Show boots definitely have their place. If you want to school in bling, honey, I’m all for it! But show boots are built for moments, not for mileage. Patent leather, snakeskin, ostrich—they’re all gorgeous, but fragile. A little tall, a little stiff, a little “please don’t scratch me.” And on show days, we absolutely suffer for the sparkle. At home, though? Your boots, exciting or classic, should feel like an extension of you. They shouldn’t make you sore, distract you, or need constant fussing. Boots I’ve lived in for five years? I know and trust them. I know the heel isn’t going to come off while walking.

Forget the buzzwords and the shiny gimmicks. True luxury in horsemanship isn’t spending more, it’s choosing what actually works—no matter which discipline it came from. The best horsemen I know are shameless idea thieves, blending tools and traditions to serve the horse first.