Questions about Half Chaps

I think there's already a thread about half chaps, but I have some more specific questions for those of you who use them:

-Do you prefer suede or leather and why?
-What are the benefits of half chaps?
-Is there a brand that you prefer?
-About how long do they last?
-Can they be cleaned easily/do they get very dirty?
-Any more info that I might need to know?

I asked my mom about it since she knows I'll probably be jumping soon, and she's "thinking about" getting me some. I'm going to riding camp this year, and will probably take lessons whenever my brother gets a job (long story) which may be in the next few months, maybe longer. I was also wondering since I may not learn jumping (I prob. Will, but no one knows for sure), and don't know if I'll actually be taking lessons, should I go ahead and get paddock boots and half chaps, or wait until I'm sure I need them? I have western boots, but they're old and scratched up, and my other pair of westerns is uncomfortable. Plus, I'm re-taking the beginner camp class, so this winter I'll probably be intermediate, which seems to lean more towards English riding. So I was just wondering what you guys thought about it. Thanks so much!

-Do you prefer suede or leather and why?
I love my suede ones-plus they're Velcro rather than zipper, so easier to fit and super grippy!
-What are the benefits of half chaps?
More grip, no stirrup leather pinching, plus I think they're sexy! Lol
-Is there a brand that you prefer?
I'm not sure what brand mine are
-About how long do they last?
I've had mine for 4-5 years
-Can they be cleaned easily/do they get very dirty?
The suede is SO easy. All I do is brush them off with my horses brush when I'm done riding, and voilą!

-Any more info that I might need to know?
Not that I can think of other than to make sure you have room for fit over what pants you ride in. Mine fit wonderfully over my breeches but sometimes I ride in jeans and they're a little over-snug that way
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Thanks, it helps to know some more things like that :)

What sort of boots do you ride in? If you have nice leather paddock boots, definitely go for the leather half chaps!

Personally, I think even the cheap leather half chaps will look better than the suede but I suppose it's a matter of opinion. I'm riding in cheap $60 leather half chaps and they are super easy to clean, grip nicely and look great with my paddock boots. :)

I agree, the leather ones do look better than the suede (from pictures, anyway, since I don't actually own any yet :P). But my mom is paying for most of my stuff, so I want to try and help out a bit by paying for something. Or at least for part of something. So if she really can't afford the ones I want, I could offer to pay for some of the cheaper ones, which we might end up getting anyway....

I'll go count my money and see how much I have.

Buckskin, you can get good half chaps for half that much. (!)

*Personally I prefer suede. (At least the look of it).
*Better gripping on the saddle.
*Not really.
*Years.
*I can't say anything about this since the only half chaps I've seen personally aren't suede or leather.

Buckskin, it may just be my money-tight self but if you're going to spend $60 on something go get yourself a nice helmet. Even if they have some you can borrow, trust me when I say it's much easier and more comfortable to have your own. (Assuming you don't have one already, ).

I would get the paddock boots no matter what, but you might want to wait on the half chaps.

Another thing I would get no matter what is a nice pair of riding gloves if you don't have some already. They are AWESOME for chores and obviously for riding .

About half chaps:

I've been looking at Dover Saddlery online (since I Googled half chaps or something and that was the first thing that came up) and the ones I've been looking at are between $30 and $40. My maximum budget for any single item except for gloves is $50, which might buy a pair of paddock boots, right?


About paddock boots:

Unfortunately, my mom said "Probably not" when I asked her to buy me some Well, at least wasn't a no.... Does anyone know how to earn some money (besides doing a ton of laundry)?.....


About riding gloves (wow, I almost typed "gloes" :P):

Riding gloves are about the only thing that I'm for sure getting. It's definitely a must for this camp, because unlike the last one, which was only an hour and a half a day, this one is four hours a day for four days. Anyway, I subscribed to Young Rider awhile back, and noticed their ad for SSG riding gloves. So, assuming that they were nice ones (why would someone advertise bad gloves on the back of Young Rider?) I looked it up and found that Dover's price is $20 or something. Not bad for good gloves that'll last a good amount of time. Though, I need to keep in mind that (I haven't said this yet) my friend is coming along to camp with me, and, well, let's just say that her mom doesn't like spending too much money, so my mom would like to buy gloves for my friend as well. Though maybe if we talked her into it, my friend's mom might decide to buy them.


Okay, I think we're going a little off-topic with the riding gloves and helmets and stuff. Oh well. I wish I could rename this thread to "Questions about Things for Riding Camp"

If you're on a very tight budget and you're just starting out then forget about half chaps, the money would be better spent in a good pair of gloves and paddock boots. I didn't wear half chaps for a while and it wasn't a big deal although my legs did get pretty chaffed... more of a minor nuisance than anything else. :)

Do you have a helmet or are they supplying you with one at the riding camp?

I'm sure you already know but check out the used websites like Craigslist and Kijiji for a cheap riding gear. You might find some wicked deals there.

They're letting us use helmets.

I'm not real sure if I'm getting half chaps or not, it just depends on how much money Mom is willing to spend...

Even though I don't ride english, I think the suede ones look cooler