# Chaps???



## paul333 (Jan 13, 2010)

Ok, so I need advice. Been riding horses for about a year, I only trail ride in field and pastures near my barn. I am wanting a pair of chaps to wear while riding, I have heard they give a little better grip and protect from the very occasional brush we run into, and also I just plain old like the look of chaps.

My long-winded question is, does anyone actually wear chaps or ****** on the trail? My wife says no and that I will just get laughed at by real horse people who have been around horses their whole life, and that chaps are just a rodeo and working cowboy thing. Any opinions? And picks of what ya'll use if you do?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I think ****** might get you a few looks (though I love ******). But chaps are ridden in all the time by daily riders. a lot of english folks wear them to school jumps or hack out. Just get some rather plain ones . 
Ultimately, who cares what other people think?

I ride in a western saddle, with english breeches , paddock boots and half chaps, a sparkly dressage bridle and gloves. And helmet. Who cares!


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

while i see more people half chaps and tights than full chaps, there are def people who prefer full chaps when they ride. i myself wear them during the winter or rain, as i have a pair of waterproof/windproof full chaps. i also have a pair of heavy suede ones that are bright purple with fringe, which i use when i know i'm going to be dealing with lots of stickerbushes (trail clearing, etc). they look pretty ridiculous, but the price was right (free) and they keep me from getting torn up.

i agree with tiny--wear what makes you comfortable! who cares what anybody else thinks, as long as you are comfy and safe.


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## OneHotFuzz (Feb 26, 2011)

Shotgun chaps all the way  I always wear mine when I go out trail riding because I know my horse loves bush waking and chaps help protect my legs from the branches and stuff. I'll be using them almost everyday once I move to my new barn at the end of this month, cause it's got loads of trails around. Chaps were made to protect your legs from anything to a cow or a bush. My friend who does tram penning and sorting wears his for the cows. I've seen people just wear them cause they like the look and I wear mine for the bushes lol. I would argue about the idea that they give you a better grip in the saddle though... but I have a really good seat and I know my horse and love my saddle so I never slip anyways, but they definitely protect you. The main issue with chaps is price. They can be very very expensive, (about 300-500 for a good pair of custom chaps) I don't know what regular retail price is for already made chaps cause that's not how I bought mine since I wanted certain changes to the regular style, like having the zippers in reverse, a buckle in the back and the front, a small pocket for my phone, etc.

But yeah you can't go wrong with chaps if you have a use for them (they are a bit expensive if you just wanted the look). I also never go on the trails in the winter months (nov-april) without my oilskin duster. I don't wear my chaps usually when I have my oilskin on cause it protects most of my leg but also my torso and face from rain and wind and it helps keep the saddle/saddle blanket dry in rain which is great cause they it doesn't rub the horse raw.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

We rode in "The Big Thicket" 2 weeks ago. LOL I know the reason chaps, long sleeves and bandanas were worn! I was getting scratched, poked and slapped with branches, brambles and everything else. Wear what you like and makes you comfortable!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Trails (Jan 28, 2009)

I wear chaps all the time and I'm certainly not a cowboy, nor do I play one on TV.

That being said yes, chaps will help you "grab" the saddle a bit better, which is why I wear them as well as being wonderful in deflecting brush (and for you you perhaps cacti?). 

Some thoughts to consider

Full length (shotgun or bat wing) chaps will certainly protect your entire leg from brush ect. but can be very warm, after all you're encasing your leg in leather. They are also heavy and hot - if you want the look you've got to pay the price.

Short chaps (******) will still give you the extra grip but lack the lower leg protection from brush / rain. They are however much lighter and cooler.

Leather or other materials - leather is certainly traditional but it is heavy and contrary to popular opinion is not waterproof. Great for light rain but it will soak though in time. Oilskin is waterproof and also quite durable but doesn't have that "look" if you will. Good quality leather chaps are also spendy.

I wear chaps of some type throughout the year. Oilskin is generally my first pick (but I live in a rain forest, Seattle gets wet!) and switch over to leather ****** for the whole 6 weeks of summer that we have. 

If you visit the Texas page of www.trailmeister.com you'll see on the right hand column an ad for oilskin chaps that have a traditional look to them. 

The "TrailMeister's" $.02


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## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

I think you should wear what ever you want...and what ever the conditions call for. But if my hubby wanted to wear chaps here where we live (Georgia) on our trailrides... yes.. he would get laughed at! 

We do ride through thick stuff sometimes but no one uses batwing chaps or ******.. some use half chaps for that. My daughter uses the half chaps and they work well and look nice. 

Ultimately you have to do what you want.. and what your wife will allow!!hehehe!!!

Rhonda


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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

I wear full chaps all the time especially when riding tough trails. They also protect your legs if it starts to rain as well as from sticks & stuff. Nobody around here ever gets laughed at if they wear them.


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## traildancer (Oct 27, 2010)

Our ladies' riding group, the Cast Iron Butt Club, rides with ******. We love them. My sister-in-law and I wear them every time we ride. Her's are a sage-y teal color and mine are burgundy. One friend has an orange pair. No kidding. The other lady has regular brown ones. As far as I know, we have never been laughed at. At least not to our face. Maybe on down the trail people were cracking up. Don't care. I like them for warmth and rain protection in the winter and sun protection in the summer. Oh, yeah, and brush protection when you have to go off-trail. Besides, I think we look cool and image is everything, don't you know!!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I know lots of folks that ride in ****** year around, some of them are working cowboys and some aren't. If you are riding through a lot of brushy areas (or like us, have a ton of plum thickets with big thorns), then I would suggest a pair of shotgun chaps. They protect your whole leg. You can probably get by with ****** if you have a pair of really tall boots though. Best thing about a good pair of shotguns is that they are the warmest thing imaginable in the winter. Mine keep me warm in negative temps and high winds.

As for the "appearance" part of it. Who cares if you aren't a cowboy. So long as you are using equipment that you actually have a use for, then there is no negative connotation to the image. However, if you put the chaps on to go to the store or something, _then_ there's something wrong:lol:.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

We wear them. Depends on the season. ****** are cooler but still offer protection to thorny brush and water dripping of brush along the trail. They stop the wind from penetrating.









In the winter when it's cold, They add a layer of warmth









I've been known to pick up a hoof and trim it while on a ride. Gives me some protection









Sometimes when we are riding in tourist destination, (like Bryce Canyon or Yellowstone) It is as much fun to get dressed up like a cowboy for the attention all the tourist give you. I'm sure there are more photos of me on coffee tables in Europe that I'll ever have for myself.









We just find ****** more comfortable for most of the year and wear the shotguns only during the colder weather..









I can't think of anybody wearing batwings for trail rides. That style is more for the rodeo work.









When I did Enurance races, I wear the half chaps to protect the inner calf from rubbing and getting sore. 

Look at what ridding you are doing, and have fun with them. I enjoy mine.


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## Nokota (Jan 6, 2011)

I have ****** that I wear in the colder seasons around here. For that matter, I also put Taps on my saddle for the same reason. I usually wear tall boots. Now ****** wont protect the lower section of my jeans, but at least the boots protect my legs. I also wear my ****** when I am trimming feet. When it is warm out if I feel I need to protect my legs from rain or brush, I can always throw on my Filson Tin Cloth chaps. I usually wear them when running the beagles in the brush but they work well for in the saddle as well.


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## paul333 (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanx for all of the responses and pics, wish I lived closer to terrain like that, pretty flat here in north Texas, and I agree with everyone in that you wear what you want and let everyone else say what they want. Unless like was said you are wearing them to Wal-Mart and then the laughs are deserved. I am I fan of batwings for the nostalgic look, and I'm a big guy so shotguns probably wouldn't work. And btw, check out BuyTack.com and go to rider Gear and then chaps, they have many chaps and most right at 200 or lower


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I am in Arizona, and me and my friends ( women ages 34-70) all ride in either ******, chaps or 1/2 chaps. I ride in ****** and LOVE them. I used to tear my pants up and get huge bruises on my legs until I started riding in ******. Now I consider them important gear! I really haven't had a problem with my lower legs getting tore up, but I think that is because I am sort of short so my ****** fit me more like chaps, in other words, they come down longer than they would on a taller person. 

I even put elk horn conchos on mine because I love elk and thought the elk horn conchos looked cool. 

Gee, I wish I had a photo of me in my ****** but I don't. Come to think of it, I don't have a photo of me on my new horse either, and I've had her over a year now. I better remedy that!

But anyway, nobody would laugh at you in chaps or ****** in Arizona. You would actually fit right in! I would think Texas would be the same way.


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