Fringed Chaps, Full and Half Chaps, and All About Chaps
Commonly associated with the cowboy culture of the American west are chaps. What are chaps? Chaps are actually protective leather garments, or sturdy coverings for the legs. They were used as protection when riding a horse through bushy terrain. The whole chaps garment consists of leggings and a belt. The integrated belt is used to buckle the chaps on over the trousers. Chaps as garment coverings for the legs are not like trousers- they are not joined at the crotch and have no seat. As protective coverings, chaps are made of leather or leather- like material.
Mounted riders in Mexico and Spain also used garment protection when herding cattle, but they were called “armas”, which literally means “shield”. The armas were two large pieces of cowhide, working like a sort of protective apron. These “armas” were the earliest form of protective garment used by mounted riders.
Then came “chaps”, a word with Mexican Spanish origin and a clip for chaparejos or chaparreras. To date an in the modern world, riders wear chaps for practical work purposes, or for shows and exhibitions.
There are different kinds of equestrian chaps. For one thing, there are shotgun chaps, which are fringed chaps. Shotgun chaps are also called “stovepipes”. They are called so because these chaps’ leggings are straight and narrow and each made of a single piece of leather. Shotgun chaps completely wrap around the legs, with full length zippers running along on the outside. These fringed chaps have their bottoms cut with a flare or arch. These allow a smooth fit for the arch of the rider’s boot.
Another kind of fringed chaps are chinks. Chinks stop two to four inches below the knee, making them half chaps with their bottoms and sides consisting of a long fringe. Because of this, chinks look like they are four inches longer. Chinks have on each leg two fasteners located high on the thigh. They are suitable for use in warm climates because they are cooler when worn.
A specialized kind of chinks are called horseshoeing chaps, and also known as farrier’s apron. Farriers use these chaps as protection for their upper legs when shoeing, or treating horses’ hooves.
Then there are batwing chaps which are made of smooth leather, with their bottoms cut wide with a flare. Batwing chaps allow its user more freedom of movement in their lower legs, mainly because each leg has only two or three fasteners around the thighs. A rider finds it easier to mount a horse with batwing chaps, and they are ideal for very active riding. Batwing chaps are cooler to wear in hot weather with its design providing better air circulation.
Other than these equestrian chaps, there are also chaps used when riding a motorcycle. They are called motorcycle chaps which are an example of the shotgun style chaps. Motorcycle chaps are usually made of leather and they are popular in the biker subculture for protection from cuts and scrapes.
You can buy chaps for these purposes, with those made for men and women. As equestrian chaps, motorcycle chaps or as accessories in fetish fashion or the leather subculture.
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