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Barbour’s Raelynn Wellingtons arrived before last summer unleashed its blistering temperatures on equestrians, their horses and everyone else.
I had long admired them on the Barbour website, and at one time contemplated getting a light sand coloured pair, but somehow light sand, horses and the countryside seemed unlikely to mix well, so I ordered black.
When they arrived my 23-year-old daughter admired them so much that she begged for a pair of her own and so I figured that there was something special about them — or that they were ‘trendy’, or at the very least would look rather swash on the yard.
First impressions
While Barbour is a prestige brand, I did wonder if their wellies would stand the test of time, not least because I have bought certain other brands which started using cheaper rubber that really doesn’t stand up to the rigours of an equestrian lifestyle.
However, I couldn’t have been more wrong, and the Raelynn are actually made for the long haul and they have stood up brilliantly for months to everyday use, and hard use at that — from poo picking to dog walking day in day out. They ooze quality.
Fit
My first outing with them didn’t, though, go to plan. While they are true to size — my usual five was a perfect fit — the first couple of times I wore them the low front rubbed against my calf.
I donned some thick socks and was surprised that when I discarded these for a thinner pair, the boots no longer felt rigid or rubbed, and so perhaps they had stretched slightly, or softened, rather like a leather pair would.
Therefore, from that day to this I haven’t had a single issue with them and they really came into their own during those sweltering temperatures in July and August, which were warmer than average, and when tall wellies would have been unbearable for those piping hot yard duties.
Effectiveness
Now that our fields have turned from parched brown to muddy brown I expected to be slipping and sliding around, but not a bit of it. The deep tread on these boots really does provide stability on slippery mud.
But with so many positives, surely there’s a flip side? Actually not really. If you have shingle paths you might find the odd small pebble getting stuck between the deep treads, but that’s a small price to pay for footwear that, in this day and age of cheap, short-lived products, provides exceptional quality and longevity.
If I had to give them a score out of five, I’d give them a six as they are so brilliant.
Now the days are colder I will probably retire them to the cupboard and bring out my Aigles for warmth. Come the summer, though, the Raelynns will be back in action again.
