I got boots in the spring of my 11 yo show season & was showing my large pony. And nothing fit off the rack (there weren’t so many options back then) so I got custom Dehners. I had to do a lot of saving gift $$$ & side jobs!
I think a lot depends on how big the child is & what division they are showing in.
My old-school trainer allowed me to get tall boots once I started riding horses and was out of the Large pony division. Also was with Loudoun Hunt Pony Club and we were discouraged from getting tall boots until we were teenagers.
Oh no! We just got my DD her first pair for her birthday (she’s turning 5) but she a couple inches shy of 4’, so maybe it will look ok.
Incase your wondering…she’s a darling freak of nature since mommy is all of 5’2", and daddy is barely 6’.
Piatt Farms, have you given them to her yet? If not, you may want to reconsider. 5 seems awfully young for tall boots. The kids she rides with won’t have them, for one thing. More importantly, I was told repeatedly as a youngster that paddock boots help kids develop a strong, independent leg–and I believe it.
Besides, there’s nothing cuter than a young rider in paddock boots, jods, and garter straps! 
We haven’t! Her birthday is next weekend. They are a size 2 (she wears a 13) so theoretically they will fit her next year…
I was told when you turn 13 or move up to a horse, whichever comes first. But I only showed locally and I wasn’t riding large ponies too long either.
Piatt Farms, my George Morris-trained trainer would tell you that once you’re in tall boots, braids/ribbons become a thing of the past – is your DD going to want to do hunter hair? (Also, I have to say that tall boots, especially new ones, on a child sounds like a recipe for blisters and tears.)
[QUOTE=supershorty628;6251890]
Then I still wouldn’t be in tall boots, and I’m almost 21 
:lol:[/QUOTE]
Same here lol :lol:
[QUOTE=shawneeAcres;6252548]
I basically want my student in jodphurs until they are out of SS. They can continue in jodphurs, if they wish, if doing ponies. But most kids can’t WAIT for those “tall boots”![/QUOTE]
That’s what most trainers in my area do. Some obviously move up before aging out, and so it will depend on the age, the pony, child, etc whether they wear field boots or garters.
And then there was me, age 14, and mom forgot that I should probably be wearing tall boots that year (I had taken time off from showing) and so I jacked up stirrups up, grabbed some hairbows off one of our little short stirrup kids, and kicked butt in the long stirrup and pleasure now I have a nice respectable pair of tall boots
Ok so this really depends. If they’re a smaller person, you could probably get away with waiting longer. The same goes in the opposite way, as well. If you have a really tall ten-year-old, maybe they need tall boots then. I think I got mine when I was 12 or 13, but I was (and still am) a pretty small person! I know that competing in IEA you are supposed to have tall boots for high school.
Just an fyi, the dover riding sport tall boots were only like $100 and seem very nice for the price. I figured, even if they don’t last, they grow so darn fast it won’t matter!
I will venture to guess that the kid from the original post in 2012 has probably been in tall boots for some time by now.
Yep. Shameless plug from the Present Pony blogger - no thanks, that is a good tactic to not get people to read your blog.
True but now we know that Present Pony, in her first COTH post, wrote a cute blog about this whole dilemma?! 🤣
I was told 13 years old or on a horse. I started showing at 11 and I was a porker pig with short hair, so I had tall boots. I wasn’t much cute.
Unless your child is riding on the A circuit, there’s also the alternative of paddock boots with matching smooth leather half chaps. This option was and is a lifesaver for us with a 14 year old with huge feet who is 100lbs and 5’7 and growing. One rationale for keeping kids in jods and paddocks was not to waste money on tall boots that would be outgrown every year. I take that to heart and so since what she does doesn’t require the highest level of attire (IEA, local shows and BN eventing), we went with her wearing her 9.5 women’s paddocks polished up with xsmall tall half chaps, and we are good to go for $250.
I miss the braids though and she HATES hunter hair - she says she looks like a lunch lady with the hair net. A lunch lady with ear poufs.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
