The purpose of half chaps......

Could someone tell me what the purpose of half chaps are????

I don't 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/...bbedHalfCh.jpg
Good example of half chaps.

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 :)

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

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.

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

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

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.

Thanks everyone:) I think I am going to get me some suede ones!

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.