Spinoff - cowboy boots: hows, whys, and whatfors?

[Pocket_Pony]

I have one pair of cowboy boots that I wear every now and then. Since wearing them, I started noticing other people’s boots and styles and now I have questions!

1. Why a square toe vs. a pointy toe? Is the square toe a new trend because the pointy toes are too long and narrow?

2. Why a taller boot vs. a shorter boot? I would think a taller boot would prevent against seam rubs (of jeans) better than a shorter boot.

3. If you ride in cowboy boots and jeans, do you tuck your jeans in or have them over the boot? Why? If you wear jeans and boots, do you also wear armitas (vs. full chaps and paddock boots)?

4. Do you wear long socks so the top of the boot doesn’t rub against your skin if you wear your jeans over them?

5. Why the leather sole? The soles of mine are leather and they are sooooo slippery! I can wear them to ride ok, but walking around up a hill on grassy footing is dangerous! Do you cut into leather soles with a razor to give them a bit more grip?

Thanks!

[Luseride]

Square toe vs. pointed is a style factor and sometimes a comfort factor.

If the boot is to short it catches on the fender of your saddle.

Pants over unless they have really pretty tops that I want to show off.

Jeans and boots do not require other protection for the legs. The fender on the saddle protects your leg too.

Long socks.

Leather soles are better after a good scrubbing on concrete. They can be replaced.

You will now need a barn pair, a pair to ride in, a good pair for showing, another pair for when you dress up, another pair because they match your x,y, or z, and then a really good pair for weddings and funerals.

[UrbanHennery]

I find square toes give my feet more room, plus it’s a stle thing. My riding boots are all square toe, my fancy boots are a pointier snip toe.

Short boots look dumb. And catch on the stirrup fender.

Pants go over. Your jeans should be long enough to still touch the top of the boot foot when you’re in the saddle. Spurs keep the hem off the ground when walking around. This means that riding jeans aren’t great work jeans as my riding jeans are 2" longer than I would typically buy (but go well with dress heels before they’re too worn in).

No chaps, I don’t even show in them.

I wear tall socks - knee highs. Light cotton in the summer, wool in the winter.

Leather soles as Luseride said. I wear Bogs or rubber clogs for barn work, depending on the season.

And yes, multiple pairs are required. I’ve got three, and could “justify” at least one more.

[Luseride]

[QUOTE=UrbanHennery;7346369]

And yes, multiple pairs are required. I’ve got three, and could “justify” at least one more. ;)[/QUOTE]

I was so excited when my now DIL said she was wearing boots for her wedding, that meant I could get new boots for the wedding. Now those are very nice.

My sister buys a new pair every time the alarms at her chicken houses go off all night. She calls that paying herself overtime.

[amateurvaquero]

1. Probably mostly style. I prefer a nice round toe, myself. My wife likes square toe for the wider toe-box.

2. I suppose height just depends on the wearer. Shorter does catch on the fender as others have pointed out.

3. I am a tuck the jeans in guy. I was not for a few years, then I got a horrible case of poison ivy. It was so bad on my legs that my boot tops rubbed against them. So I tucked my jeans in, and that solved the problem. Many weeks later I went back to riding with the jeans over the boots, and it was not nearly as comfy. Something about the way the jeans sit in the tall boot feel really great to me. There is no catching or sliding, and I’ve found wearing them this way to be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I also wear chinks in the winter, but they are solely for warmth purposes (it was about 12 degrees when we rode today, and snowing).

4. Since I tuck the jeans in, sock height does not matter.

5. Leather soles are the best. A leather sole against a leather lined stirrup provides excellent feel. Sure, the soles can be slippery when walking around, but once they get scuffed up a bit they aren’t so bad.

[Pocket_Pony]

I wore mine in my wedding! My first wedding was a fancy white-dress affair. My second wedding was at my parent’s house in the backyard and I wore a country-type skirt from Target, a white t-shirt, and my cowboy boots!

[Pocket_Pony]

Oh, and I need to know about spurs, too. I have spurs that I wear with my English paddock boots, but tell me about Western spurs…How do the straps work? Are there spurs that don’t need straps?

[aktill]

No strapless spurs that I know of. Lots of different styles, most work the same way. The only exception would likely be dove wing straps which don’t have buckles.

There are lots of variations within the spurs themselves, with more points and a larger diameter being milder. Lots of options for rise, level, and drop shanks to accomodate personal vs mount conformation.

[Luseride]

There are slip on spurs but they fall off. Western spurs sit lower on your heel than English ones do. The beauty is that if you get ones that fit correctly you can just leave them on your boots, buckled on. Much easier.

[aktill]

Depends on the spur. Mine are an old style with 2.5" dia rowels and a drop shank. Not really meant to walk with.

[Pocket_Pony]

Do all spurs work the same? I mean, when I’ve looked at them online there are some that seem to be angled where the straps go (sorry I don’t know terminology), some that are really wide where they go around the heel, some that are narrower, etc. Do some actually go around the heel of the boot vs the heel of your foot? Are there different types of straps that one might need to know about so they don’t buy the wrong spur/strap combination?

[aktill]

If you use them with finesse then no, not all spurs work the same by any stretch. In fact, depending on how picky you are, two people of varying heights or leg proportions can’t switch spurs, and even the same person may need different spurs depending on the barrel shape and sensitivity of different horses.

The width of the spur band will determine how stable it is on your boot. Some may need an auxilliary strap or heel chain that goes straight down from the spur tight under the heel, in order to prevent the spur from riding up.

I posted this photo in another thread, and you can see how it really needs a heel strap or heel chain (which had broken before these were taken) to sit level:
http://www.easphotography.com/Tindur/IMG_1501.PNG

The angle which the spur shank comes out of the heel band is important as well. These are generally rise shanks, straight shanks, or drop shanks. If you hear someone call a spur a “quarter drop”, for example, it generally means that the pin through the spur rowel is set a 1/4" below the centerline of the band which goes around the foot.

How much drop etc you need is set by your individual leg conformation compared to your horse’s barrel shape, how well you control your leg, how sensitive your horse is, and the size of the rowel itself.

I ride a wide barrelled horse and have long legs, so I could ideally do with a rise shank. To get around this with the shank style I like, I have a rather large rowel. The point where you first contact the horse is generally at the top of the spur rowel, so a drop shank with a large rowel can act like a rise shank with a small rowel. It’s the relationship between the top of the rowel and the heel band.

The rowels themselves determine the “severity” of the spur. Lots of points act almost like a smooth wheel, which means that fewer points are “shaper” by virtue of less contact area. The pointedness of the points themselves is also a factor. Like a spade bit, western spurs with big rowels and lots of points are often thought severe, where they’re FAR more soft in action then a single pointed english spur…especially if they’re used properly and rolled rather than jabbed.

Yet another factor is the length of the shank itself (how close the rowel pin is to the back of the boot). If this distance is short, you generally have to move your leg a long way to activate the spur.

So, as always, it depends. You should pick a spur that lets you touch your horse without tension coming into your thigh, at the minimum.

The straps themselves are fashion. You’d only go wrong if it was too short or too long to cinch down properly.

Last thing - you can choose to order most with or without jinglebobs. They’re a nice metronome to some, and incredibly annoying to others. I love em, personally.

[potteryshop]

Aktill - wonderful explanation. I will reinforce by saying that you may have to buy or borrow many spur styles to see what works for you and your horse. It is not a one-size-fits-all unless you have a VERY educated leg.

[Beverley]

My responses in italics I hope. I’d go with all caps to be sure, but I just hate yelling!

1. Why a square toe vs. a pointy toe? Is the square toe a new trend because the pointy toes are too long and narrow Square seems to be what’s in now. My first pair of boots in the 50s were pointy-toes, and when I showed 60s-70s, there was a period when pointy toes were out and more rounded, less pointy were in. My current ‘good’ pair and ‘okay to get manure on’ pair are both pointy-toes. I grew up in Texas and you really need the points to be able to nail the cockroaches in corners.

2. Why a taller boot vs. a shorter boot? I would think a taller boot would prevent against seam rubs (of jeans) better than a shorter boot. Taller v shorter is relative so I don’t know whether you mean the ‘short short’ fashion boots or the mid-shin versus ‘stovepipe’ variety- and I have no experience with those latter, but in a western saddle jeans rubs are more a function of jean fit than the kind of rubs you get with narrow English leathers.

3. If you ride in cowboy boots and jeans, do you tuck your jeans in or have them over the boot? Why? If you wear jeans and boots, do you also wear armitas (vs. full chaps and paddock boots) Well, Roy Rogers tucked his in…but me, I’ve always worn 'em over the outside of the boot, with or without chaps. Now if I am walking around and it’s muddy, I’ll tuck the ‘inside half’ of my jeans into the boots to keep the jeans clean. I wear chaps to show (okay hardly ever show any more) or for protection in brush and thorns when gathering cattle or for warmth on a cold day.

4. Do you wear long socks so the top of the boot doesn’t rub against your skin if you wear your jeans over them? Yes, I buy the Justin boot socks and other similar varieties that actually come up above the top of the boot, though of course not visible because of jeans.

5. Why the leather sole? The soles of mine are leather and they are sooooo slippery! I can wear them to ride ok, but walking around up a hill on grassy footing is dangerous! Do you cut into leather soles with a razor to give them a bit more grip? Once broken in I don’t find my leather soles unduly slick. My Noconas have rubber soles- but I don’t like the looks of the Justin ‘crepe’ soles that are popular now, I fear they are too ‘grippy’ for my taste. I really do want my foot to come out of the stirrup pretty quickly and easily in the event of a wreck, or when dismounting.
   
   You didn’t mention it but there’s a difference in heel to consider as well, ‘walking’ heel versus the higher and angled ‘riding heel’ meant to be more secure for long hours in the saddle. I’ve had both but prefer the walking heel myself.

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

1. Why a square toe vs. a pointy toe? Is the square toe a new trend because the pointy toes are too long and narrow?
   I prefer square vs round or pointy. No real reason for me other than looks.

2. Why a taller boot vs. a shorter boot? I would think a taller boot would prevent against seam rubs (of jeans) better than a shorter boot.
   I wear a shorter boot because I have thick calf muscles and taller ones don’t fit right. I’ve never had them catch on the fenders as some other posters have mentioned. I don’t really ride in my cowboy boots much anymore though, but I do wear them practically every day for work and barn chores because they are sturdy and comfortable.

3. If you ride in cowboy boots and jeans, do you tuck your jeans in or have them over the boot? Why? If you wear jeans and boots, do you also wear armitas (vs. full chaps and paddock boots)?
   I ride jeans over boots, but then my western riding has been limited to show and trail riding. Show pants/chaps are meant to be long and go over the boot. Not quite like saddle suit pants, but same idea. It lengthens the look of the leg and position. Trail riding in heavy brush I will wear shotgun chaps, otherwise no.

4. Do you wear long socks so the top of the boot doesn’t rub against your skin if you wear your jeans over them?
   Never had that problem. Usually wear ankle socks, unless it is winter, then I wear tall boot socks.

5. Why the leather sole? The soles of mine are leather and they are sooooo slippery! I can wear them to ride ok, but walking around up a hill on grassy footing is dangerous! Do you cut into leather soles with a razor to give them a bit more grip?
   My leather soled boots are for showing only, so I don’t walk around in them much. You can do the razor blade trick, but I think walking around on rough asphalt or concrete does a better job of scuffing the soles without too much risk of damage

[Flash44]

Tall boots with a rounded toe, custom because I have bunions. My soles are some kind of composite that handle the water and muck much better than leather. I only wear them to ride, but I can hose off horses or walk through the mud or wet grass without worrying about getting the leather soles wet. They have good traction! I usually wear tall socks under them.

[cowboymom]

Traditionally the pointy toe was to make it easier to catch your stirrup. Square toe is just a style. Rounded is a sensible variation of the pointy toe and what I usually have.

I’m super short so I wear short boots, jeans over, and knee high socks. I do that b/c it’s the most comfortable fit; traditionally boots are meant to slide off if you get hung up. No chinks/chaps but I am considering getting them. I’m usually too warm riding in the summer any way so haven’t wanted them but they are a big help in the rain or brush.

My leather soled boots have good tread, not slick.

Though traditionally, again, a slick sole was so your boot would slide in/out of the stirrup easily. Riding heel to keep your boot from getting hung up. It all did start with function, not fashion.

[HorsesinHaiti]

We have a lot of soft, polished limestone around here so I actually needed a boot sole with some grip for safety sake on steep, narrow trails if I lead the pony. My boots are loose enough that my foot would come out fairly easily if I hung up.

Now that I have my Twisted Xs, I’m not going back to paddock boots! The silly 740# pony spooked at a flapping tarp just after I got off him at a dispensary last Sunday, and landed right on my toes. I wound up with not a bruise, and no pain even while he was standing on me! It would have been a different story in my old paddocks. I told the guard at the dispensary, “That’s why I spent the money on my “ancestor’s” traditional garb - it works!”

[Sparrowette]

Well, here’s a little history if anyone is interested. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I started wrangling ponies at stables here in Phoenix back in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Back then, the stables were a hangout for old, retired cowboys who had actually worked cattle on the Arizona range back when.

This is what they told me and my sister as kids. Good boots are working tools for your safety on horseback on the range.

Boots need to have a higher heel, and it should be a little forward in order to keep your foot from slipping through the stirrup.

But it also needs to have a wider shaft because it is your safety. English saddles have that release for the stirrup leather if you get caught, but a western saddle does not let the stirrup go if you foot slides through, so your foot needs to be able to slip out of there somehow if you get caught and risk being drug.

A wider shaft is also some protection against snake bite. Hopefully, if a snake bites, he will bite the boot shaft, and not hit your ankle, or maybe just graze it a little.

This part is what is really hard to find any more. The vamp and toe box should be made of hard, tough leather, and the toe box should be good and stout, to protect your foot from injury when (not if, when) a horse steps on your foot. Stout leather will hold up, and not get permanently bent or cut into the foot like a steel toe.

[Fillabeana]

I wear tall ‘buckaroo’ boots.
I tuck my pants into them, usually…because I usually ride in breeches, or jeans-breeches. So I’m a little unorthodox to begin with!
I get pine needles or juniper chaff in my boots if I ride through the brush. I do have chinks, but they are not quite long enough to keep the chaff out of my boots. And they’re hot.

I have a couple of photos from last summer’s Buck clinic:
Me in my riding wear (including the coolmedic vest):
http://s262.photobucket.com/user/Buxombeefcowdairy/media/Buck%20clinic/Icanseebyyouroutfit.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
And me in riding wear, off the horse, where you can see my ‘dressage’ Wade saddle:
http://s262.photobucket.com/user/Buxombeefcowdairy/media/Buck%20clinic/tedsaddled.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
And here you can see where the saddle puts my leg, although my filly here is growing and was butt-high by a good inch when the photo was taken:
http://s262.photobucket.com/user/Buxombeefcowdairy/media/Buck%20clinic/RainyinDaytonii.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

I’ve JUST started wearing a spur, because I have just become able to identify how and when to use them without nagging my horse. (I have a secure leg, I could jump 2’6" bareback without using the spur inadvertently.)
Aktill has a great summary of Western/Buckaroo spurs and their use , so I won’t go into that.
If your horse is much more responsive, more in front of your leg, if there is a BIG difference when you wear spurs versus when you don’t…your horse is responding to the spur via intimidation; you are using the spur in a way that gets you dependent on the spur.
My decision to use a spur…well, two summers ago, I asked my mentor/helper if I should ride my horse with spurs, because he rode my horse in spurs. He told me no, I’d just pi$$ the horse off. (And not because my leg isn’t secure.) A month later at the 2012 Buck clinic, I heard Buck say that a little squeeze, a little bump with your heel is NOT a feel. That literally stopped me in my tracks. Talking with my mentor at the clinic, I told him, I don’t have my horse on a feel, in front of my leg, and that’s why I’d pi$$ him off with the spurs! (righto)

In late summer 2013, I found the place where I could ask my horse to move his HQ with just some intention/position of my leg. At the moment my horse decided to take over, to get off the feel, move forward, ignore me…that was the timing to poke him with the spur to keep him with me until I stopped asking for his HQ to move. So anyway, now I ride with a spur but if I’m doing things right, I can use my leg to ask in a very subtle, polite way and hardly use the spur at all.