Ohh how times have changed. When I started showing our miniature horses around three years old in the nineties, show clothes… showmanship uniforms for the American Miniature Horse Association, in particular, were decently straightforward: long sleeves, pants, boots, a hat and gloves. Fast-forward to the two-thousands, though and suddenly we’re in a world pristine of blinged-out outfits matching from head to toe. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a HUGE fan of bling, but not of having to change my entire outfit AND shoes for ONE class! That said, I’m finally switching from my blingy black outfit to one that’s blingy blue. I bought the new white hat to go with the white accents, and now it’s time for the boots.
Have you ever wondered how people get boots that perfectly match those jewel-toned, bright red, deep gray or whatever color showmanship outfits? They’re probably a custom paint job! I have to thank a friend from the ring, Jillian H. for exchanging multiple texts with me sharing all the details on how to pull this off flawlessly.
Matching Paint to Your Showmanship Outfit
Obviously, you’ll need paint that matches your boots as one of your supplies. There are two ways to achieve this match.. but first, an important note: You SPECIFICALLY must buy water-based (aka latex or acrylic) paint! I’m told oil-based will peel off of your boots.. not a good look! Anyway, back to color matching:
Run a Color Match Against Your Showmanship Fabric
If your local hardware store offers this service, it’s what I would recommend! In my case, I went to Home Depot. So you don’t risk losing stones from the top… take the pants from your outfit into the paint department and let them know you need a water-based satin finish paint sample that matches the fabric. If they offer the service, they’ll be able to scan it and get a closer match than would happen with paint chips. Mine cost only about $4.. not bad!
Compare Your Fabric to Paint Chips
If you don’t have access to hardware stores that have the color matching option, no problem! You can get a pretty close match using paint chips. Head to the paint department of your local hardware store with the pants from your outfit. Take a look at the walls of paint chips (color samples) and pull a few that appear close to your outfit. A tip from my friend: “some store lights lie!” Take the fabric and chips out of the store into the sunlight to get a better grasp on the right match.
Once you’ve found the right one, ask for a water-based satin finish paint sample in that color. Easy peasy!
Paint Sample
None of them close enough? Try another store if that’s an option! I first went to Lowes looking at paint chips, then to Home Depot where I discovered the color matching option and did that instead.
Supplies for Painting Cowboy Boots
Note: We’ll receive commissions for purchases made through the Amazon links in this supplies list.
- Tailored show outfit (matching top+pants)
- Boots to paint
- Painter’s or masking tape
- Water-based primer OR fine sandpaper to prep boots
- Water-based satin finish paint sample matching your outfit
- Cardboard
- Paintbrush or paint sponge
- Smaller paintbrush for details
Instructions to Paint Boots to Match your Horse Show Outfit
- Tape the areas of the boots where you don’t want paint. I taped around the soles but it wouldn’t hurt to tape where you want to stop before the upper portion too, assuming you’re not going to paint the entire boot.
- Setup a spot to paint. I used cardboard to keep the paint from getting on the ground or anywhere unwanted.
- Stir or shake your water-based primer then paint your boots. If you have multiple brushes, use the bigger one to do most of the work then touch up with the small brush. Some of those crevices, in particular, around the seams, are difficult to get.
- Let the primer dry for an hour or so.
- Stir or shake your water-based fabric-matching paint and get started using the regular paintbrush!
- Followup with the smaller paintbrush for the detailed areas to really make sure they’re covered.
- Once the colored layer has dried completely, cover in a second coat to eliminate any streaks.
- Let the paint dry then carefully remove the tape. Voila! You’re ready to hit the ring with your horse!
