Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.
There is also a lovely tab at the top of the boot that features an elegant looking silver colored pendant with the Huntley Equestrian logo – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
Cold weather is just an excuse for me to get a little creative with my wardrobe. Colorful scarves paired with cute hats. Cozy sweaters peeking out from underneath a toasty coat. And warm (and slightly snuggly) socks matched up with a pair of boots. All of these lend me a colorful combination of style infused with function.
But when getting ready to head out to brave the cold temperatures (and most likely snow) that is so typical of the winter season, I reach for something else before heading out of the door. No one worth their salt will forget to grab up a pair of gloves before heading outdoors. Especially smack dab in the middle of the winter season.
I’m a fairly indecisive person – so the fact that I have a bin by the door that is filled with many (many) pairs of gloves can actually be a bad thing. There are too many colors and styles to pick from. Do I want a pair of fun and colorful stretchy gloves? Well since I have them in almost every color known to man, they are easy to match with my outfit…but they really aren’t that warm.
How about a pair of my favorite ‘cut-off’ gloves? I’m a pretty big fan of those, for the aesthetics alone. And after flipping back the mitten part and revealing my fingers, the gloves are pretty functional. But again…they just really are not very warm. Though they look pretty tough. Just saying.
The profile of the Half Chaps is also quite striking to see – they feature a high cut top line, and a zipper that starts at the bottom, and zips up the rear – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
By the time I reach the bottom of the glove bin, I find them. The gloves that I’ve been looking for, without even realizing it. They are a chocolate brown color and made out of a soft, knit fabric. When I pull them on, they come all the way up past my elbows – so besides warmth, they also provide me with an appearance of simple elegance.
They aren’t just gloves…they are the gloves to wear. I find that in terms of functionality, they work to keep me warm – as any good pair of gloves should. But what they offer goes so much further. Because they also mold perfectly to my arms, while making a bold fashion statement at the very same time. If only more seemingly everyday items could be like those gloves.
I’m here to tell you that it’s not only gloves that accomplish adding both function and style to my wardrobe. So recently, I’ve found myself wearing a pair of Custom Fit Premium Leather Half Chaps from Huntley Equestrian. In fact, they’ve cozied up quite nicely with some of my pairs of paddock boots.
When the Huntley Half Chaps arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they come in a fancy looking dust bag – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
Huntley’s Half Chaps are made out of imported Brazilian full grain leather, which is very soft to the touch. Not to mention the fact that they smell absolutely amazing – though I am quite fond of the smell of leather. Along with feeling ultra soft to the touch, the leather is also quite flexible on the outer side.
The profile of the Half Chaps is also quite striking to see – they feature a high cut top line, and a zipper that starts at the bottom, and zips up the rear. When the two pair up, the result is a half chap with sleek lines that helps to give the appearance of a tall boot. There is also a lovely tab at the top of the boot that features an elegant looking silver colored pendant with the Huntley Equestrian logo.
Running alongside of the rear zipper is a full stretch panel that is made out of genuine nylon elastic – which allows it to contour to the leg and provide a close fit. The interior of the Half Chaps has a suede leather lining, that is also soft to the touch. The inner leg is also reinforced, with a double layer of the suede lining to provide maximum grip when in the saddle.
When the Huntley Half Chaps arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they come in a fancy looking dust bag. The bag is a lovely brown color, has a pull string closure at the top, and features the Huntley Equestrian printed on the side. I was definitely excited to try them on with a pair of paddock boots for the first time.
The rear zipper was easy for me to use, and I simply started it at the bottom and zipped it up to the top – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
And when I did, I was very happy with the ultra close fit that the Half Chaps provided. The rear zipper was easy for me to use, and I simply started it at the bottom and zipped it up to the top – the YKK zipper also feels nice and heavy duty, as though it was withstand the rigors of the saddle. There is also a tab that snaps into place over the closed zipper, which features a matching black button with an imprint of the Huntley logo.
The heavy duty elastic panel alongside of the zipper stretches in all of the right places to allow the Half Chaps to contour to my leg. They feel nice and comfortable on my legs, and I really do like that they give the sleek appearance of a tall boot – while still being an easy to wear pair of half chaps.
While the Huntley Half Chaps have a terrific fit and look very nice over a pair of paddock boots, they also haven’t let me down in terms of functionality. In the saddle, I find that they are thin enough to allow me the feeling of a nice amount of contact and control with my legs, without having too much bulk between them and the saddle.
In the saddle, I find that the Half Chaps are thin enough to allow me the feeling of a nice amount of contact and control with my legs, without having too much bulk between them and the saddle – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
The reinforced, double layer of suede leather lining makes the Half Chaps comfortable, and I am able to get a good amount of grip with my legs as well. During my rides, I was really happy with the amount of grip that the Half Chaps have provided me, while remaining comfortable to wear.
I have been advised to exercise caution while wearing the Half Chaps with light colored breeches for extended periods of time, in conditions where the leg may sweat – as this may cause dust from the suede leather lining to impact light colored breeches. The recommendation also extends to ensuring the suede lining has dried completely between each use.
Before I was aware of this recommendation, I ran into this exact scenario when wearing the Half Chaps over light colored breeches for a period of a couple of hours in the warm weather. In this case, I did see an impact from the suede leather lining – though when used as directed, I saw no impact.
The Custom Fit Premium Leather Half Chaps from Huntley Equestrian are not only lovely to behold; they are also bring comfort and function to my ride as well. The Half Chaps have a retail price of $129.99, and you can check them out here.
Go Elegnat Make-You-Think-These-Are-Tall-Boots Half Chaps. Go Huntley Equestrian. Go Eventing.
