Horse Riding Boots with Toe Protection - A Necessity?

Any horse rider that has been unfortunate enough to have an equine friend carefully place their hoof onto their foot will tell you how much of an unpleasant experience it is! It is considered an occupational hazard that if you work with horses you will occasionally be trodden on, but yet although in other industries where there is a hazard of damage to the feet, steel toe cap boots are mandatory, this is not yet the case in the equine industry. This being said, there are a growing number of manufacturers who have recognised the importance of toe protection in horse riding boots and have begun to integrate this is into their products.

The truth is that steel toes inside horse riding boots are a sensible idea. It only takes a second to cause a painful injury which, if you are lucky, will only be a nice bruise that will be sore for a few days but could also result in fractured or broken toes. If horses are your livelihood, whether you work with or ride them, a foot injury can cause a very big problem. Trying to handle any horse whilst hopping around with a broken toe or fractured foot is at best difficult and at worst downright dangerous. Furthermore, it is likely that you will require a number of days out of the saddle, or at least on light riding duties as pressure of your feet in the stirrup is going to be painful or impossible. Also, a fracture to the foot could alter the weight distribution across it which will escalate to the entire limb, actually affecting your position in the saddle. If you ride horses for a living, consider the implications of having to take time off work due to such an injury and furthermore, think about the long term damage of a foot injury. Broken toes could become arthritic in later years, or suffer with poor circulation leading to discomfort when working outdoors in the winter.

If you are looking for boots with toe protection for wearing around horses, then it is advisable to buy a pair of boots that are specifically designed for horse riding. This is because there are some slight differences between traditional steel toe capped boots and those used for horse riding. Of course there are some obvious differences, and if you will be wearing your boots also for riding as well as yard work then it goes without saying that they must be horse riding boots. But even if you only intend to use the boots for working around horses, the horse riding boots with toe protection have been tested and designed specifically to withstand pressure of a horse. In particular, one of the main properties and differences is that such horse riding boots are tested to withstand pressure on soft ground, which traditional steel toe cap shoes don't. This means that when you are in the field and get trodden on, the sole of the shoe won't give way.

Overall, toe protection in horse riding boots is becoming more popular, and certainly the next time your horsey friend quietly stamps on your foot, you will be glad of the protection (or wish that you had it!). Whilst perhaps less necessary for people who only ride and do not handle horses, it is something worth considering for the others who deal with horses on a regular basis.

The Equine Store is packed full of quality horse riding clothing, everything from horse riding boots to breeches. Visit the shop at www.equine-store.com