I never owned a pair of real dressage riding boots (just work boots) before and I was wondering how i should care for them and how often i should do it.
I would wipe them down with a damp (not wet) cloth after everytime you ride/use them. Don’t use shoe polish everyday, or every week. Only when you’re going to shows is it necessary. Shoe polish actually dries out leather. Make sure you don’t put shoe polish on where your boot touches the horse/saddle otherwise it will rub off onto the horse/saddle.
I use regular leather conditioner on mine every other week or so. This keeps them in top shape and they will last forever!
-Have fun riding
April 28th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
well i ride hunter jumper but u care 4 the boots the same i usually use my black polish and i have a brush 2 get the dirt off them and a cloth and i clean them every time after i ride to make sure they are nice and ready for the next day even though i use 2 different boots for show and practice they are still always clean
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April 28th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I would wipe them down with a damp (not wet) cloth after everytime you ride/use them. Don’t use shoe polish everyday, or every week. Only when you’re going to shows is it necessary. Shoe polish actually dries out leather. Make sure you don’t put shoe polish on where your boot touches the horse/saddle otherwise it will rub off onto the horse/saddle.
I use regular leather conditioner on mine every other week or so. This keeps them in top shape and they will last forever!
-Have fun riding
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April 28th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Several things…
Dressage boots look best when they are stiff and unwrinkled around the ankles. Hunter/jumper field boots are expected to be wrinkled around the ankle because the riders have to keep their heels way down, forming an angle. Dressage riders ride with a longer leg and don’t bend as much at the ankle.
To keep your dressage boots looking new, do not wear them around the barn. Do chores and groom your horse in something else, like sneakers or clogs or paddock boots. Pull your boots on only to ride, and take them off immediately after. Whenever you are not wearing them, keep boot shapers in them. There are many types available, some very expensive cedar boot trees, but the "poor man’s" boot tree is a pair of pantyhose stuffed with newspaper. This will work just as well to put in your boots to keep them standing straight and not allow them to flop over or become wrinkled.
I personally like the boot accessories that hang your boots, allowing gravity to keep them pulled straight. You can get what’s basically a boot hook that mounts to a walll, but even better are the little boot clips that clip to the inside of the boot top and then can be hung from any hook or other surface. These types of accessories can be found at doversaddlery.com or Dressage Extension’s website.
Cedar boot trees are fantastic not only for keeping your boot’s shape, but also for drawing out moisture and keeping them smelling fresh. However they’re massively expensive. Tossing a mesh bag filled with cedar chips into the boots works wonders for keeping the boots fresh and free from moisture-loving bacteria. I’ve seen cedar chip bags at my local dollar store or Christmas Tree Shops (since they’re good for storing clothing too.)
Definitely look into finding some sort of boot bag to keep your boots protected from moisture, scuffs, etc. when they are not being worn. It doesn’t have to be a fancy custom boot bag – for years I had a cheap duffle bag type thing that worked great.
As for shining, any black boot polish will work wonders when applied with lots and lots of elbow grease. Apply the boot polish and let it dry for just a few minutes, then go crazy at it with a soft cloth, rubbing and polishing. Top off with a silicone sponge for extra amazing shine (can be found in local drug stores, usually called something like "instant shine", or my favorite brand was a colorless silicone shine sponge called "Blitzglanz", which used to be available through Dover.)
Elbow grease does make the difference. I owned a pair of rather crappy $150 dress boots from Dover but took care to polish them nearly every day, and they developed a mirrorlike shine. Other dressage riders thought for sure my boots were mega expensive. The secret was simply the hours of polishing.
Occasionally apply a quality leather conditioner to maintain the leather’s moisture and keep it from becoming too dry and possibly cracking. Avoid leather "oils" and don’t overdo it (otherwise they will become too soft.)
If your boots become slick on the inside (where they meet the saddle) from wear, a product such as SADL-TITE (which looks like a little stick of deodarant) is a tacky substance that will add grip to the leather.
If the treads on the soles become worn, you can buy extremely inexpensive, adhesive grip treads to give you more grip in the stirrup.
If your boots become too tight, either from weight gain or buildup of calf muscle, ask your local tack shops if they do boot stretching. Most shops have a heavy duty boot stretcher that can give you just that little bit of extra breathing room to make your boots more comfortable or make them easier to get on. Some will do it for free, or a very nominal fee. You can also look for a place that does boot/leather repair, and ask for a zipper or elastic insert to make them tolerable again. If you can’t find a place near you that does that, look up the EuroDressage website. They offer those services, and you can just mail the boots to them.
If you have a hard time getting your boots on, obviously boot pulls are in order, but there is also a spray-on product that can help make the insides more slick and easier to slide on. Forget what’s it’s called, (German name), but it’s usually listed under boot accessories at the dressage supply websites.
If your boots are well cared for and polished, it shouldn’t take more than quick wipe with a cloth before entering the dressage ring to make them shine!
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April 28th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
If your boots are genuine leather, then you should clean them every time that you use them. Mud, water, urine, manure…all these things can lead to leather damage. To clean them, you can use leather cleaner or a damp cloth just to get the dirt/dust off, and then once a week you should clean them completely with leather cleaner. As for "conditioning" and "waterproofing", I do this about once a month with a good leather conditioner and then finish up with a spray water-proofer, and my boots are in great shape.
If your boots are the "leather-like" material (and some of it looks as good as leather, believe me!), then all you need do is clean them with a damp cloth every time you ride and give them a good cleaning about once every month with cleaner specifically made for the material.
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April 28th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
First clean them with a high quality glycerine soap or something like leather therapy wash spray (not lexol it rots the stitching). Then use a conditioner like Vogel’s conditioner, leather CPR or Horseman’s One step. After that use black boot polish and buff until they shine like a mirror. But don’t use the boot polish on the inner calf because it gets all over your saddle and saddle pad and is really slippery, but still clean and condition the whole boot.
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