Advise. How much time in hoof boots is acceptable

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thatsmygirl

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My lads shoes are off, he's very uncomfy to say the least. Now my question is, he walks lovely in his easyboot epics on his fronts and bare behinds so I'm currently taking him for walks in his boots and he loves it. In the stable he's fine on the rubber matting and in the field he's ok as the ground is soft at the mo. Walking down to the yard he is v sore but it's across gravel and walking on smooth Tarmac is proving to much for him so how much can he wear his boots? He has them off by day in the stable but had them on last night in the field but this morning when I took them off his feet were very soft due to being in damp boots. Surely this won't help? He walked through some big puddles hence why his boots were wet. Will I still help/improve his feet if he wears boot 99% off the time? He has 12mm pads inside.
 
For severely compromised hooves, I think Pete Ramey advocates booting all day, with just a couple of hours out of them to allow the feet to dry and treat for fungal infections.

If the horse is most comfortable with his boots on, then keep them on. But it is important to keep on top of any thrush, etc. Also dusting the inside of the boots with antifungal powder can help.
 
My TB was really sore when his fronts came off, he was turned out in boots for about 31/2 months, came in at night on shavings which dried his feet and gave his boots time to dry. I also used field paste especially when it was wet!
 
My trimmer is happy he has no thrush so that's good. Ok will keep him booted unless in his stable which he's happy with and also give him the day to dry his feet out. So will his feet in time accept no boots? Even if it's walking to/from field?
 
My boy was turned out in cavallos and they stood up really well to him tearing round like a lunatic, they were also really useful when he had an abscess!
He is out without them now and is doing fine!
 
I personally wouldn't turn out in them - unless the horse was very very sore. My TB mare hacks out in hoof boots, but when walking in hand or long-reining on the roads we are doing more and more without the boots. If the horse needs the boots, then use them, but if possible I would try and stable for a couple of hours to get the hooves dry out and then smother the frog, grooves and sole with Red Horse Field Paste (fab stuff!). Dont' give up barefoot yet - it took a few months for me to be convinced it was best for my horse, but when I long-reined her this morning down a hill which is too steep for shod horses as they slip and watched her striding out, I knew the stuggle was worth it. Good luck.
 
I wouldn't bother with boots, as hard as it can be, the transition will be quicker by allowing your horses feet to have contact with different surfaces. It will strengthen them more.
 
Oh I'm not giving up, it's his last chance so has to work. He's happy as larry in his boots. Thing is we have a gravel track to the field and I tried walking him up with boots on and taking them of once in field which is fine but he's crippled on the way in. There's a few horses in the field so wouldn't be practical to try and boot him down to the stables. It's only about 100 yrs if that of track so would it hurt just to let him pick his way through once a day?
 
The variety of surfaces will do his feet the world of good. You will soon seen him walking up the gravel sound as a pound :-)
 
China he does need his boots, tbh I don't care if he needs boots for riding for years. It's just the field track I would like him to cope with
 
He has really bad feet. He's a ex racer who has long flat feet with under run heels and reverse rotation in them. It's not going to be easy.
I'm walking him out in hand with his boots on but he wouldn't cope without at all. He won't even pick up a foot to stand on the other one on the yard only in his stable with matting.
 
thatsmygirl said:
China he does need his boots, tbh I don't care if he needs boots for riding for years. It's just the field track I would like him to cope with
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He soon will, this dam weather plays havock with them though. I used my boots all the time for hacking and used to lead him inhand up the track from the field and school him without. Hardened them up nicely, untill we had a down pour and his frogs got soft! I think it took P at least a year to comfortably walk up the track!
 
thatsmygirl said:
He has really bad feet. He's a ex racer who has long flat feet with under run heels and reverse rotation in them. It's not going to be easy.
I'm walking him out in hand with his boots on but he wouldn't cope without at all. He won't even pick up a foot to stand on the other one on the yard only in his stable with matting.
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This sounds familiar!
 
Thatsmygirl, your boy sounds just like mine he is also an exracer and he just wouldn,t have coped without boots as he had very thin soles! My trimmer advised me to keep him in boots.
The only other thing I could suggest is hoofwraps these would stay on all the time while his feet condition, what does your trimmer say to do?
 
china said:
I wouldn't bother with boots, as hard as it can be, the transition will be quicker by allowing your horses feet to have contact with different surfaces. It will strengthen them more.
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I disagree with this. It is unwise if a horse has thin and maybe flexible soles to for example march them on stones over a hard surface. It is possible to severely bruise the foot and damage the pedal bone.
 
Can you not take them on and off outside the gate? If he won't stand with a bare foot to put the boot on the other, what about a piece of foam or poss even old carpet to stand him on whilst u boot up? If the horse is in pain he will not walk correctly and this makes it less likely his feet will become appropriately conditioned.
 
LucyPriory said:
I disagree with this. It is unwise if a horse has thin and maybe flexible soles to for example march them on stones over a hard surface. It is possible to severely bruise the foot and damage the pedal bone.
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Where did I say that marching them over the stones was a good idea? The point I am making is that the contact with different surfaces will strengthen them. I'm aware of the risk of bruising, I would personally let them take their time and there own course over uneven terrain....
 
I'd second you taking them off at the field gate if poss and he is comfy enough in the field. A bit further but I have about 10 mins of road to get to the grass depending on how horse is sometimes we ride it but sometimes he needs front boots but I get off and take them off once on the grass and collect on the way back :)
 
A horse I knew had them on 24/7 for 3yrs as he lived out and wouldn't be shod. The owner put a dry piece of animalintex in them, to stop thrush, replaced the animalintex daily.
 
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