A Little Gift to Myself

I went to Horse Expo this weekend with a very good friend. There is nothing better than spending an entire day belly laughing with a friend who loves horses, eating, and spending someone else's money as much as you do.

I want to write more about the seminars we attended which were all very good, but first, I really want to tell you about the little late birthday, early Valentine's Day, who-really-cares-why day gift that I bought myself. In retrospect, it was also a little more retail therapy (more about why therapy was needed later this week), but my bank account can handle it.

Are you ready? Here goes!

A serious close up view!

Hmm … Recognize anything? Sort of? Here's more ...

Ariat box ...

The riders out there should know this box. Here's a full view.

Squeal!

Did you guess? Can you hear me clapping and dancing around?

Open it already!

Which ones, which ones? They are so awesome. I can't believe I waited so long to get them ...

Viola! New tall boots for schooling.

Ariat Volants! Woohoo!

Love them!!!!

I pulled them out of the box the next morning and took a lesson on Sydney. I didn't even break them in; I just zipped 'em up and got on. Of course I have a small blister on each heal, but that was the only thing that hurt. 

They are unbelievable, fantastic, grippy, stylish, and made me truly feel like Wonder Woman in the saddle.

The Volants feel a lot like a pair of "fashion" boots that I would wear with a skirt. They bend, flex, and grip, all while being tennis shoe-like comfortable. When I got in the saddle, I laughed out loud. They feel like a piece of quality tack. The soles of the boots interacted in a very pleasant way with the tread on my stirrups, and the calf panel of the boot snugged up to my saddle's flaps and got right at home.

I normally wear a 7.5 to an 8, but I bought these in an 8.5. I probably should have done the 8s, but the selection was a bit slim. I got the regular width calf and regular height. With the stretch panel on the calf, these boots are going to be quite forgiving for a variety of calf widths. 

The zipper across the front of the leg slid up and down smoothly and made zipping the boots up so simple. What a brilliant concept. The zipper has a sturdy keeper flap at the top that should keep the zipper in place nicely. There's also a zipper guard where the zipper crosses your foot so your socks will stay safely out of the way of the zipper's teeth. 

The inside of the boot is lined with a soft leather, and the vented panel is smooth and soft without feeling flimsy. The soles of the boots are sturdy and have a small lift at the toe which helps human "break over".

I didn't get a price break for having bought the boots at a show. They still cost $495, but I didn't pay shipping or California sale's tax (which is close to 8%). If you've been thinking about a new pair of boots, give the Volants a try; they are awesome!

And special thanks goes to my dear friend for being just as willing to talk me out of the boots as she was willing to talk me into them. We went in and out the door at least a half dozen times and then tried on the boots several times before I finally bought them. You can't ask for a better friend than that! 

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