I’m a complete beginner and i need help?
ok so in January I’m going to start horseback riding lessons at york equestrian riding school and i need to get boots and a helmet but i don’t know what boots to get the person there told me to get boots with a heel but not like a big heel and she showed me these boots that stopped above the ankle i can’t really explain them but whatever i just need to know what those boots were called and how big of a heel i should get also what kind of helmet?
It can be confusing 
Your best bet is to go into a saddlery that sells riding gear and talk to the professionals and physically look at the equipment and try it all on.
There are 2 types of boots. The short boots are often called paddock boots or jodhpur boots. They are short and often have elastic sides and can also have lace up or zippers for ease of removal. 2 of mine are elastic sided and I never have any problems, I have one pair of zipper boots, they are fine but zips can get jammed.
These boots are great for riding in summer as they are not as hot, everyday riding at home or lessons because they are typically not as expensive. You can get rubber soled ones or leather soled ones, both are fine for general wear, but the leather ones can be slippery when walking on grass.
Long boots can also be known as dress boots or tall boots. They can be made from leather (usually very expensive) or rubber. They look nice and often older riders use them. They are what most people wear when showing. For home riding or lessons they are not always practical.
However in winter they can be warmer and if you buy rubber ones (which are cheaper) they are great in winter as they are water proof and you don’t get good boots dirty. Mud just hoses off and no leather cleaning required.
I have both. Leather long boots for showing, rubber boots for winter. I also have short paddock boots for everyday riding if it is not too wet. I actually keep my good leather short boots in a boot bag and wear leather work boots that are more comfortable for working/walking outside all day (it also saves getting my good riding boots dirty and wearing them out). Just before I mount my horse I change my boots to my riding boots and put my helmet on.
The heel is important to help stop your foot sliding through the stirrup. Most boots have a standard size heel and it is not very tall at all. Western style boots have a much higher heel from what I have seen.
The heel on riding boots is only a couple of cm’s at most and is a very big square heel, it is very comfortable to walk on. And if you don’t feel comfortable in the heel just do what I do and change your boots as soon as you get off your horse, into shoes that still give good toe protection in case you get stood on by the horse.
Helmets – It is really important that you try helmets on. They usually have different brands and price will be your deciding factor. I don’t need to wear a $500 helmet when my $150 Helmet does the job and has the same safety rating.
Keep an eye on the safety ratings and just make sure you get one made to meet the required standard of the competition you might do in the future. Here they have a minimum requirement for pony club and then one for eventing.
So even though your beginning right now, think about what you might want to do in the future. Such as showing or pony club.
Have fun with your riding lessons, it is a very rewarding sport to do. You may be surprised at how much of a special and personal bond you will make with the horse you ride.
Good luck
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