Mountain horse long boots - tips on softening/dropping before friday!

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Arkmiido

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So I have my lovely new High Rider boots... and our first dressage test is on friday.
I have been dutifully riding in said boots, with heel lifts in them, but they are starting to really hurt behind my knees. Unsurprising, as I am very short!! Any ideas on making them soften or drop a bit before we compete on friday? Or something to protect my sore knees!! I'm walking around in them as much as possible too, but it hurts :(:(
 
Lidl sparkling water - put two full bottles in the boot and strategically place to bend back the top of the back of the boots

Worked for my toggi boots that cut me behind the knee :D
 
I was told to wear new riding boots in bed. Might just have been a kinky boyfriend who suggested that though.
 
Wear them like your shoes whenever you can. I wore mine under my jeans with long wakling socks to protect the back of my knee, no-one noticed and it did seem to work.
 
Hah Jemima_too!

My grandmothers tip for stretching leather footwear- wear boots on top of nylon tights soaked in hot water - creates some "steam" and makes boots shape to legs.

MH boots are really tall though - as I found out, purchasing a pair with the shop assistant going on about how MH are a Swedish brand, and "we all know how leggy the Swedes are."

5'3" moi nodded and agreed, not wanting to admit that I am a freak of nature - a Swedish short-ar$e.
 
my mothers mad cap suggestion to soften long boots is to hit them with a hammer! but I won't be taking a hammer to my MH boots any time soon! Just wearing them LOTS I think and also hacking out in short stirrups so the bend in the ankle is more acute helps
 
Off subject. What width did you have? Im looking to buy a pair in regular plus (long only come in a regular width.. hows that fair?!) and was wondering if the widths are as generous as they say.

Lou x
 
Nailed said:
Off subject. What width did you have? Im looking to buy a pair in regular plus (long only come in a regular width.. hows that fair?!) and was wondering if the widths are as generous as they say.

Lou x
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Mine are 6 1/2 Regular (40). Which according to sizing is 45 tall and 36-38 around the calf. I have, ahem, 'muscular' calves, but I'm a 10-12 so not too much spare fat on them. Evidently I have chubby bits around the knees though!! I find them fairly easy to zip up and they are elasticated- the problem for me is the height not the tightness.
 
jemima_too said:
I was told to wear new riding boots in bed. Might just have been a kinky boyfriend who suggested that though.
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I think this might be a little odd, living alone and sharing a bed with 2 kittens... Think my ex husband would have appreciated the idea though!!! If I drink enough tonight I might try it:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
CotswoldSJ said:
Lidl sparkling water - put two full bottles in the boot and strategically place to bend back the top of the back of the boots

Worked for my toggi boots that cut me behind the knee :D
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I presume you mean that the water stays in the bottles? Or I do I pour it in and then bend? I can see this going very, very wrong!!! Rode in the b***** today for a lesson - wasn't too bad. Went out for a drive this morning (carriage not car) and got my friend to take the reins while I picked blackberries and then ran lots to catch up...This def softened them. Also undoing the zip makes it hurt much less funnily enough - would I get marked down for that?;);)
I cleaned them with CDM leather balsam, and really rubbed in around the ankles - very good effect. I also used a pair of scissors on the rough edges of seams etc and anything that was poking out - has helped a bit with the rubbing...
 
Its only that they were a perfect size! Any heavy 1.5litre bottle will do, you just bend over the bit which is rubbing, it is only accelerating what will happen anyway from you bending the knee.

Literally the back of my knees were bleeding from the toggi's after my MH boots died. I was cursing them, but left for 24hrs like this and they are fine now and can do them up properly.
 
crockshard said:
I think this might be a little odd, living alone and sharing a bed with 2 kittens... Think my ex husband would have appreciated the idea though!!! If I drink enough tonight I might try it:rolleyes::rolleyes:
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It was only slightly tongue in cheek:) The theory is that being warm and slightly humid as you sleep (depends on how uncomfy the boots are I suppose as to whether you CAN sleep) will relax the leather.

The other suggestion made to me in the past has been to stand in a nice ripe muck heap for an hour or so. I've never dared try that one!
 
Get as much oil into them as possible, if theyre for Dressage, get some good polish onto them Kiwi Parade Gloss is about the best. I wore mine as much as I could to get used to them, with thickish socks..just wearing them as normal footwear.

I spent time and effort massaging the joint at the ankle to keep flexing them!
 
Ride in them loads and be v particular about putting ur heels down. Undo the zip a little bit as you actually need them to drop in the foot. You will ruin the top of them curling over. So undo the zip a little bit to allow for your knee and then when they've dropped hopefully shouldnt dig in so much
 
Lace57 said:
Ride in them loads and be v particular about putting ur heels down. Undo the zip a little bit as you actually need them to drop in the foot. You will ruin the top of them curling over. So undo the zip a little bit to allow for your knee and then when they've dropped hopefully shouldnt dig in so much
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I rode 2 dressage tests this morning with them unzipped by about 1" (but the velcro done up so it wasn't visible... The enormous haematoma behind my left knee wasn't disturbed by this! I have noticed that the boots themselves seem to make my heel drop a bit more than they would in boots and chaps, which is great ;-) I can't actually make the top curl over/out even if I wanted to, because of the elasticated sections either side of the zip - I think its the nylon stitching that is rubbing rather than the leather...
Thankyou everyone for all your suggestions. It must have worked cos we won our 1st test, and I put this all down to the boots and the very stable lower leg they gave me!!
 
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