Any horse rider that has been unfortunate enough to have an equine friend carefully place their hoof onto their foot will tell you how much of an unpleasant experience it is! It is considered an occupational hazard that if you work with horses you will occasionally be trodden on, but yet although in other industries where there is a hazard of damage to the feet, steel toe cap boots are mandatory, this is not yet the case in the equine industry. This being said, there are a growing number of manufacturers who have recognised the importance of toe protection in horse riding boots and have begun to integrate this is into their products. The truth is that steel toes inside horse riding boots are a sensible idea. It only takes a second to cause a pain phen375 ful injury which, if you are lucky, will only be a nice bruise that will be sore for a few days but could also result in fractured or broken toes. If horses are your livelihood, whether you work with or ride them, a foot injury can cause a very big problem. Trying to handle any horse whilst hopping around with a broken toe or fractured foot is at best difficult and at worst downright dangerous. Furthermore, it is likely that you will require a number of days out of the saddle, or at least on light riding duties as pressure of your feet in the stirrup is going to be painful or impossible. Also, a fracture to the foot could alter the weight distribution across it which will escalate to the entire limb, actually affecting your position in the saddle.