Are paddock boots good for both western and english?

Question

i am mostly a western rider but i am learning english. i was wondering if paddock boots are okay to show in english. i showed w/ them in western last year and they were fine, but i dont know if they will be okay to wear for english riding or do i need to buy the tall boots too? also, i would like someone's advice if i should buy new boots on ebay for cheaper or if i should pay more but make sure tht the boot fits properly at a local store. Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

how old are you?  paddock boots and garters are ok for kids, but tall boots are required for teens and adults.  If you're just doing a schooling show at your barn, you can probably get away with just paddock boots (or maybe paddock boots and half chaps), but if you're doing anything else from local shows to bigger shows, you'll need tall boots.

You should absolutely positively buy your boots from the store... UNLESS you go to the store and try some on so you know your size and then you can buy online.  I bought my first pair of tall boots online... I got the wide ones for my big calfs and they had a gusset so I figured they would fit but they didn't... they wouldn't come all the way up so they were very bunched up around my ankles...  I ended up having to buy new ones at a store a few months later.  You also need to see how tall you need them to be... if you do buy online, remember that new boots stretch out and drop a little bit...  don't get boots that are barely tall enough or else they will drop and end up being too short.