As someone who is fairly traditional in my choice of footwear and has always tended towards wearing very simple plain jodhpur boots in the past, I did wonder whether the Kentucky Jodhpur Riding Boots from Bareback Footwear were going to suit me. With slim legs and small narrow feet, chunkier boots can leave my feet swimming around inside and have a tendency to make me resemble a golf club (!) when viewed from the side, however I was pleasantly surprised to see that this wasn’t the case here.
I really like that the laces allow you to adjust the fit of the boots, which is ideal whether you have slim ankles like me or have been born with “a bit of bone”, while the clever zip and press stud on the side, make them quick and easy to take on and off once you’ve got the laces how you want them.
Having had the top of my left foot “remodelled” by my horse around six months ago, I did initially find the left boot a little tight to slip on initially, but within two or three wears, the leather had softened enough that both boots now slip on and off easily. I was advised that if I found them a little tight to start with, the inner sole could be removed until the leather softened up – while that hasn’t been necessary, it was useful to know.
I have found the boots are extremely comfortable to wear around the stable yard and while long-lining my horse and working him in-hand. My feet do not become sweaty in them and the tread gives a good level of grip across a variety of surfaces. While the pair I am testing are not the “waterproof” option (Kentucky Storm boots), I have not experienced damp feet after wearing the boots while walking through long wet grass to and from my horse’s turnout paddock, which was an issue in my previous pair of short boots.
While I do the vast majority of my riding in long leather riding boots, I wore my Kentucky Jodhpur Boots with a pair of half chaps during a two-day riding holiday in Wales and they were great. They were comfortably both in the saddle, and when we had to dismount and lead our horses while negotiating particularly slippery downhill sections, so I thoroughly recommend them as great all-rounders for use both in the saddle and as yard boots. I also worn them for a week’s riding holiday in Turkey during which we spent a considerable time on the trail leading our horses up and down rocky tracks – these boots were ideal for this challenging terrain.
I chose the Havana colour – these boots are also available in brown and navy – and I think they look really stylish.
Verdict
H&H Approved: I’m a huge fan of these boots – comfortable, stylish and up to the job. I would definitely recommend them to others.
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Who tested these jodhpur boots?
Carol Phillips is Horse & Hound’s website editor, who has ridden since childhood. She has a seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse, who she exercises most days, including working him in-hand twice a week, with a weekly long-lining session as part of his ongoing fitness and rehab programme after being diagnosed with kissing spines, so her footwear will undergo a thorough test with many miles walked!
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.
