Equestrian Riding Chaps in United Kingdom

Horse riders will be very familiar with chaps which are a type of clothing popular across the sport and seen at different events across the world. They are used for horseback riding and also during shows. They are not seen as part of the acceptable outfit for dressage but are common elsewhere. 

Chaps are usually made from leather but can also be manufactured from a synthetic material and are worn over trousers. The purpose of chaps is to help to stop sores when riding as well as preventing leg injury if the rider is travelling through rough ground. 

There are a number of different kinds of equestrian chaps. These include Shotgun, Batwing, Chink and Armitas. Each has a different cut and length and is designed for different kinds of riding.

The first chaps were worn by the Spanish and Mexican cattle herders. They were originally called armas, meaning ‘shield’ and were made from leather. Cowhide was used to make an apron shaped item and they were attached to the horn of the saddle and then spread across the chest of the horse and the legs of the rider. These were very hot and cumbersome but helped prevent injury on very long trips.

Chaps have become a popular part of the traditional outfit of the cowboy but historians cannot pinpoint exactly when they were first used. It is known that by 1870 most Texas cowboys were using them whilst moving cattle and in 1884 there was the first mention of them in the Dictionary of American Regional English where the spelling was given as ‘schaps’. 

The modern spelling of the word chaps comes from the Mexican Spanish word chaprejos which in turn derives from the Spanish chaparro – a low lying thick hedge like plant which would be difficult to ride through.

In Europe, the Portuguese wore sheepskin or goatskin chaps when moving the cattle, whilst in neighbouring Spain in the 1950s the chaps worn there had no hair and were covered in intricately worked designs.  Modern designs in Spain include a single strap which goes around the back of the knee which is attached to a smooth material. 

In America, chaps are part of the riding outfit for those who take part in western riding horse shows and are often a mandatory piece of clothing according the show rules. The use of them goes back to them herding cattle through thorny land and rodeo riders usually wear them in events which are known as ‘rough stock’.