# The purpose of half chaps......



## equineeventer3390 (Mar 27, 2009)

I dont know if you ride english or western, but they're for english. You wear them with paddock boots and they are just like the tall boots we wear. I use tall boots to show in but for schooling i wear paddock boots with half chaps becuase half chaps are cheaper than tall boots and i ride alot and want to keep my tall boots nice for shows. 

http://64.33.126.67/media/chaps_ers/ERS462119ChildsRibbedHalfCh.jpg 
good example of half chaps.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

For me when I started my dressage lessons i didnt have them and I ended up with bruises on my knees and on my calf. There is tons of metal on the english saddle as opposed to the western and they rub your legs. They also give the appearance of tall boots, and they keep your legs warm in winter


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

no one has covered it well but, Half Chaps are to protect your leg from the saddle and to help with your grip, they help loads when jumping! They can be made of suede or leather, I perfer leather


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## wanderlust (Nov 18, 2008)

The leather, or synthetic material of the chap helps keep your leg "stuck" to the saddle...obviously it isn't drastic, but it helps a bit. It's the same thing with the knee patches on breeches.


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## Whipple (Feb 2, 2009)

Wow, I thought they were just a cheaper alternative to tall boots. But keeping warm in winter does make sense.


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## Aliboo (Jun 20, 2008)

I was told to use them for lessons, they help you grip


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## equineeventer3390 (Mar 27, 2009)

they are basically an alterative to tall boots. you shouldnt rely on half chaps for "extra grip" because they are not legal in most shows. i, for example made a huge mistake when i got my new saddle of only riding in my half chaps in it and then got to the show and found out my tall boots were much much slicker with the saddle than my half chaps.


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

Thanks everyone I think i am gonna get me some suede ones!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I wear them with my short boots, just for schooling & what not. If I wore my show boots all the time (like in lessons & stuff)- I'm sure they'd get ruined, & I'd have to polish them all the time! With my half-chaps, I can simply keep my showboots in good shape, & make my short boots look like tall ones.  I have the Barn&Stable velcro ones, they are really good.  Nice & comfy, easy to get on & off.

Anyway, they also help with the stirrup leather rubs- your calf can sometimes get caught in that, & that's what the chaps prevent.


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## ajegberg (Apr 16, 2008)

Aside from what everyone else has already said...I even wear them with my riding jeans at times. When I have several horses to work in one day, half chaps keep the horse's sweat off my legs (I used to get heat rash in the summer from horse sweat). They are also wonderful for keeping your lower leg clean when you need to run errands after the barn. :wink:


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## Pally (Mar 23, 2009)

And if you ride in jeans or boot cut tights, it will prevent your pants from riding up your leg and bunching up...a very uncomfortable situation. I even wear mine Western a lot for this reason. English I definitely can't stand to ride without them....I think I went just 1-2 rides before I went and bought some!


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Just couldn't stop myself from non-answering.

Half chaps are for WEARING them! :lol:

This reminded me a girl at our barn, who hm-hm-hmmmm used to put chaps without anything under to take pics of herself. Was a cultural shock to the local cowboys. Lol!


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## cherriebark (Apr 9, 2008)

When riding english without tall boots and no protection on your lower legs, the canter and gallop will leave horrible welts on your calves, from the leathers pinching your legs against the saddle. I like them for western too because they keep my jeans in place, so your jeans or breeches don't roll on your ankle as you ride. I used to play polo until I broke my back, and half chaps were absolutely essential if you forgot your polo boots.


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