Traditions

[colleen9]

I ride hunter jumper but have always been interested in the origins of the sport.

What is the history of the boots and their colors? What is the “proper” thing past and present?

This question came up because there are a number of antique stores in the area and they all have all brown leather field boots. - What is the difference between brown leather field boots, black leather field boots, black leather with a brown cap, and black leather with a black patent cap? Who is allowed to wear what? What a bout dress boots, are those seen on a hunt?

If there is another thread on this sorry, I tried a search.

[tangledweb]

Where are these stores that always have brown field boots?

I’d really go a nice patinated pair.

But in summary, fox hunters:
never wear black field boots
wear brown field boots on informal days
wear tan tops on formal days if male and granted the right to
wear patent tops on formal days if female and granted the right to
wear black dress boots on formal days

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

Are the tan tops & the patent tops affixed to black, or brown?

[SidesaddleRider]

@Risk-Averse Rider;4798555

Are the tan tops & the patent tops affixed to black, or brown?

Affixed to black dress boots only. Tops are worn for formal hunting, and formal hunting = black dress boots. Informal hunting = brown field boots.

[Granada]

don’t wear field boots, sticks get stuck in them… dress boots only… from the practical sense, it was true in the past and is true today ETA: I don’t know about the tradition, just mean I don’t ever wear field boots due to the experience above.

[lizathenag]

in my day (sitting in the rocking chair)
men wore the tan tops and women wore the patent leather tops when they had received their colors.

of course that was before women had the right to vote. . .!

I question some of the gender based traditions. I love tradition but not when they are based on same antiquated gender views.

[Beverley]

Actually, I’ve never owned the patent tops, they are ‘optional’ for ladies w/colors but not required if you are wearing a standard melton coat. The very practical reason for the patent tops is that ladies won’t get shoe polish on their breeches when they demurely cross their legs at the breakfast.

The brown tops on gentlemen’s boots are the vestige of boots worn way back in the day, which went up above the knee on the front- when rolled down they showed the brown or tan interior and things evolved from there.

Field boots were ‘always’ brown, the black field boots became popular in the show ring first and then folks started wearing them out hunting, they are pretty well accepted these days though you will still see clenched teeth among older MFHs and turnout police.

I have, once, seen a MFH-huntsman sporting tan tops on black field boots. But as has been noted, I wouldn’t do that, fashion traditions aside, because yeah, those laces ‘can’ be a pain when galloping in woods or heavy brush.