>
 > And a horse would help (g)!  Great story!  Unfortunately,
 > I tried the Ariat paddock boots and felt like I had the
 > most inflexible, combat boot type things on.  I hated them!
 >  After all the hype, and my decision to finally spend that
 > kind of money on a pair of paddock boots, I was devastated
 > (g)!
 
Ah, but which ones did you try on?
 
I started off with the black leather barn shoe, which was way too tight.  
Switched to the nubuck and they were much better.
 
I road-tested them last Thursday and gave them a workout on the concrete. 
 They *are* awfully hard in the toe-box area, especially after you're 
used to the soft leather of something like my Easy Spirit walking shoe.  But 
the arch support was really good, and even though my knees and back got a 
big-time workout because I was adjusting to having a heel instead of flats, 
my feet didn't feel nearly as bad as I expected after wearing them on the 
hard concrete all day.  My legs were another story; I had been using muscles 
I don't usually work, I guess.   Still, I have the feeling these shoes 
would be happier in a barn than on a city street.  I was having trouble with 
them in the record store because if I don't watch what I'm doing, I drag my 
toe, and they were catching on the carpet.   If they finish breaking in, they 
should be fine -- hard, sure, but fine.
 
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