Please everyone don't wear just short boots to ride

[melxvengeance]

The reason I am saying this is a few weeks ago at a yard I used to work for, a woman fell off her horse, landed on her feet and shattered her ankle. She had long riding boots on at the time. When she was taken to hospital the surgeons said that if she was not wearing long riding boots then the bone would have come through her skin, risking it to infection. This can lead to amputation of the foot. So PLEASE don't just wear short boots - wear long boots or short boots & chaps and give your legs some protection.

 

[mon]

Well said but tradition children ride often in short boots and no leg protection.

 

[scally]

Oh dear I hope she makes a quick recovery.

However, long boots can also stop the leg flexing and moving as it should so with short boots you are able to absorb the shock through your ankles and knees totally differently than wearing long boots, so as with everything it depends totally on the injury, yes long boots will help prevent the bone becoming displaced, but they may also add to the injury in the first place. People really need to learn how to fall, landing on both feet not only gives rise to ankle and leg fractures even worse back and spinal injuries.

 

[Fii]

I cant wear long boots riding, always wear jod boots and chaps! As scally said my ankle doesnt flex in long boots and my little toes go to sleep!

 

[rhino]

Freak accident, and I hope the woman heals quickly. However, there is risk in everything we do, and I personally think the risk is so very, very minimal that it wouldn't make me change my practice, sorry.

Open fractures can and do happen even with long boots on. Wearing long boots does NOT prevent this kind of accident and I would question the surgeon's exact words. It's like the people who claim if they weren't wearing their body protector/air jacket they would 'definitely' have died, it may be the case, but there is no way of proving it.

There are benefits and drawbacks to everything we do, and it's up to the individual to weigh them up and make their own decision.

 

[Mike007]

As long as we ride horses there will always be unfortunate accidents.The problem here has more to do with landing on ones feet than the type of boot.

 

[teasle]

When I read the title I thought that you wre pleading with the riding public to cloth themselves when they rode!

 

[charleysummer]

I wear short boots and chaps, however I have always deemed short boots safer as they will not allow you to be dragged if you come off- the boot will just come off if it gets stuck- this happened to me! I got away with a broken collar bone and a boot with flying lessons- had i been dragged at a full gallop round and round a school i think i would have been not so lucky, I also hate wearing long boots but thats just me too rigid.

I prefer to see young children in just jod boots as they are more likely to come off whilst learning and get dragged- and I have seen it a few times where the boot will just come off.

 

[millitiger]

Poor lady, I hope she recovers quickly.

However, it is a freak accident and I will continue to ride in just short boots

 

[debsg]

An unfortunate accident, just one of those things, I think. It won't stop me riding in short boots. Hope the lady in question recovers quickly.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Freak unfortunate accident

Have seen bone through skin & protruding into leather of long boot in an accident - and that was falling from a horse in a yard. Had to cut boot down from top to assist with paramedics, not pretty inside.

Yes, a long boot can save damage (acting as splint) but its a - thankfully - rare occurence of major damage.

Hope the woman recovers well from this

 

[scewal]

As said before open fractures still occur even with long boots on. Wishing your friend a speedy recovery.

 

[nikCscott]

Hope she makes a speedy recovery.

I occasionally ride in short boot as I feel it improves my riding as my Ariats seem to 'put' my leg in position.

Its alarming feeling how much your leg moves without the support, yet i competed up to age 16 in short boots and had a solid position

Freak accident and I know if i took to heart all the accidents i hear of even from my extended group of friends I'd never enjoy riding again

 

[Ibblebibble]

i really can't believe that a long boot will 'save' you from any type of injury better than a short boot, it's the way you fall that causes the damage.

 

[melxvengeance]

Obviously I wasn't telling everyone what to do, just making a short point. The surgeons/doctors themselves in A&E said that the long boot saved her foot, they also said that they see alot of these injuries and they are nearly almost worse when the rider has only been wearing short boots. Obviously you can continue wearing short boots, I'm not saying don't wear them, but they are better worn with chaps.

I was only making a point, no need to jump on top of me!

 

[Waffles]

It's mountain horseequi rider paddock boots or whatever they are called and full length chaps for me. I find long boots feel really constricting somehow. I like to be able to flex my ankle easily. The short boots I have come above my ankle bone though.

 

[JFTDWS]

The surgeons/doctors themselves in A&E said that the long boot saved her foot, they also said that they see alot of these injuries and they are nearly almost worse when the rider has only been wearing short boots.

I doubt that A&E doctors would have a large enough pool of injuries in their treatment histories to make those sorts of sweeping generalisations And as they say, the plural of anecdotes (or case studies!) is not data

Basically, what rhino and Mike007 said.

 

[moana]

No matter what you wear, how you ride, how good your horse, how you care for your horse, rare accidents will always happen. It sadly does not follow that therefore everybody must follow the same strategies as everybody else. Things like Riding Hats being the exception (stands back to await the "I never wear a hat and...."

Warnings are alwasy good to be aware of though. Thanks

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

At the end of the day if you are going to do yourself a mischeif then wearing protective clothing only lessons the blow. Sleeves will get ripped instead of skin, long boots provide better protection for a bump or kick than show boots and chaps, body protectors save you from cuts, bruises and kicks BUT none of these will prevent a serious injury from happening, they just soften the blow.

I ride in short boots in summer and rarely with chaps unless I have trashed the inside of my calves that much they are getting too sore not to. In winter I wear my big cosey fluffy long boots!

 

[Hackie]

Hope she has a speedy recovery.

As a wearer of top boots at all times, I've been stuck in mine a few times, and I'd hate to have them taken off or even cut off in the event of a serious accident as it would be a painful job.

 

[Waffles]

A&E HATE horse riders generally, I'm told!

 

[rockysmum]

Oh dear, wearing short boots would be me being good, or riding in winter (not a common occurrance)

I confess to riding in whatever I have on my feet at the time, often trainers.

Yes I have broken my ankle in the past, it hurts like hell, but on that occasion I was wearing long boots.

And before anyone jumps on me I know all about getting my feet stuck, which is why I always use safety stirrups.

The only time I have been dragged (only for a few strides) I was wearing boots but the horse landed on me and squashed the stirrup around my foot.

Dont endurance riders use trainers all the time.

To be honest OP its a bit like telling us all we should wear body protectors and all the rest of the gear, we probably would to jump or cross country, but for a wander round the fields I doubt it.