What shoes to wear horse riding
Footwear is the one clothing question with a safety answer rather than a comfort one, which is why it has a page of its own.
Wear closed shoes with a flat, smooth-ish sole — ordinary trainers are ideal. The shoe must stay on your foot and must not jam in the stirrup. Flip-flops, sliders and sandals are the one real no, because a foot coming loose is a safety problem rather than an inconvenience. Heels are a no; heavy boots with deep lugged soles are acceptable, but tell the staff you are wearing them.
What a stirrup wants from a shoe
Two things, and they pull against each other. The shoe has to sit in the stirrup without slipping straight through, and it has to come out of the stirrup instantly if it needs to.
A smooth or lightly patterned sole does both. A deep hiking lug can catch. An open shoe does neither, because it is no longer on your foot.
Good, acceptable, no
| Footwear | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Trainers / running shoes | Ideal | Closed, flat enough, stay on, and you already packed them. |
| Canvas shoes, plimsolls | Good | Same, and cooler in summer. |
| Short boots with a small heel | Ideal if you own them | A small heel is exactly why riding boots have one — it stops the foot sliding through the stirrup. |
| Walking boots with deep lugs | Acceptable | Closed and secure, but a heavy lugged sole can grip a stirrup. Tell the staff you are wearing them. |
| Sandals, flip-flops, sliders | No | They come off. That is the whole reason, and it is enough. |
| Heels, platforms | No | Nothing about them works in a stirrup. |
A word about socks
Wear them, and make them longer than ankle socks if you have any. The gap between the top of a trainer and the bottom of a trouser leg is exactly where a stirrup leather will find your skin.
It is a small thing. It is also the difference between remembering the shoreline and remembering the rubbing.
The rest of the kit is on what to wear horse riding.
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The standard hour has a price and a calendar. Sunset, sunrise and private rides are arranged with the riding centre.
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