How should new tall boots fit, and how much will they drop?

Ovation's fit guide says new boots should be hard to pull on or off at first, and that a zippered boot should close fully and fasten at the top while you stand. It adds that boots should fit snugly around the calf without restricting blood flow.

Why not buy them a bit loose and let them stretch? Ovation says loose boots will stretch and break in, creating deep creases around your ankle that can rub and irritate the skin, and that loose boots also sag and drop lower than intended. A snug fit is the one that settles into the right fit.

Wear what you will ride in when you try them on. Ovation recommends the breeches, tights and socks you ride in, and USDF's guide says to measure in your regular socks and breeches. Our winter tall boots guide makes the same point for cold weather: winter socks add bulk, so measure your calf in the layers you ride in.

USDF's boot guide describes the same method, based on information from several boot makers: sit in a chair with your legs bent at 90 degrees, have a friend measure around both calves at the widest part, and then measure the leg from the floor to the crease at the back of the knee.

Measure both calves, in your regular socks and breeches, and without shoes on. USDF notes that if your calves tend to swell in the heat or at certain times of day, that is when you want to measure. Check whether the chart uses inches or centimeters, since most measuring tapes show both.

Take your two numbers to the maker's chart. Each brand has its own, and USDF points out that you don't always fit into what you measure, because leather varies and boots have shoe sizes, calf widths and heights, so the variables multiply. That is why trying boots on, when you can, beats any chart.

That range is from USDF's boot guide, which also notes that fitting charts usually show the height before the boot breaks in. Field boots will drop more than dress boots, and a boot made of stiff, lined leather shouldn't drop more than an inch.

What is drop, exactly? It is the boot settling at the ankle as the leather softens with use. The ankle is where it happens, so the shaft ends up shorter at the top than it was in the box. New leather stands taller than it will wear, which is why our field boots page advises allowing for it when you are between heights.

Construction changes the drop. USDF says traditional dressage boots have a stiffener in the shaft to minimize it, which is one reason many zippered dressage boots have the zipper in the front rather than up the back. Drop figures for individual brands and styles are hard to find, so check the maker's chart or ask the brand before you count on a number.

More on field versus dress boots in our field boots or dress boots guide.

That is Ovation's guidance, and it adds that a boot that is too tall bends at the top when you bend your knee and is uncomfortable for the first few rides. If your kneecap is hidden, the boot is too tall.

Height on a chart usually runs from the floor to the back bend of the knee, and a boot should reach that bend without pinching it. Our dress boots page says the same: a dress boot should reach that bend without pinching it. Several makers offer the same style in short, regular and tall heights, so your leg measurement can choose.

Allow for the drop when you are between heights. Because new boots drop, a boot that looks a touch tall in the box may be right in a few weeks. Even so, don't buy a boot that is so tall you can hardly bend your knee. USDF warns that new boots can be so high that you can hardly bend your knee.

Ovation says that for a zippered boot you should pick a calf size that matches or slightly exceeds yours, and that if your calf is more than 1/8 inch larger than the boot size, it suggests going up a size or choosing a different boot. For a boot made only in whole sizes when you wear a half, it says sock thickness decides: for a 7½ shoe, size 8 for thick socks and size 7 for thin.

Wide-calf and short-height cuts exist for exactly this. Our winter tall boots page notes that Mountain Horse's winter boots come in wide-calf cuts and a shorter height, and the Boot fit filters on that page list slim, regular, wide and extra-wide calf cuts and regular and short heights. Many brands, such as Horze, size in European numbers, so check the chart before you choose, and size by the chart and not your street shoe.

If you size up for a taller boot, Ovation says to add an insole, such as air cushion or gel, to fill the extra space, and that the footbed should fit the ball of your foot on a stirrup pad.

USDF's guide says to wear the boots for fifteen minutes at a time, a couple of times a day, for maybe a week or so before you ride in them. Expect the ankle to ease first and the calf to follow, as our dress boots page puts it, so plan a few schooling rides before the first show.

USDF also lists some ways to keep the pain down: spray or wipe the inside of tight boots with a boot-stretch product before you put them on; massage the ankle with leather conditioner; wear your thinnest breeches and socks and sprinkle your socks with baby powder to slide on the stiff boots; use heel lifts until the ankle leather becomes more flexible; or wrap your ankles with foam or bubble wrap. USDF cautions against too much water, since it breaks down the fibers of the leather.

Tall boots on a boot tree between rides keep the shaft in shape, and our dress boots page says the same. Always follow the care card that comes with your boots.

USDF says some tack shops can make fit adjustments, and that a tack shop or shoe-repair shop may be able to insert or repair zippers, add elastic inserts, cut down the back of the knee and stretch boots. Before you buy, find out the seller's return policy, and whether boots you have ridden in can still be returned.

USDF's health notes are worth reading. Some people with circulation issues in their legs can't tolerate tall boots for long periods, back problems can be made worse by rigid ankles or by pulling boots on and off, and riders with high insteps can't tolerate boots without zippers. If you have any of those, talk to your doctor and a boot fitter. Paddock boots and half chaps at home, with zippers or elastic for showing, are the option USDF describes.

For a gentler start, our paddock boots guide and half chaps measuring guide show how short boots and half chaps can do the job while you decide.