What are garter straps, and how do I wear them?

That is how the makers on our own listings describe it. Shires says its Kids' Gaiter Straps go around the calf just below the knee to stop jodhpurs riding up the leg. TuffRider says its Kids' Garter Straps keep a child's jodhpurs from riding up or twisting.

Jodhpurs are the riding pants that run to the ankle and are worn with short boots, so they don't have the sock bottom that breeches have. Our kids' breeches and tights page explains how the cuff or elastic strap of a pair of jods holds them down over a paddock boot. The garter strap is a second hold, up at the knee, and it is part of a look: both TuffRider and Shires call garter straps a standard piece of turnout in short stirrup classes, a class name you will see on prize lists.

If I may, one note on names, because the words get used loosely. Our listings also carry jod straps and jodhpur clips that do a similar job in a different way, and the section on kinds below sorts them out. The jodhpur and paddock boot names are untangled in our Barn Talk on paddock boots and jodhpur boots.

US Equestrian's own one-page packing checklist for a first horse show lists jodhpurs for kids in paddock boots, and black or brown paddock boots for kids, next to tan breeches and black tall boots for older riders. That checklist doesn't list garter straps, so treat the strap as a finishing touch and not a requirement.

Every garter strap listing we found in our store is a kids' style, and the makers' wording is all about children. We did not find a source describing adult garter straps, so we won't guess at one. If you are an adult whose jodhpurs ride up, the clips and straps in the kinds section are worth a look, and our Barn Talk on what you can ride in covers jodhpurs, breeches and tights side by side.

Short boots are where children usually start, so our paddock boots for growing kids page is a natural next read, along with our short riding boots and kids' riding boots pages.

The hunter attire rule (HU107) and the hunter seat equitation attire rule (EQ106) both say that conventional attire following the tradition of fox hunting is encouraged and preferred, and that judges shall not eliminate a rider for unconventional or inappropriate attire except for safety. Neither one mentions garter straps, jodhpurs or paddock boots.

That is a gentle correction worth making, because the look is so familiar that it can sound like a rule. It is a tradition, and the prize list for your show is the final word. Local and schooling shows set their own standards, and a program like 4-H or a riding club may add its own.

There are two places the word does appear. In the hunter chapter's side saddle attire rule (HU152) the boots section says boot garters, if worn, are plain black; that is a different item, worn with a side saddle habit. And in dressage, the 2026 US Equestrian Dressage Attire and Equipment booklet (DR120.1.6) says that for tests or classes at Fourth Level or below, riders may wear tall boots or paddock or jodhpur boots with half chaps or garters. They must match the color of the boots and be made of smooth leather or leather-like material. Above Fourth Level, tall English-style boots are required.

Shires describes the position as around the calf just below the knee, and the hook-and-loop style we list is described as having its closure on the inside of the leg so that, from the outside, it looks like a traditional buckle strap. The steps below put those two descriptions together. We found no maker instructions that say how snug to make the strap, so the last step is a question for the rider.

• Dress from the boots up. Put on the jodhpurs and the paddock boots, and settle the cuff or elastic strap of the jods down over the boot.
• Smooth the pant leg. Pull it straight from knee to ankle, because the strap will hold whatever is there.
• Wrap the strap just below the knee, over the jodhpur leg, with the buckle end toward the outside of the leg.
• Buckle it and tuck the loose end through the keeper so it doesn't flap.
• Match the other leg: same height, buckle on the same side.
• Ask the rider how it feels with the knee bent and again in the saddle. A strap that pinches or slides is the wrong size or the wrong spot.

We aren't ranking them, because the right one depends on your prize list, your child's patience and the pants. This is what the makers on our listings say about each.

Our kids' breeches and tights page says jodhpurs finish in a cuff or an elastic strap that keeps them down over a paddock boot, and that many pairs have elastic straps that go under the foot. If the pair in your cart doesn't have one, a jod strap or clips are the add-on, and that is what the makers on our listings describe them as being for.

Length and fit matter too. The same page says kids' sizes run in numbers, letters, ages and European sizes, so start with each brand's own size chart, and that some makers offer longer lengths and Long sizes. Our Barn Talk on boots for kids who keep growing has the other half of the question, since the boot and the pant leg have to work together.

Whichever fix you pick, test it the way the day will go: boots on, strap or clips fastened, then a few minutes of walking, sitting and bending the knee. Garter straps and clips are described by their makers as holding the jodhpurs in place, and a quick test at home tells you whether they do it for your child.

If your child will wear paddock boots and jodhpurs, our show-day packing list walks through the rest of the bag, and our Barn Talk on what to wear to your first horse show covers the rule books by discipline.

Because they are small, tuck the straps into the boot bag, not a loose pocket. Our half chaps Barn Talk covers the other thing that can go over a paddock boot, for riders and classes where that is the look.