# hunter wellies - a big disappointment



## cobface (24 September 2010)

I bought some hunter wellies last year and had all winter out of them, waded through thick mud, snow, puddles etc.......they have now split  and my feet are getting wet  last year horses where out 24/7 so wellies where a must! however this year i would like a pair of muck boots too for the yard.
Can someone recommened me a pair of wellies (NOT HUNTERS!) under £50 and a pair of muck boots up to £70?
thanks


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## Double_choc_lab (24 September 2010)

My hunters always used to split.  Bought really cheap ones during the foot n mouth (yes that long ago) Dunlop I think and they lasted until last year.  If you wear wellie socks no-one can see the name and will be none the wiser.  Replacement Dunlops now have a labrador mouth shaped patch out the top!


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## hollyandivy123 (24 September 2010)

le chameau................................seem expensive but last for years


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## MissMincePie&Brandy (24 September 2010)

cobface said:



			I bought some hunter wellies last year and had all winter out of them, waded through thick mud, snow, puddles etc.......they have now split  and my feet are getting wet  last year horses where out 24/7 so wellies where a must! however this year i would like a pair of muck boots too for the yard.
Can someone recommened me a pair of wellies (NOT HUNTERS!) under £50 and a pair of muck boots up to £70?
thanks
		
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They lasted ALL of last year!  Count yourself lucky! They are mere fashion items and now made to only withstand a once a year trudge around Glastonbury.


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## maggy-may (24 September 2010)

My last pair of hunters lasted me years,whereas the new pair i bought lastyear have got a small hole in the heel so i can hear the water squidging in them when i walk and we dont have to bad mud either. Have you looked at joules wellies? i think i will be getting them for my next pair, as for muck boots i would go for the moutain horse ones they are really good quality and also comfy. My mountain horse have lasted me for years and i never clean them


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## rowy (24 September 2010)

mine were rubbish as well and only laster a year! 
I have "town and country" and not only do they look good and have some nice colours, they are really comfortable and have lasted pretty well so far though only got them spring this year but got them after seeing good reviews on the internet. 
I have some snug thermal boots, the derby house ones with velcrow up the leg for when the snow and ice come. they are really warm and comfortable as well as easy to put on, just dont wear them when your hosepiping as you get a bit wet


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## crumbs (24 September 2010)

My hunters lasted one festival and i wore them round the yard for a while, they got bleached by the sun and have cracked!! my feet get sooo cold in them, and i broke my toe wearing them, all in all wont be buying anymore!!!


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## maggy-may (24 September 2010)

My hunter wellies use to last years,but the pair i bought last year are already starting to wear i think i will be looking at joules wellies for my next pair. As for muck boots i would highly recommend mountain horse they are really good quality and last for years. Plus they are comfy to wear all day and ride in
Sorry i didnt realise the last post had edited as mt comp went off


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## MissMincePie&Brandy (24 September 2010)

Going back to the 80s and 90s Hunter wellies would last years, and they were great, but these days, Hunter Originals are apauling quality, and they are not even made out of the same sort of rubber that the old ones use to be.  They are no longer suitable as a stable boot at all.


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## crumbs (24 September 2010)

def recommend mountain horse boots, has mine 3 years, only needing a new pair because i have never cleaned them!! they seem to have just decided to stop being waterproof!!


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## Honey08 (24 September 2010)

Interesting.  My husband's recent pair lasted two years, and he raves about them.  I had them 20 years ago, and they went through really quickly.  I've always thought they were over priced, but so are Joules, Muck boots, or any other "named" horsey boots.  As someone said, plain old un-named wellies are probably the most economical and best!  But thats coming from someone not remotely interested in "names"!


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## Bowen4Horses (24 September 2010)

my hunters have lasted me years...  

i love them!


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## montysmum1 (24 September 2010)

My hunters i had years ago used to last for years, now i've had 2 pairs in 2 years!! My current pair I bought last summer just before the royal welsh show, and they split above the ankle earlier this week  - i'm so disappointed! I love wearing hunters as I find them so comfy, but they're just not made to last anymore...  I too am looking for a replacement... suggestions welcome!!


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## PoppyAnderson (24 September 2010)

Le Chemeau. As someone else said, dearer than you want to pay but well worth it. I've had mine for 10 years, have hammered them and yet they're as good as the day I got them.


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## Sneedy (24 September 2010)

My Hunters have also lasted me years.....but they are the good ol' fashioned ones!  Hunter went into liquidation a few years ago / or was bought out (can't remember which!) and since then the quality has been awful!  They used to say 'made in Scotland' on the label at the front of the boots....that has since disappeared so I dread to think where they are made now!!!


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## Twizzel (24 September 2010)

My hunters are still going strong after 5 years... I live in them during the winter.


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## Kenzo (24 September 2010)

Or you could just get 10 pairs of mucker style boots for the price you'd pay for a pair of Hunters, you could wear a new pair every month over winter and still have some left over for next winter.


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## WellyBaggins (24 September 2010)

My hunters lasted all of... 3 months, granted I live in them but stiill...... They are ****   I have had lots of pairs but this pair is my last, the quality is not what it used to be


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## peanut (24 September 2010)

I've given up on Hunters - two pairs split in quick succession.  

I've now got Town & Country boots from the garden centre - not the most fashionable label but wonderfully long, very comfortable and cheap!


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## JVB (24 September 2010)

Oh heck I'm still in my 10 yr old hunter wellies bought from beeston market very cheap, starting to think I should look after them a bit more so they keep going!


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## Hippona (24 September 2010)

Ariat Mudbusters....fabulous. Comfy and very warm. I'm on my 3rd winter in this pair....I would deffo get another pair.

I gave up on Hunters - total crap these days.

PS...you can also ride in the Mudbusters- they have a proper sole/heel/instep specially for this.

(can you tell I am an Ariat fan??)


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## GinaB (24 September 2010)

The reason 'new' Hunters don't last as log as the older ones is that the original Hunter company went into administration, but were bought over and are now made in China instead (IIRC)

TBH you'd be better spending that bit extra on the likes of Le Chameau or Aigle. The neoprene lined ones are so cosy and they are very comfortable. I wear Sherwood Forest wellies, I think they cost £25!! They're fab. I bought the mens pair though as women's ones only came in pink or chocolate brown, whereas I was looking green ones to wear shooting. They are very comfortable and keep my feet farm. The sides are also adjustabl.

These are the female version - http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/P/Sherwood_Forest_Derlington_Neoprene_Wellington_Boots-(1553).aspx


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## wench (24 September 2010)

Cheap ones are the best - best pair I had were some that were from a butchery supplier - meant for an abbotoir!


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## camilla4 (24 September 2010)

GinaB said:



			The reason 'new' Hunters don't last as log as the older ones is that the original Hunter company went into administration, but were bought over and are now made in China instead (IIRC)
http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/P/Sherwood_Forest_Derlington_Neoprene_Wellington_Boots-%281553%29.aspx[/url]
		
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I found this out too late.  My original pair of Hunters lasted 22 years so when it came to replace them I had no hesitation in buying another pair - they last two months and I only use them for dogwalking!

Chameaus really are good and worth the money!


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## singing dawg (24 September 2010)

i had a pair of Hunter seconds once, the label said Hunter made in Scotland. I peeled off he label and underneath was another label saying Barbour, made in England!

The leg always seems to come away from the foot with hunters, now use cheapie boots from Mole Valley for a tenner, keep you dry but bl**dy freezing in winter.


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## xxRachelxx (24 September 2010)

As already said Hunters are now made in China and are awful quality. I work in a tack shop and we have loads of hunters coming back with problems. We also sell joules and don't get nearly as many probs - they also come with a years guarantee so should def last at least a year. Alot cheaper than hunter too £32-£34 rather than £60!


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## Keltic (24 September 2010)

Ariat Mudbusters fab fab fab, really hardwearing and warm.


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## ISHmad (24 September 2010)

GinaB said:



			The reason 'new' Hunters don't last as log as the older ones is that the original Hunter company went into administration, but were bought over and are now made in China instead (IIRC)
		
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Exactly.

I swear by my Derwent Muck Boots, they are really nice and warm and not as slippy as the Tyne Muck Boots which have less of a grip on them.


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## Cuppatea (24 September 2010)

http://www.derbyhouse.co.uk/Equestr...+Muckers/Tack+Classic+Muck+Boots_556-0068.htm

Got mine a couple of weeks ago - ill never wear anything else now!


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## dianeholmes (24 September 2010)

My local agric merchant interviews people who come into buy wellies and if they really want them to function as wellies rather than a fashion statement he refuses to sell them Hunters - he is very fed up with dealing with complaints!!


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## JessandCharlie (24 September 2010)

I tried to pursuade my non-horsey festival attending friend that they were a waste of money, but no she still had to have them! 

I bought a pair of country-wide ones and they were great! £20 
Can't remember the brand of my muck boots, but they are the warmest comfiest neoprene welly type things


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## LizzyandToddy (24 September 2010)

aigle!!!!!!!!
really would recogmend them to anyone!!
Mine have lasted 4 years and counting!


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## mytwofriends (24 September 2010)

I second that.  My current ones are ok at the moment, but I'm willing to bet they don't last the winter.  I got them at Badminton HT this year.  I had a pair before this which lasted less than a year  

I work at one yard and keep my horses at another, so mine get plenty of use - but aren't wellies supposed to be used?  It's nothing out of the ordinary, surely, for wellies to be worn in ...... mud ....... is it?   Anyway I resent paying £50+ for sub-standard Hunters, so when rolleyes this pair bites the dust I won't be buying any more.

I'll probably get proved wrong now and they'll last for several winters to come   Let's hope that's the case.


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## alwaysbroke (24 September 2010)

Another huge Ariat Mudbuster fan first pair lasted 5 yrs hard labour, this pair are on their 3rd yr. They are so comfortable and reasonably warm, also as said before you can ride in them though I tend not to.


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## NormandJ.J (24 September 2010)

I have a pair of woof wear long mucker boots and they are sooooo comfy and have lasted well so far. Also as they're quite close fitting you don't get those annoying little bits of hay and straw down them.
http://www.thesaddlery.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=148_169&products_id=730&osCsid=d62b9516e821ecc76ec1fd589e26a95f


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## thatsmygirl (24 September 2010)

HUNTER FACTS!!!!
the company was brought out,
the label doesn't say " made in scotland" anymore because they aren't.
They are make in checkleslavacier ( can't spell that at all)
they turn White which is the chalk put into the rubber to stop them from persishing while being transported from cold countries.
The heel use to be solid, now 4 empty holes to save money hence why they wear through and fill with water. 
They go on the heels, perish and crack along the ankles. ( all common fault)
they all AT THE MOMENT come with a years guarentee so keep receipt but soon to stop. 
Some people have caught onto the guarentee and just keep getting new pair every year when they break. 
I work in equine  retail and these boots are a nightmare we send about 30 pairs a month back to the company. 
But they say they are working on it!!!!
If you have a old pair which are lasting you are lucky


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## ladyt25 (24 September 2010)

I had a pair of hunters and they lasted years but eventually they started leaking. Got another pair last year / beginning of this year so we shall see but I have worn them a fair bit and so far so good. My sister did get a pair a couple of years before though (just after hunter went into liquidation) and they did not last long and did split etc. I believed they had now changed how they make them but time will tell.

Other than that my sister and mum have Ariat wellies that are about the same price. I just find them a bit hefty to be honest.


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## Umbongo (24 September 2010)

Good to know....I thought I was just having bad luck with 2 pairs in 2 years!
Was about to go and buy another pair this weekend thinking my luck might be a bit better but not anymore


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## HollyWoozle (24 September 2010)

I have to say that I've tried loads of wellies and they all split on me or were uncomfortable... except for my hunters! They've been superb!


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## wilsha (24 September 2010)

if you like prety ones get some joules ones they last me about a year (sounds bad) BUT ... they have a year garantee soo if they break before then you can get another pair thats what happens to me and i like geting new wellies hehe


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## mystiandsunny (24 September 2010)

At the moment I rate the B&Q ones that look like hunters.  V comfy to walk in and seem to last.  Other than that, go to a fishing shop and get some for a tenner - then when they die on you, it won't be too much of a hardship!


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## Perrie (24 September 2010)

I was about to but a pair of Hunters last winter but my tack shop stopped stocking them because of all the bad reports they were getting & people taking them back.
So instead i bought a pair of RockFish wellies, they seen me through all of last winter & i've started wearing them again & they seem to be holding up.
I paid £39.99 for them.
Here's a link:
http://www.easy-wellies.co.uk/rockfish-rider-wellies-c-139.html

XxX


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## JenniferS (24 September 2010)

I personally don't think you can get much better than real Muck Boot Company muck boots


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## immoralorchid (24 September 2010)

poppymoo said:



			Ariat Mudbusters....fabulous. Comfy and very warm. I'm on my 3rd winter in this pair....I would deffo get another pair.

I gave up on Hunters - total crap these days.

PS...you can also ride in the Mudbusters- they have a proper sole/heel/instep specially for this.

(can you tell I am an Ariat fan??)

Click to expand...

oooh so am i i love my ariat long riding boots for day to day stable stuff and they last ages even against mud and puddle hmmm need to find out what they are called hang on


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## immoralorchid (24 September 2010)

immoralorchid said:



			oooh so am i i love my ariat long riding boots for day to day stable stuff and they last ages even against mud and puddle hmmm need to find out what they are called hang on
		
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http://www.ariat.com/products_detail.aspx?pcid=8&cid=1&scid=12&pid=268
here they are last for about 3/5 years or longer how u look after them i love them.

my feet dont get cold and they are waterproof they are so comphy to ride in and even smart enough with a good clean up to do BHS exams and jumping classes in 

oh i cant recommend these boots enough I LOVE THEM


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## golddustsara (24 September 2010)

I've had everything and they all seem to leak. Hunters, Ariat Mudbusters, Dublin ones...

I'm just going to buy some cheap Rockfish ones this year!


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## Holly Hocks (24 September 2010)

I adore my Ariat Mudbusters.  The strap on the outside fell off on one, but that doesn't bother me - they are warm, waterproof, comfortable and can ride in them.....fantastic!


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## TicTac (24 September 2010)

What about the Hunter Balmoral? They seem to be a thicker rubber and are only £5.00 more than the original in my local tack shop. Was thinking about buying a pair.........


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## horsecrazy25 (24 September 2010)

My hunters lasted ages  I have now got Ariat Wellies, amazing. There steel toe caped but very light on the foot and very tough  x


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## MissMincePie&Brandy (24 September 2010)

TicTac said:



			What about the Hunter Balmoral? They seem to be a thicker rubber and are only £5.00 more than the original in my local tack shop. Was thinking about buying a pair.........
		
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Hunter Balmoral with Neoprene are definitely much better than Hunter Originals. I have a pair of Balmoral Neoprenes, which have just split after 2 years heavy use.  Hunter Originals only last me a couple of months and I would never buy another pair of Originals again.  
I'm going to try another brand completely now my Balmorals are leaking though.


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## Lucyad (24 September 2010)

My old Hunters were getting a bit tired after 6 years, so I bought some new Hunters, to be my 'posh wellies' for 'occasions' (I do like to dress up!). New hunters lasted all of a few months before leaking, progressing to huge perished slashes around the ankle.  Old Hunters are still going strong.  I have Rockfish for my posh wellies now!


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## Pebbles (24 September 2010)

maggy-may said:



			My last pair of hunters lasted me years,whereas the new pair i bought lastyear have got a small hole in the heel so i can hear the water squidging in them when i walk and we dont have to bad mud either. Have you looked at joules wellies? i think i will be getting them for my next pair, as for muck boots i would go for the moutain horse ones they are really good quality and also comfy. My mountain horse have lasted me for years and i never clean them

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Second all the above re Hunters and Mountain Horse - my MH's have lasted years and are really comfy too.  Good tip re Joules wellies, thank you


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## Bess (24 September 2010)

Rebelzmum said:



			I adore my Ariat Mudbusters.  The strap on the outside fell off on one, but that doesn't bother me - they are warm, waterproof, comfortable and can ride in them.....fantastic!
		
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Mine did that too, I caught the strap in something, but it doesn't matter, the boots are very hardwearing and practical, I've had mine a couple of years.


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## horsecrazy25 (24 September 2010)

Apparently Ariat Wellies are the first ever welly made to ride in!! x


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## Dolcé (25 September 2010)

Hunters are rubbish these days, they used to be the best and would go forever but the new ones seem to split in a matter of months, I will never buy another pair!  Last year I bought the Tyne Muck Boots, I'm not impressed by the grip on them as they can slip in ice (I believe the riding ones have a better sole) but the boot itself is fantastic.  I never once had cold feet despite only ever wearing 1 pair of normal socks under them and no matter how long I was stood about on the yard.  They are still like new and I think they will last years so would highly recommend.


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