I only use my tall boots for shows-otherwise I’m a paddock boot/half chap person. All I’ve ever done to care for my tall boots is wipe off dust /dirt with a cloth (a damp cloth if needed) and polish (meltonian boot cream). But I wonder if they would benefit from anything else (conditioner type product). From what I have read, the leather in tall boots differs from leather used for tack because it is “finished.” Anyway I just wondered what other folks do to keep tall boots looking nice. Thanks in advance.
I have a barn pair and a show pair. The barn pair gets wiped down after every wearing, the zippers brushed to remove any gunk, then zipped up and hit with WD-40, and boot trees inserted. The show pair get all that and polished.
I also have 2 pairs, one brown, one black. NEVER condition them - that just creates gunk build up on finished leather. My black pair is show only, the brown pair is used for every day, clinics, some shows. I wipe down with a damp cloth after every ride, and polish (I just use regular Kiwi polish) for shows or clinics. Stored with boot jacks.
I haven’t used WD40 on the zippers, although I wipe them down with a damp cloth too, and run a toothbrush over them to loosen out the dust that might gather.
I’m kind of curious too, whether that is all that needs to be done?
I wear my boots for riding only and store in a boot bag. Every few weeks I spray the zippers w/ WD40. Every few months I use a little Dawn dish soap on a sponge to clean the zippers. I use saddle soap to clean and a few times a year, usually in the winter, will condition and always polish before a show.
I have 3 pairs - all Dehners, none have zippers.
My patent leather boots I use only for showing. I keep them in a boot bag with trees. they only need damp sponge to clean.
My second pair is my old show boots which are just a little scuffed. I use these for clinics and bring them to shows just in case. These get cleaned with damp sponge and then polished with kiwi parade gloss and kept in boot bag with boot trees. I don’t polish the inside where they contact the saddle/pad/horse.
My third pair is a brown pair made of dragoon leather (an oiled leather like dansko’s). These boots are super hard wearing. I can even hose them off when I’m hosing the horses - then towel dry. I keep them with boot trees.
I got care instructions when I bought custom boots many years ago. I bet if you contacted one of those companies they would tell you.
Back then it was do not use cleaners but do use a mild oil. Products have changed so it’s probably different. I did have a pair that lasted many years and I wore them daily back then.
I keep them clean but will admit to using urad polish on the outside before shows
I don’t show so my tall boots are only used around the barn. I wipe them down w/ a wet rag most days, and occasionally I’ll give them a squirt of saddle soap too.
I spray my tall boots after riding with the hose to get any sweat and dirt off them, then immediately wipe them with a clean towel. I saw my Russian trainer do this and it really keeps them nice. Then put trees in and let them dry. I’m in Florida so sweat is really a problem, mine and the horses. About every third time I put a leather conditioner on them. I recently got a pair of patent dress boots and a professional repair shop advised me to clean them with Pledge. It really works!
[QUOTE=dudleyc;8721387]
I have 3 pairs - all Dehners, none have zippers.
My patent leather boots I use only for showing. I keep them in a boot bag with trees. they only need damp sponge to clean.
My second pair is my old show boots which are just a little scuffed. I use these for clinics and bring them to shows just in case. These get cleaned with damp sponge and then polished with kiwi parade gloss and kept in boot bag with boot trees. I don’t polish the inside where they contact the saddle/pad/horse.
My third pair is a brown pair made of dragoon leather (an oiled leather like dansko’s). These boots are super hard wearing. I can even hose them off when I’m hosing the horses - then towel dry. I keep them with boot trees.[/QUOTE]
How sturdy are the dragoon leather boots? I am used to stiff Cavallo boots. How does the dragoon leather compare to your other boots? TIA!
[QUOTE=dudleyc;8721387]
I have 3 pairs - all Dehners, none have zippers.
My patent leather boots I use only for showing. I keep them in a boot bag with trees. they only need damp sponge to clean.
My second pair is my old show boots which are just a little scuffed. I use these for clinics and bring them to shows just in case. These get cleaned with damp sponge and then polished with kiwi parade gloss and kept in boot bag with boot trees. I don’t polish the inside where they contact the saddle/pad/horse.
My third pair is a brown pair made of dragoon leather (an oiled leather like dansko’s). These boots are super hard wearing. I can even hose them off when I’m hosing the horses - then towel dry. I keep them with boot trees.[/QUOTE]
How sturdy are the dragoon leather boots? I am used to stiff boots, and wear the Cavallo Piaffe Plus boots.
How does the dragoon leather compare to your other boots? TIA!
I wipe down my boots, and polish with the Petrie set that Mutluk mentioned. Wish it came in navy!
My tall boots do double-duty for schooling/clinics and shows. I hit them with the hose or rinse them under the faucet daily; My ring is sand and boots get really gunky when it’s wet and there’s lots of wet junk splashing up. I don’t want to wipe them off before I rinse them off because I’m afraid that I’ll just scratch the finish by dragging sand all over them. After the rinse, I wipe them with a clean rag. I hang them upside-down for storage. They’ve held up for nearly 10 years with this treatment!
oops - am I the only one who uses normal Effax leather Basalm or lexol on them? So far all my boots have lasted decently long with using ‘normal’ saddle soap products and conditioners.
[QUOTE=keysfins;8740925]
How sturdy are the dragoon leather boots? I am used to stiff boots, and wear the Cavallo Piaffe Plus boots.
How does the dragoon leather compare to your other boots? TIA!
I wipe down my boots, and polish with the Petrie set that Mutluk mentioned. Wish it came in navy![/QUOTE]
The ride just like the regular boots. The leather is thicker, so the shoe part is just a little clunkier. But they are really cool looking boots - I got brown and get lots of compliments and they are super easy.
I hose off any major particles like dirt or sand, wipe down with a goats milk saddle soap, and then store with metal boot trees. I try to only put them on when I ride and remove as soon as I’m done, but I’m a working student and sometimes that just doesn’t always happen. They seem to keep well with this treatment, but they are a softer leather and I do worry about durability.
I have been paying someone else to polish my boots… pathetic, but they are 6 years old and showing age, and she is magic at helping them. I wipe off dirt with a dry rag or damp if necessary, because dirt especially under the spur straps is hard on the leather. Beyond that, she uses just a cream polish but then uses a small flame to melt it into the pores of the leather. It really seems to make them look better than they have since being broken in. I would trust myself with a flame on my boots, and I absolutely love my boots so I want them to last! My new boots aren’t broken in yet but I’ll probably follow a similar process with them…
Another thing to consider is the inside of your boots. Between my sweat and the humidity of my area, the insides don’t dry completely so mold was forming. I stuff these inside each boot https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B011ZL1QDW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
