Chaps are sturdy leather coverings for the legs. They are buckled on over one's trousers and belt with the chaps' integrated belt, but unlike trousers they are not joined at the crotch. Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ... For other senses of this word, see leg (disambiguation). ... The origin of modern mens trousers: a sans-culotte by Louis-Léopold Boilly. ...

The word is recorded in English since 1844, as an abbreviation of chaparajos, from Mexican Spanish chaparreras, worn to protect from chaparro "evergreen oak".

When referring to the garment, the correct pronunciation of the word chaps is with the sound /sh/ (as in shave), rather than /ch/ (as in chime). (When speaking of "chaps" meaning good friends, or "chaps" meaning the roughening of skin, the "ch" pronunciation is correct). In the American west, mispronunciation of the term will immediately mark a person as a "dude" who knows nothing about riding or the western tradition.

Types

Pair of batwing chaps

The principal styles of chaps are: Image File history File links Chaps. ... Image File history File links Chaps. ...

Batwing chaps are cut wide with a flare at the bottom. Generally made of smooth leather, they have only with two or three fasteners around the thigh, thus allowing great freedom of movement for the lower leg. This is helpful when riding very actively, and makes it easier to mount the horse. This design also provides more air circulation and is thus somewhat cooler for hot weather wear. Batwing chaps are often seen on rodeo riders, particularly those who ride bucking stock. They are also seen on working ranches when riders need protection from brush and thorns. Steer roping Rodeo is a traditional North American sport with influences from the history of Mexican vaqueros (cowboys) and American cowboys. ...

Shotgun chaps were so named because the legs are "straight and narrow as a shotgun's barrel". Each leg is cut from a single piece of leather. They are narrow and snug, wrapping completely around the leg. Shotguns were originally a pull-on garment, although modern ones have full-length zippers running along the outside of the leg from the thigh to the ankles. Shotguns do not flap around as much as batwings--a major consideration when riding green or spooky horses--and they are also better at trapping body heat, a great advantage in windy, snowy or cold conditions. Shotgun Chaps are most commonly seen in horse show competition for western riders, especially western equitation. A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. ... Western riding is shown in this sculpture, Great Western Tradition, by Doug Israelsen Western riding evolved from the cattle-working and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West. ... A riders equitation is her/his ability to ride correctly with a strong, supple position and effective aids. ...

Chinks are a related protective garment, a type of half-length chap that attach at the waist and stop just below the knee. Chinks are most often worn by farriers while shoeing horses, but also are sometimes worn by cowboys in the Pacific Northwest, most notably seen on those who follow the California Vaquero tradition. The leg usually ending two to four inches (5 to 10 cm) below the knee. Chinks are usually fringed along the outside edge, making their apparent length about 4 inches (10 cm) longer. They are cut to fit somewhere between batwings and shotguns, and usually have only two fasteners high on the thigh. They are the coolest of the protective garments. A farrier is a specialist in horse care, especially shoeing. ... The classic vision of the American cowboy, as portrayed by Frederic Remington A cowboy (Spanish vaquero) tends cattle and horses on cattle ranches in North and South America. ... The Pacific Northwest from space This page is about the region that includes parts of Canada and the US. For the US only region, see Northwestern United States The Pacific Northwest (abbreviated PNW, or PacNW) or Cascadia is a region in the northwest of North America. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... American cowboy circa 1887 A cowhand tends livestock, especially cattle. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of length. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ...

Half Chaps are also a partial protective garment. Opposite of chinks, half chaps begin at the boot and go up to end right below the knee. They are commonly used over the paddock boots of English-style riders in place of tall boots. Half-chaps are usually made of leather, and have a zip closure on the outside. They provide grip for the rider, and protection from the stirrup leather. English riding is a term used in the United States to describe a form of horseback riding that is seen throughout the world. ... Haniwa horse statuette, complete with saddle and stirrups, 6th century, Kofun period, Japan. ...

Uses

Chaps are intended to protect the legs of cowboys from contact with daily environmental hazards seen in working with cattle, horses and other livestock . They help to protect riders' legs from scraping on brush, injury from thorns of cacti and other thorny vegetation, reduce the chance of rope burns, and reduce the dust load on clothing. A specialized version type of chinks known as a shoeing or farrier's apron protects the legs of farriers from getting scratched or cut up in the process of shoeing or otherwise treating the hooves of horses. The classic vision of the American cowboy, as portrayed by Frederic Remington A cowboy (Spanish: vaquero) tends cattle and horses on cattle ranches in North and South America. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (often called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... Raised thorns on the stem of the wait-a-bit climber Thorns on rose stems A spine is a rigid, pointed surface protuberance or needle-like structure on an animal, shell, or plant, presumably serving as a defense against attack by predators. ... Wikipedia:Translation/Cactus Genera See Taxonomy of the Cactaceae The name cactus, plural cacti or cactuses, has been traditionally given to any member of the flowering plant family Cactaceae. ... A farrier is a specialist in horse care, especially shoeing. ...

Motorcycle chaps are an example of the shotgun style. They generally provide all round protection for the leg and have side zips to allow them to be put on easily. They are popular in the biker and leather subcultures, providing protection from the wind and cold, as well as partial protection of bikers from cuts and scrapes in the event of a fall to the roadway. Although the term refers to any motorcycle enthusiast, sometimes the word biker is sometimes used to mean an outlaw biker, or bikie, who is a member of a 1%er or outlaw motorcycle gang. ... The Leather Pride flag, which has become a symbol of the BDSM and fetish subculture. ... In biology, a subculture in a population of a microorganism is when one microbe colony in such a population is transferred onto blank growth medium and allowed to freely reproduce. ...

Sources

(incomplete)

• EtymologyOnLine