Anyone tried these hoof boots?

Boxers

Boxers

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Abscess seems to have cleared up, but still a hole in hoof and am nervous of turning him out in wet muddy conditions. Wonder if these might offer some protection.

Currently horse is stabled, keeping bed as dry as poss and each evening I'm washing the hoof in epsom salt water, drying with a towel and spraying purple spray over the area.

I did turn him out for a short time today because it was so frosty the mud was hard and the paddock quite dry.
 
I had some similar to the first link.

Not nearly strong enough for turnout - think of a latex glove - but a useful layer to put over poultice to keep water out when standing in a stable.
 
Mine has a largeish hole near the toe of a front hoof following an abscess a couple of weeks back. He lives out. While we were actively poulticing, he had a boot made (by me) of duck tape.

Now it's drained, I just cut an inch square piece of poultice, soak it in saline, and pack it into the hole with a hoof pick. This stays in for two or three days at a time with no other covering. It stays in even better if I use some manuka honey in the hole before packing it. I am changing it every few days just because I think it might help, not because it's fallen out.

Field is fairly dry (at the moment the ground is frozen solid, but we had a wet day last week when everything went back to mud and mush) - the packing stays in fine. You could also pack with e.g. Red Horse Hoof Stuff or Artimud - but the hoof stuff as far as I can see is just cotton wool, honey and zinc oxide cream, which isn't far off my homemade packing :)
 
I got 5 of the first ones when my youngster had an abcess last year, they are only thin and size bigger than you expect, however i got some black gaffatape and strenghtened the bottom of the foot part ( put the latex boot on hten gaffa over the top) i then added a brushing boot over the top and hey ho a perfect turnout sock, each one lasted only a day but did the job.
It also kept her hoof lovely and clean in the stable too.
Hope this helps.
Teresa
 
Brightbay said:
Now it's drained, I just cut an inch square piece of poultice, soak it in saline, and pack it into the hole with a hoof pick. This stays in for two or three days at a time with no other covering. It stays in even better if I use some manuka honey in the hole before packing it. I am changing it every few days just because I think it might help, not because it's fallen out.:)
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Sounds like a plan, although the holeis more of a long groove, so I wonder if the packing will stay in, might try packing it and then putting a strip of duck tape over the top.
 
Re: the first link, these will be far too thin to use for turnout. I used them on my mare overnight in her stable recently (bedded on rubber mats with wood pellet pulp and shavings) and they were split open and hanging off her pasterns by morning.

The second link is to a poultice cover boot and again, wont be any good for turnout, since it's difficult to secure these types of boot so that they don't work loose. I'm sure in a field of wet mud, it wouldn't stay on for 5 mins.

Personally, when in your situation I've always used Shoof Hoof Boots. Over the years I've them picked up second hand on eBay for nothing much, but see they are now on sale on there (new) for £30's +. :eek:

They do have a second hand size 2 Shoof boot listed (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shoof-A-s...t=UK_Horse_Wear_Equipment&hash=item2578a1937b) but this is a pony size. Will probably be too small?

They are excellent though for protecting a post abscess hoof for turnout. However, I'd not pay £30 for one as they really are only for light use. Mine have all be purchased for £7 to £10 over the years.

Edited to add: Actually, well worth considering is Gorilla Tape. Wrap the whole hoof in gamgee and wrap in Gorilla tape for turnout. Takes a bit of practice to do easily and quickly but it really sticks and is tough as boots (literally!!!) Cheaper than boots, too.
 
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so I wonder if the packing will stay in, might try packing it and then putting a strip of duck tape over the top.
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Try it in the stable first - and definitely try the sticky honey.

You can also pack holes with Keratex putty - but I don't like it so much, as it's not absorbent, just in case more gunk needs to come out.
 
I tried the latex ones and they so thin they ripped when I put them on so I ended up covering them in silage tape. Haven't tried the Shires ones, but have had two pairs of the Relief Boots from Little Yellow Tack Shop whcih are similar. They are very good but do eventually tear.

Now I use the pads from the relief boots, kept on with Vet Wrap and covered with Duck Tape which works for me (the pads are made from memory foam and can be washed and re-used).
 
Boxers said:
poor horse needs some regular turnout now but I'm so worried about it getting reinfected in the wet mud.
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Did the abscess pop at the coronet?

While my mare's hooves were recovering, she had abscess after abscess. :( None of them reinfected once they had burst at the coronet, they just slowly grew out (see pic). She was out 24/7 in all weathers and underfoot conditions (muddy, dry, frozen etc...) while this was going on.

100_2113.jpg
 
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