I’m in need of a new pair of tall boots as my MH Supreme’s have finally worn out after 5 years. I’m debating between the MH Venezia and the TR Belmont. I’ve settled on these 2 mostly based on price point (~$200) and style. I’m currently only riding 1x a week, so they won’t get much wear & tear right now at least. Neither of these are available at any tack shops near me, so I’d love some insight from anyone who has experience with either of these!
I have the Venezia, which is an updated version of the Venice, I think. I’ve had the old and now the new model of these MH boots as my daily boot for years- I love them. They wear really well, they fit great, and they look good. The zippers don’t break and I get about two years out of them before I wear through something. This doesn’t sound all that great but for relatively inexpensive boots they are really tough- I’ve had much more expensive boots last less than a year. I ride 5-6 days a week, 1-2 horses, and I am terrible about taking care of my daily boots (in other words, I don’t) so they have to put up with a lot.
I actually ordered some of the TuffRider Regal boots, which are very similar to the Belmont, but sent them back because they were too loose and too soft. It was like putting on a thick sock. I want my boots to actually protect my leg, not wrinkle around it, and I don’t think they would hold up. On the other hand, the break in time would be zero, and they are pretty. They are like ultra-budget Parlantis, but I still would rather have something more tough.
My son has Tuffrider Belmonts, and they are just okay. I don’t pick them up and feel as though they are a high-quality boot. My Ariats are a lot nicer (can’t remember which Ariats I have though). I haven’t ever seen a pair of Mt. Horse boots to compare, though.
Stay away from Tuff Rider boots. The glue on the sole separates from the shoe, the zipper falls 1/2 way down when riding, the button on the top that mimics the Parlanti falls off, and the button flap broke. They don’t hold up well. I worked at a retail store during the holidays and we got TONS of returns on these.
That being said, we got a ton of repeat buyers because of how ready-to-go they are, but at said company you can keep returning and returning.
I bought the MH Venezias recently and they just arrived today. My calf measures at the outside edge of one calf size, so I ordered that size rather than size up.
My impressions based on first try-on are very favorable. In fact, for the price, I may order another pair (but will size up the calf for summer riding and hunting so I can wear thicker socks and/or allow for swelling due to heat/humidity). The ankle is very fitted, the leather appears to be good quality–will take some breaking in to be able to walk around in them, but I think I could ride in them right away. The zipper seems sturdy. The foot looked narrow when I pulled them out of the box, but the size 41 fits my US size 10, moderately wide foot very comfortably. I don’t foresee them dropping very much.
Because of my calf size choice, these suckers take some work to zip up, but I think they’ll be quite comfortable once the elastic develops a bit of give.
I don’t like chaps–I only ride in tall boots–so at the price I didn’t really care when I bought them if they were show quality or not, but I think they are.
