very silly question

nona1

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What's the difference between breeches and jodphurs? Does it matter if you wear long or short boots with either?
 
jods reach the bottom of your ankles so you can wear them just with short boots if you prefer.

Breeches reach midway down your calf, so you need to wear either short boots and chaps with them ,or long boots.
 
breeches finish above the ankle (exact point depend on your leg
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) and have a velcro fastening at that point. Breeches are designed to be worn with long boots.

Jodphurs finish at/below the ankle and are designed to be worn OVER short boots. They can be worn with long boots but they can make it hard getting them on as will be rather tight round the ankle.

Traditionally children wear short boots with Jodhs and Adults wear breeches with long boots
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Jodhpurs come all the way down to your ankle, but breeches normally stop midway down your calf**. Normally, you'd wear jodhs with short boots, breeches with long, but with a decent pair of half-chaps or gaiters, you can wear either !

I think the benefit of wearing breeches with long boots is that there is less mass of material around your ankle inside your boots, which there would be if you wore jodhs.

**unless you have very short legs like me, in which case you may find that actually, breeches come all the way to your ankle as well. For heaven's sake...
 
Jodphurs tend to be worn by kiddies with cute little jodphurs (short) boots. They look a bit strange on older people.

Breeches are best for grown ups, with long boots of half chaps and short boots.
 
Also Adults wearing the breeches get to wear silly loud checkered socks & totally inappropriate shoes to wander around the show ground in between classes.
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One of the main things is that jods offer too much bulk around the ankle when you wear long boots, breeches are cut shorter so are more comfortable with long boots.
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Wow!!! I've been riding and owned horses for 8 years and i never knew this!!
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I thought breeches were for men and jods were for women!
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I dont even own a pair of breeches - all of mine go to the bottom of my ankle.
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Does that make me odd? Or look silly?!
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mollymurphy, i don't own any breeches either for the reason I gave above (they are too long, so i get none of the benefits). Jodhpurs are inevitably cheaper than breeches as well.
 
Well MollyMurphy, I think jods with short jodphur boots do look a bit silly on adults, but if you're wearing long boots or half chaps, then no-one will notice, so it doesn't matter!

Who cares anyway!

In between classes, I take off my boots, roll my breeches up, and wear Timberland boots, trainers, or birkenstocks, which looks REALLY silly!! And very odd!

I think we all look bonkers to the outside world, really.
 
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I think we all look bonkers to the outside world, really.

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Lol I get some strange looks in Tesco when Im stinking of horses, filthy, and dont even get me started about the colour of my nails!

You can always spot the weekend riders from the owners, us owners stink and are covered in filth!
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Haha, yeah!! No, i always wear wellies / long boots, so hopefully i dont look too childish! Actually, i've just remembered i have a pair of pink Joules breechy-type things - i just wear them as 3/4 length jods with trainers / flip-flops! Maybe they ARE breeches though? Hmmmmmmmm........
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So true! My friend nearly had a heart-attack once when she saw a horsey person in Asda - said she was a health and safely hazard! I was like "and...?!" She couldnt believe i'll go out in public dressed in my horsey stuff!!
I just think that i LOOK like i obviously ride/own horses, so that's why i'm dressed like that - i dont just look scruffy/dirty/smelly for no reason! If that makes sense?!
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You just get used to it though, don't you, so it becomes totally normal.

I bought some lovely new breeches the other day: green check with a contrasting navy blue sticky bum bit.

I proudly put them on the next morning, went downstairs for breakfast and my husband almost spat his porridge all over the dog.

I guess if he went off to play golf in green check trousers with a contrasting navy suedette bottom area, I'd fall about laughing too.

I said I thought men liked women in riding clothes. He said maybe white breeches with long black boots and spurs, but not green check ones rolled up with birkenstocks and a smelly old vest top from Tescos, hair tied back with a rubber plaiting band! Phwoar!

And with that, I harrumphed off to the yard, telling him to take a good look at himself in the mirror wearing my dressing gown.
 
Thanks - I feel silly for not knowing but I haven't been around horses regularly since I was 18 and we always used to wear jods and long boots - I'm sure a lot of adults used to wear jods as well - but I was wondering which would be best to buy now I'm getting back into it all. Damn - I've got a pair of short jod boots someone gave me, but I guess I'll look too silly in them. I must admit they feel a bit weird as I've never worn short ones before, but I thought they would do.
 
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