Horse riding: Stupid Question

[jahaze]

Not afraid to admit I know nothing about horses, so I'm going to ask a potentially dumb question. I have a guided horseback elk hunt this fall. What kind of boots should I wear in the saddle? For perspective, I've worn cowboy boots everyday for 40+ years, do you recommend I wear those, or just regular old hunting boots?

I know, laugh all you want, but I'd really like to know...


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[Pony Soldier]

In snow, I wear my pacs. On bare ground I wear my whites loggers. You can wear whatever you walk in. Long trips, walking in cowboy boots, in rough and rocky terrain tends to be
memorable and not preferred.

I just recommend not sinking your boots to deep into the stirrups. Wrecks occur and its always best to be prepared to abandon ship. I rarely have my feet any deeper into the stirrup than my big toe joint.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Wear your hunting boots unless you have massive feet and the stirrups aren’t oversized. I have a size 13 shoe and always swap my stirrups out for oversized so my hunting boots fit. As already mentioned, don’t put them all the way in and if the trail gets hairy just ride slide them out a little further so the balls of your feet are in. Danger with not wearing cowboy boots is your foot could slide through the stirrup when things go sideways and get caught up and drug behind the horse

 

[Poser]

So long as you show up wearing spurs, you'll be good to go.

 

[5MilesBack]

I used to do a lot of late season elk hunting on horseback, so I'd wear my pac boots. But I always had oversized stirrups that would fit my boots. Definitely wear whatever you're going to want to hunt in.

 

[307]

Crocs.

Trust me.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

The only dumb questions are, the you don't ask.

 

[BCDJR]

Every horseback hunt I have been on the outfitter had the oversized stirrups. Like others mentioned your regular hunting boots . If you have no experience I would suggest you find a place to ride some. Will help you understand how to mount and dismount the horse

 

[jahaze]

Every horseback hunt I have been on the outfitter had the oversized stirrups. Like others mentioned your regular hunting boots . If you have no experience I would suggest you find a place to ride some. Will help you understand how to mount and dismount the horse

Thanks for all the responses. Yes, I need to get in a horse, I've been putting it off, but it needs to happen soon...


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[mtbn]

With bulky boots or tight stirrups, you can just not lace the upper part of the boot in the hope that it will come off if need be.

 

[WVelkhunter]

My first horseback hunt was with a buddy that didn't know i wore a size 13 and I didn't know enough to get oversize stirrups.....so i rode bare foot. My buddy got a good laugh and referred to me as hillbilly the whole trip.

 

[7mm-08]

Pony Soldier's (and others who have also posted) advice should not be taken lightly. If you get lazy/complacent and forget to keep just the very front part of your foot in a stirrup, that's when that 1,000 pounds of dynamite under your butt will decide its time to explode and kill you, which can take a nanosecond. Seriously, when riding virtually any horse, try to anticipate when/why a wreck will happen.