Owning a horse is a great way to stay healthy because it comes with an active, outdoor lifestyle. You’ll spend hours at the barn mucking out and doing chores, so it’s important to be comfortable and protected when you’re working. The best shoes for working at the barn are barn boots, and we’ll take a deeper look at them below. This way you’ll have a better idea about the best barn boots for mucking out stalls.
What are Barn Boots?
When it comes to the equestrian lifestyle, boots are everything. And there’s a type of boot for every riding style. But to make your riding boots last longer, you shouldn’t use them for barn work. Instead, you should invest in a pair of barn boots.
Riding boots aren’t designed to be worn for hard work. They don’t have much of a tread and often, they’re quite stiff too. As well as this, if you have a particularly expensive pair of riding boots, you don’t want to get them covered in muck and dirt.
Barn boots, however, have been designed to withstand all the muck that a dirty stall has to throw at them. This is why they’re also known as muck boots. And they offer you the best protection, comfort and support when you’re working at the barn.
And the great thing about barn boots is that they’re versatile and not just limited to the barn. You can use them for gardening and for other types of country work too.
Overall barn boots are a great investment for your comfort and safety. And wearing a pair is the best way to stop your good riding boots from getting beaten up.
How to Choose the Best Barn Boots?
When it comes to choosing the best boots for mucking stalls, there are lots of things to consider. So we’ve listed the most important things to look out for below.
Comfort and Support
Barn boots must be comfortable because, often, you’ll be wearing them for long periods. And barn work can be very physically demanding too, so the boots must offer you a good amount of support.
When you have the right footwear, overall barn work will be less tiring. And for the best comfort and support, look out for boots with a cushioned footbed and arch support.
Durability
Barn work can be tough and dirty so muck boots need to be durable against mud, urine, horse manure, and all kinds of uneven terrain. If you do lots of barn work, it’s worth investing a bit more money into more durable boots.
The foot and tread of muck boots needs to be made from a tough, durable material such as rubber. And the outer should be stain-resistant and easy to clean.
Waterproof
Barn work includes all kinds of water-related chores, from washing buckets to showering your horse. So you must make sure that the muck boots are waterproof. Because if your feet get wet this can cause all kinds of discomfort and chafing.
As well as this, the horse urine in stalls is quite potent, so if your boots aren’t waterproof, the muck from stables will rot away the material of your boots.
Design
Muck boots come in many different styles and designs. Some are really smart and you can wear them as a regular boot around town. The design you choose will come down to personal preference but there are a couple of design features to look out for.
Firstly, if you want to wear your muck boots for riding then make sure that you choose narrow ones with a well-defined heel. Often, the manufacturer will state whether the boots are suitable for riding or not.
Next, you should consider the toe design because some boots offer extra protection around the toes. This is a good way to protect your feet if you're working with unpredictable youngsters for example.
Climate and Season
If you live in a warmer climate with little rain, you should choose a short, lightweight barn boot. However, if you suffer from frosty, cold, wet winters then you need to choose long muck boots with a warm, comfortable lining.
Overall it’s better to have two pairs of barn boots, one for the summer and one for the winter.
The Top 6 Barn Boots on the Marketplace
To help you in your search for the perfect pair of barn boots, we’ve listed our favorite ones below.
1. Sperry Women's Saltwater Rain Boot
Sperry is a high-quality footwear brand so these Saltwater rain boots have it all when it comes to comfort and design. These short boots have a waterproof, rubber foot with a secure tread, and a high-quality leather upper. And they fasten with rawhide laces through rust-proof eyelets for a secure fit.
These boots keep your feet warm with a luxury micro-fleece lining. And they have a cushioned insole for extra comfort and support. They come in a range of eye-catching designs. So, not only are these boots great for barn work, but they’ll look good out on the town too.
These Muckster2 muck boots are one of the most versatile boots on the market because you can wear them in all seasons. The rubber foot is fully waterproof with a high traction tread. And the neoprene upper will keep you dry and warm in the winter. And in the summer, you can roll the neoprene down, creating a short boot, for extra breathability.
They’re fitted with an “Airmesh” lining which wicks away humidity and perspiration and promotes airflow around your feet. These boots are fully waterproof and will do a great job at keeping your feet dry and comfortable at the barn.
Ariat are brand leaders when it comes to equestrian footwear. So you can be sure that these barnyard boots offer the ultimate in quality and protection. These boots are made with fully waterproof leather and a thick rubber sole. So they’re guaranteed to keep your feet dry. And they’re one of the best barn muck boots on the market.
For extra comfort and support, these boots feature ATS cushioning which helps reduce fatigue when you wear them for work. And they have a striking design, with a full-length side zipper, so you can put them on and take them off effortlessly.
These neoprene boots from Tidewe are a great choice if you live in a particularly cold climate. They’re are heavily insulated and are guaranteed to keep your feet warm down to -4 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes them one of the best insulated barn boots on the market.
As well as this, they’re lightweight and fully waterproof. And they’re made with CR Flex-Foam which absorbs impacts, retains heat and flexes with your feet as you walk. Overall, these boots are tough and durable and will withstand the coldest working conditions at the barn.
These muck boots from Hisea offer a good level of protection and support for routine barn work. They have a completely sealed rubber shell, reinforced heels, arches and toes so they’re one of the best rubber barn boots on the market.
These boots are fully waterproof with a 5mm neoprene lining to help keep your feet dry and warm. And they have high traction, durable outer soles to give you extra stability, even on wet and uneven terrain. Overall, these are one of the best waterproof barn boots on the market.
These rain shoes from Roper make a great muck boot. This is because they’re comfortable and flexible and are designed to be worn for long periods. As well as this they have a removable sock for extra insulation in the cold weather and a padded footbed.
These boots are made with “barnyard acid-resistant” rubber and a neoprene upper. Which makes them fully waterproof and flexible when you're walking around or doing barn chores.
What You Should NOT Wear for Mucking Out Stalls
Some kinds of footwear are a definite no-no when it comes to mucking out stalls. So for your comfort and safety, you shouldn’t wear any of the following shoes for your barn duties.
Sandals
You should never wear any kind of sandals or flip flops for barn work. This is because, in open shoes, your feet and toes are exposed and vulnerable to injuries. As well as this, your feet will get filthy pretty quickly. And the synthetic material will cause rubs and chafing around your bare toes and feet during heavy barn work.
Your Best Riding Boots
Your best riding boots should always be reserved for riding. You probably spent a lot of money on them right? So you want to keep them looking good for a long time. As well as this, riding boots generally don’t have a good tread and aren’t very flexible. So they’re not very safe or comfortable for barn work.
Sneakers
Even though sneakers are super comfortable, they’re not a good option when it comes to mucking out stalls. Generally, they’re not waterproof, so your feet will get wet and they don’t offer much foot protection. As well as this, they’ll stain very easily and you’ll ruin them pretty quickly if you wear them for barn work.
Clogs
You should never wear clogs for barn work, especially open-backed ones. Even though clogs are comfortable and often water-resistant, they can get pretty slippery in wet conditions. As well as this, any debris from the yard or barn will easily find its way into clogs. This will make your feet dirty and you’ll have to stop every five minutes to empty your clogs out.
Rain Boots
Generally speaking, rain boots aren’t designed to be worn for long periods. They’re great if you have to cross a wet muddy field but they’re not a good choice for mucking out stalls. This is because they’re quite stiff and don’t have insulation or lining and they’re not breathable. So if you wear them for long periods of time your feet will sweat and chafe. And in the winter, they won't help to keep your feet warm.
Can you Wear Muck Boots for Riding?
Generally speaking, muck boots aren’t designed for horseback riding. This is because they’re usually too wide for the stirrup and they don’t have a good heel. However, there are some muck boots that you can safely ride in.
So, if you want to ride in your muck boots, make sure you buy ones that are fit for purpose. Because riding in the wrong type of boots is very dangerous.
For riding specific boots check out our recommended: Best Boots for Western Horseback Riding and Best Dressage Boots for English Horse Riding.
How to Clean Barn Boots
Barn boots are generally waterproof so this makes them easy to maintain. Most of the time, you can simply give them a rinse under a tap or hose. It’s better to do this daily or after every use. Because it’s much harder to remove dried mud and debris from your boots.
If you rinse your muck boots off regularly, ultimately you’ll prolong their life.
If you have any leather on the boots consider a leather saddle soap for more longevity.
Do You Need to Wear Socks With Muck Boots?
For your comfort and safety, you must wear socks with muck boots. Socks will absorb sweat and odors from your feet and prevent rubbing and chafing. Using muck boots without socks is unhygienic. And without them, your boots will get smelly pretty quickly.
In the winter, you should wear a medium to thick pair of socks with your boots to provide you with maximum comfort and support. But in the summer, opt for a thinner pair.
Conclusion
As you can see, buying pair of equine barn boots is a worthy investment. Barn boots will help you to keep your riding boots in good shape. And they also offer you essential comfort, support and protection during the day to day barn work.
Hopefully, this guide has been able to unravel some of the mysteries about barn boots. And now you have all the information you need when it comes to selecting the best barn boots for mucking out stalls.
