fabbri dress boots for 5 years now, ride a LLT, they’ve been used and abused and they just now started to show wear. The leather on the calf is far superior to Parlanti. So, $1000 for boots is a lot, yes, but they’ve lasted this long and still look show quality.

Ive been through the ringer with several pairs of expensive and inexpensive half chaps, and honestly I LOVED the Tucci half chaps and you can barely tell they aren’t real tall boots (when paired with the right paddock boots).

The quality of the leather on the Tuccis is similar to Fabbri in my opinion. Very durable yet supple. I’ve given bathes, cleaned stalls and ridden for years in the Tucci half chaps.

#4

Oh, and my Ariat paddock boots die in about 2 years. I know this isn’t super relevant to the brands you posted about, but that’s my two cents on the topic. You can find amazing deals on European tack shop websites!! Just know what size you wear before you buy- it’s a pain to return.

#5

Totally relevant as Ariats are obviously the most available and easily had brand. I wear a weird combination of sizes (seems like everyone claims that but there’s seriously some brands that do not offer a combo that fits). So I am way more inclined to buy Ariats or brands I can try on. But this is where I’m trying to figure out where the breaking point is. I’d rather replace a pair of paddock boots every two years than a pair of tall boots. But if the half chaps last only the same length of time as the paddock boots, than it would be a wash in comparison to tall boots.

Ill look in to the Fabbris and Tuccis. Thanks!

#6

I have the Ariat Volant, which I think is similar leather to the V Sport. These boots will survive the apocalypse. I love them.

I get about 4 years out of paddocks and half chaps.

#7

I’ve had a pair of Ariat paddock boots and Kentaur half chaps I bought in 2011 and they continue to live on. The half chaps have lost one snap which I keep meaning to replace. I’ve ridden 1 horse about 4-5 times a week since owning them.

I know most people don’t get that long out of Ariat paddock boots but in my experience, they’re not treating the boots well. I only wear mine to ride. I put them on while tacking up and take them off untacking. I don’t pick pens, wash horses, set jumps in arena or do other chores in them. They still look great and the zippers have never been an issue for me. I find them extremely comfortable and they fit me very well.

2 Likes
#8

I ride 15-20 horses a week and wear through a pair of half chaps each year. I buy the high end Ariat paddock boots, and they last longer–more like 2 years.

One thing I like about having them be separate is that, when one fails, you can just replace that part. With tall boots, you have to buy the whole package every time. But lots of people prefer tall boots! May just be a personal preference thing.

2 Likes
#9

Let’s just say that a friend who rides two horses a day, six days a week went through her half chaps in about a year, while I’m still wearing mine 20 years later. Same chaps bought the same day.

#10

I have always ridden in half chaps with paddock boots at home, previously rode in ariat paddock boots with tredstep half chaps, but decided to splurge on the Buffalo leather parlanti half chaps 5 years ago and LOVE them! The leather has held up amazing. I did take them to have some of the stitching on the elastic panel re-sewn last year, but aside from that they have worn like iron. I had also bought the parlanti paddock boots to go with them, however they did not last as long. I did abuse them with riding, bathing, mucking stall etc, but the sole started coming off and the tread on the bottom was never great.

I replaced the paddock boots with the Tucci paddock boots and have to say they are much better quality than the Parlanti’s. I show in Parlanti tall boots, but will not ride in them at home as I know they will not hold up to everyday wear and tear. I recently won a pair of EGO 7 tall boots at a show and I am really liking them so far. I am going to start using them for everyday, I can’t to speak to longevity yet as I’ve only had them for 3 weeks, but they seem very sturdy and the leather is very nice for a mid-range tall boot.

#11

I’m also hard to fit (short narrow calf) so I will only buy tall boots. Why? Because if I happen to blow a zipper at a show I have a backup. I know the liklihood of buying boots at the show or finding a pair to borrow are slim to none.

that said, I have 6 different pairs of boots now as I find a pair I like and I buy them. Unlike the poster above, I have a fabulous pair of Parlantis that have been going strong for 2.5 years of near daily use and I don’t even need to consider any other brand. I get that they so crease a bit, but they are about the stickiest contact I’ve ever had on a boot. Nice and grippy and I absolutely love them. I can see why so many equitation riders have them.

I think you will find a range of opinions on here, and ultimately you have to make the decision based on comfort, cost and need.

Good luck! FWIW I have a pair of Ariat Monaco boots going on 7 years! I rode in them daily for 4+ years.

#12

It depends. I had a not-expensive pair of DevonAire half chaps that someone very kindly gifted to me that I rode right through in ~4 months (3 horses a day, 7 days a week). I’ve had Ariat close contours that hold up to approximately a year of that kind of usage.

I’ve had better luck with Ovation paddock boots than Ariats, but I think that’s because my feet are wide through the toes (the toe cap always cracks on my paddock boots) and the Ovations are roomier in those areas.

#13

This is where I figured there would be an advantage. I just wasn’t sure if the lifespan of boots and chaps are similar or not. Sounds like half chaps wear out faster than paddock boots, which makes sense. If I could get like two pairs of half chaps to one pair of paddock boots (lifespan wise), then it would for sure make sense.

#14

This is a good idea. Hadn’t thought of it like that. I usually say “everything can be replaced at the show except the horse and the saddle”, in the event that I leave something at home. But considering I’ve progressively had to go up in price to get a pair of boots to fit, I ought to add boots to the list of things that cannot be replaced at a show. Monacos are the only boot that I have found to fit perfectly enough to show in; the V sports I tried on were perfect as well, but not appropriate for the hunters. So I get where you’re coming from with not being able to replace boots at a show.

Good to know about the lifespan on your Monacos! I pretty much only use mine for showing and a little bit of light schooling at shows, but they never get the abuse of barn chores. I thought it looked like the stitching on the inside calf panel was starting to get strained, though it has not gotten worse through a fall show season of very heavy use. So perhaps they’ll last longer than I expected, and hopefully the “strained stitching” is a figment of my imagination.

#15

I have the opposite experience in that my half chaps seem to be holding up better then my paddock boots. I got ariat v sport half chaps and ariat paddock boots 2 years ago, the half chaps look almost new and the paddock boots are starting to look and feel pretty old.
This is likely because I wear the paddock boots longer then I do the half chaps often keeping them on after I ride to rinse off my horse, etc.
I suppose if you do go with half chaps perhaps the v sports are a great bet for you if you like the v sport tall boots! I love mine and was never a fan of half chaps previously.

#16

My half chaps last approx. a year, unless something drastic happens to them. My paddock boots (Ariat Heritage IV lately) last about 6-7 months. My working student gets about 6 months out of her half chaps, but I think her paddocks are almost two years old. I wear my paddocks all day, she alternates her footwear. She does spend more time in the saddle than I do. Flip side of that, I still wear the tall boots I bought (custom) in 2006 because the zippers keep breaking in the off the shelf (not econo boots) ones I bought in 2018.

#17

If you’re doing a kind of cost-per-wear analysis, I think half chaps + boots are the way to go. They have a minimal break in period as well, and it’s cooler in summer to be able to shed the half chaps and go around in paddock boots. For all practical purposes, I think they are a better choice. But the sensation of riding in tall boots is very different, imo, and there may be no substitute for it. I guess it’s a your-mileage-may-vary situation. Personally, I am too precious about my tall boots. I can’t bring myself to subject them to daily wear and abuse.

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