Proper Care of Your Riding Boots - A Note From Cory

If possible, wear your boots only for riding and use other footwear for stable chores and hosing down your horse. If you can’t remove your boots, you can pull rubbers over the feet to keep them clean and dry and to offer a touch of extra warmth in cold weather.

Clean your boots after each wearing, but don’t just swipe them down with the same stuff you use on your tack. Remove dirt and sweat with a clean, damp sponge. Polish them once a week with a boot cream made specifically for footwear. If the boots are damp with sweat, dry them away from direct sun or a heat source. Insert boot trees (quality cedar trees absorb moisture and help to eliminate odors) and run up the zippers.

About those zippers:  they require special care because dirt is the enemy and the single biggest reason they’ll break at the least opportune moment. Never wipe the zippers with the same sponge used on the leather, as that will force grime down into the teeth. Wipe zippers with clean water or occasionally with a solvent, and run an old toothbrush over the teeth from time to time.
After your horse and your saddle, your riding boots may be your most significant riding investment. Properly cared for, good boots should give years of service.

Cory