Half Chaps acceptable for events… what ones do you suggest? GOT SOME!

[RegentLion]

IIRC, you can wear half chaps at recognized events, but there are some stipulations about not being suede, etc….

I do not have any tack stores near me so I can’t go look in person, but is “Stretch leather” Ok? Elastic gussets? Can you just tell me what ones to buy? LOL.

My old half chaps and paddock boots are shot to hell. My tall boots zipper broke two days ago and I’ll be shipping it out tomorrow to get fixed…. in the meantime I want to order GOOD paddocks/half chaps so I’m not in this position ever again.

Thanks.

[CindyCRNA]

I love my Ariat Volant show chaps. Got them new on eBay for about $80. Many people are surprised when the see they are half chaps. The chaps you speak of would fine for CC but I don’t think for dressage

[pacific_jumper]

I have ariat Covington chaps. I think they would be acceptable in all rings, but I only use them for xc and schooling. You cannot really tell they are even half chaps from more than 10 feet away

[fooler]

From the Eventing Rules EV114.5.a (Dressage): Boots—black, brown, field, jodhpur or a black or brown full grain smooth leather leg piece and matching leather boots. Chaps and/or half-chaps are not allowed.
These statements are repeated under Cross-Country and Stadium.

Essentially your leather boots and leg piece should have the appearance of tall boots.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I’ve competed in half chaps. I have the Tredstep Deluxe ones. I also know the Ariat Close Contact work.

[RegentLion]

[QUOTE=fooler;7664858]
From the Eventing Rules EV114.5.a (Dressage): Boots—black, brown, field, jodhpur or a black or brown full grain smooth leather leg piece and matching leather boots. Chaps and/or half-chaps are not allowed.
These statements are repeated under Cross-Country and Stadium.

Essentially your leather boots and leg piece should have the appearance of tall boots.[/QUOTE]

Yeah that is also what I gathered. I’m afraid though of ordering a pair of half chaps just to find out that one of the materials used isn’t acceptable. (Like is stretch leather OK? How about elastic panels?)

I like the look of the Volant’s although they are a little nontraditional.

[fooler]

Personally I want to walk about and see either tall boots or half chaps/leggings that have the same appearance of tall boots. So lots of “stretchy material”, like on my Tredstep suede half chaps does not apply.
However many folks have an unobtrusive band of elastic on the back of their tall boots for a variety of foot and/or leg fit problems. If that is the style of elastic you are referring to, then it should not raise inquiries by warm-up stewards, TD or PGJ.

[RegentLion]

Do you think that the Volants posted above are too strange looking? They’re much more affordable than the Monaco which does look just like a tall boot.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

All I can say is that I HAVE competed in both the Ariat Close Contact and the Tredstep Deluxe. Both have been cleared by the TD at different events.

I’m not a big fan of the Volants but that is just my personal taste.

[whitney159]

I’ve got the ariat close contacts and from 10 feet away they look just like tall boots. I hate the wording of the rule, because first they say you can wear the matching boots and smooth leather leg piece (, what I call half chaps) but then they say you can’t wear half chaps. I know they mean don’t wear the cheap suede ones, but can’t they say “matching smooth full grain leather half chaps are allowed”?

[RegentLion]

Do you guys know how much half chaps “drop?” I measure myself as a hair over 15" form floor to bend in knee; Ariat height is 16 1/2 inches. Treadstep has 15" option or 16", but I’m afraid that they’ll drop and be too short…

Thoughts?

[whitney159]

I’ve not had my half chaps drop at all. Unlike boots, which drop when the ankle breaks in, the half chap doesn’t fold there, as that’s where the leather starts.

[Appsolute]

I have a pair of ariats that I have been wearing daily for years. This weekend I was cleaning them, and noticed, while they do have a few small wrinkles where they have conformed to my leg - they have NOT dropped at all. Zipper is still totally straight - full length that it has always been.

OP- I am in the same boat as you. In the market or some new paddock boots / half chaps, and considering a set I could show in.

This is a picture of my current half chaps - they are suede in the inside - so I will need to pick a different model - but you can see there is no drop.

[RegentLion]

Appsolute–that’s exactly what I’m going for. New boots/chaps that I could show in.

My current paddock boots are 17-18 YEARS OLD. Yikes.

So… any thoughts on if the Ariat Volants would look OK in the show ring? Or get the side eye?

[pegasusmom]

Just in case. . . FEI changed their rule this year and the half chap systems legal for USEF are NOT legal at FEI events.

[RegentLion]

[QUOTE=pegasusmom;7666326]
Just in case. . . FEI changed their rule this year and the half chap systems legal for USEF are NOT legal at FEI events.[/QUOTE]

I am not clear on when USEF events become FEI. I suspect somewhere far past Training level?

If I EVER get to Training level, it will be a small miracle. LOL.

[subk]

I wore my Tredstep Deluxes this weekend with no issues! I forgot to pack my boots so I just cleaned up my everyday “two-piece booting system” (what the rest of the world calls half chaps) and wore them all weekend. And they are BROWN.

Since I left my coat at home and coats were not waived (who in the hell doesn’t waive coats in the middle of July just on general purposes?!) I borrowed eponacowgirls BLUE coat to wear with my BROWN halfchaps in DRESSAGE. eponacowgirls coat was missing a button. I also wore a stock tie which is totally wrong with brown “boots,” but I had no other options.

Since I actually scored really well I am here to tell you that you can look like a Glamour Magazine Fashion Don’t and still get good marks in dressage. It was a life altering experience for this old traditionalist and I’m thinking maybe I need to make this a signature look? Maybe lose the stock tie and get some nifty neckwear…hmmm and tweed for stadium…

[CindyCRNA]

[QUOTE=RegentLion;7665096]

I like the look of the Volant’s although they are a little nontraditional.[/QUOTE]

Oh, but their show chaps are pretty! And look traditional. http://www.trot2.com/ariat-volant-show-chap.ir?cName=for-the-rider-chaps-and-gaiters-leather-chaps-and-gaiters

[RegentLion]

[QUOTE=CindyCRNA;7666702]
Oh, but their show chaps are pretty! And look traditional. http://www.trot2.com/ariat-volant-show-chap.ir?cName=for-the-rider-chaps-and-gaiters-leather-chaps-and-gaiters[/QUOTE]

Hadn’t seen those!!! Available in the US??

[eponacowgirl]

[QUOTE=subk;7666534]

Since I left my coat at home and coats were not waived (who in the hell doesn’t waive coats in the middle of July just on general purposes?!) I borrowed eponacowgirls BLUE coat to wear with my BROWN halfchaps in DRESSAGE. eponacowgirls coat was missing a button. I also wore a stock tie which is totally wrong with brown “boots,” but I had no other options.

Since I actually scored really well I am here to tell you that you can look like a Glamour Magazine Fashion Don’t and still get good marks in dressage. It was a life altering experience for this old traditionalist and I’m thinking maybe I need to make this a signature look? Maybe lose the stock tie and get some nifty neckwear…hmmm and tweed for stadium…[/QUOTE]

I offered to sell her the coat “as is” since it obviously carries good dressage mojo, but then I reneged when I realized perhaps her dressage score of NINETEEN oozed some good dressage mojo INTO my coat and I could benefit from dropping my dressage score a point or 10.

But subk, if we’re going to make brown “boots” and a blue coat a “thing”… we need to get you a nice cream saddle pad with brown binding.