People usually think that the only acceptable shoes to wear around horses are boots. Although boots are a great option to wear to the barn, as they offer protection from water and dirt while also providing comfort for your feet, there are other options to wear too.
If you are not a rider, but want to go visit horses, wearing comfortable tennis shoes is always an option. If you choose to wear this type of footwear, be sure to get shoes that don’t have small mesh openings to avoid getting dirt on your feet. Make sure that you select durable tennis shoes so that they last a long time. Try getting these shoes in a dark color to avoid them looking too dirty.
Rain boots are an excellent shoe option if you are bathing a lot of horses. Leather is not meant to get wet, as water can break down these boots. Rain boots protect your feet and also repel water. These shoes are also a great option if the dirt at the farm is muddy and you don’t want to ruin your nice leather boots.
This next shoe is not an option to wear, but rather a shoe to avoid at all costs. Never wear open toed shoes to the barn. Horses weigh approximately 1,000 pounds and if a horse steps on your barefoot, you may experience permanent damage. Flip flops and sandals are the worst shoes to wear around horses. Please consider other footwear options before wearing these to the farm.
