are there any alternative to hoof boots?

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caroline23

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ive messaged all the hoof boot companies and been told none would fit my boys odd wider than long feet. we have just gone barefoot about 2 months ago and he is fine on everything except stoney/gravely type tracks on his fronts so we need some type of protection until he is able to manage with this, he is out 24/7, muzzled, gets ridden 5 times a week and is on healthy hooves and profeet supplement, he does have rather flat soles although they are starting to concave slightly, his digital cushions arent very big and are still spongy, and when he walks his frogs touch floor (which i know is good eventualy but not sure if it is this which is hurting him on the gravel or the flat soles?)

anyway ...to the actual question! are there any alternatives to hoof boots? someone suggested magic cushion (nt heard of it?) and vet wrap, also one of the companies suggested hoof wings whatever they are..we only hack about once/twice a week and but some of the tracks are gravely so he struggles unless there is a grass verge. i think he may have bruised his sole, is there anything i can do to help this heal?
 
Hiya! My suggestion would be to contact www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk They have...am just at the beginnning of our journey. N
 
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hi i have been in contact with saddlery shop and he is still too wide for any boots, the issue is he is wide but short in length so is one size for width and about 3 boot sizes smaller for the length, which is too much to pad out

the edges were slightly chipping but he just got trimmed again so took measurements straight after trim to get his actual hoof measurements not just any flare etc...his feet literally are so round it is weird! his backs are longer than wide as they should be, he is a heavyweight cob though so more prone to rounder feet
 
my horse is wider than long, and I managed to get her into some cavello simple boots with the slack taken up with a nappy.
 
My mare was barefoot for 6 months, I struggled for similar reasons that you are. She did fit in to EasyBoot Epics (the largest size) however after one canter out for a hack (and a bit of a buck) she over reached and ripped the boots clean in half!! I might aswell have flushed the money down the toilet.......

I had front shoes put back on her last week and not looked back since. Shes now perfectly happy on the stoney tracks and will stay with fronts on and no hinds (her hinds seem to cope better).

Some horses just dont suit barefoot. My other two are barefoot and both are fine on all surfaces but they have been barefoot for their whole lives whereas my mare had always worn shoes.
 
i had considered putting fronts back on, but lots of the websites i got infomation about barefoot says it can take a few months for feet to harden up and be ok on surfaces, so im thinking of walking him for 20mins a day on our long tarmac drive see if that helps?
 
Hi Caroline,

Hoofwings are a made-to-measure boot, so may well be your best option. You send a few measurements and a template to the company and they send you custom made boots for each foot. Google them. There's a person on the IHDG who used them (can't remember the name, as I don't go on there, now) and rated them, which as I remember led to a few people trying them out and liking them a lot.
 
thanks fransurrey...iv jus posted asking on that forum now...i googled them and they are nie on £250 though! so dont think that is going to be an option :(
 
That's the only reason I haven't got a set - for me it would be £170 a pair (I have the opposite problem - his feet are teeny, as a 12hh exmoor). If you saw that as 5 shoeings, though, it works out ok. I'm thinking of getting them for the hinds (gloves are just about ok for the fronts, if I get the backcountry gaiters - they come off with normal gaiters).

Mindfield, innit? Worse than kitting out kids in Clarks!
 
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