Anyone using horse boots- ad/disadvantages.

[doonrocket]

My four year old has lovely feet but is still growing. I want to keep him barefoot but will have to do a reasonable amount of road work. He is 16'2 but I think he will be at least 17hh by the time he has finished growing.

Does anyone use horse boots? they look like a good idea for longer hacks but I don't know the disadvantages.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I used hoof boots for my 14.2, shes never been shod. I used them after I backed her once we started going out and about on hacks.

The only time she was better off without them was on very slimy sticky mud, then the hoof itself has more grip. Otherwise have had not probs (these were Boa boots, good for round rather shallow and flat feet, not sure whether as suitable for big horse with maybe more height and more oval feet.

After a while I didnt need them anymore, and even after we moved to a mountainous remote place with lots of very very stony tracks and changes in surface she has coped fine and never been foot lame.

You can always move to shoeing but once shod its a much longer process to undo the changes shoeing makes to the hoof, so good on you for seeing if its needed.

The only time its really needed is hard working driving ponies or competition horses doing tight turns to jumps etc, I reckon.

 

[LucyPriory]

There are several brands available, each with its own advantages/disadvantages.

Very important to understand what you want from a boot- each type is better at some things than others and then to get one that fits - a good fit is the difference between loving them and hating them.

Many boots are better at fitting hooves that are longer (toe to heel buttress) than wide. If you have hooves which are wider than long there is less choice.

But if your horse has been conditioned well (hoof wise) you might find you don't need them at all.

I love EasyCare Gloves, they fit below the hairline, are streamlined and a doddle to put on and suitable for heavy work such as endurance. Big disadvantage though is that they don't fit my horse :-(

Will probably try Cavellos, they might fit my horse better, but they fit above the hairline, are more clumpy and not suitable for long distances.

Can't stand the Marquis - very fiddly, clumpy and too easy to get wrong. Boas - always falling apart and losing the dial from the front.

Like the idea of Renegades - similar advantages to Gloves and they come in pretty colours, but very much suited to the longer than wide foot and not at all to the wider than long.

Old Macs come in two styles, original and G2 - one version is techically probably a better choice for wider than long hooves, but they are so damn fiddly to put on and so very clumpy. Also very tricky if you are rehabbing a nervous rescue that has feet handling issues. Tried them once, never again unless they sort the above issues.

 

[Abbeygale]

I have used hoof boots on a couple of my horses, and overall like them.

I had the old mac G2's first - and I agree with LucyPriory - they are clumpy, heavy and tricky to put on. They also didn't suit my horses feet, so I quite quickly moved to the Easyboot Epics.

I can't rate the easyboots highly enough - I used them for shaking up 2 years, and the majority of my hacking is constantly on the road. They are starting to look a little worn underneath, but are still going.

The easyboots have the gaiters built in, and sit below the hairline, so the boot itself doesn't have anything to rub on. The gaiters are a good quality neoprene - I replaced these after about a year on my boots - the neoprene had started to stretch very slightly (from the regular stretching of it for a snug fit around the fetlock), and they were looking decidedly grubby (despite regular cleaning i might say!!). You can buy spares and bits and pieces to replace any little bits that need swapping out on the boots, and they are easy to dismantle and replace parts on.

I also did galloping round fields / through the woods / jumping banks etc with the boots on - all hunky dory. The only time I had a bit of a slipping problem was on the roads when they were coated in gunky mud / wet leaves

I like with the boots that I don't have to worry about losing shoes - however, it does make tacking up more time consuming, although you do get quicker once you get used to putting them on.

I am just starting to ride my 4yo, and fully intending to get him some easyboots once we are out and about on the roads with any regularity