Barefoot brigade - thoughts on studding up hoof boots?

[Bethie]

I've been discussing possibly shoeing my horse with my trimmer today, as we get very slippy muddy conditions once the wet winter weather kicks in and this really unsettles my horse - he absolutely hates feeling that he doesn't know where his legs are underneath him. The past few years I basically haven't hacked out during winter because of this (we have great off road riding, but the road directly off the yard is very busy so I don't like to go out that way), my focus is mainly dressage anyway and we have a lovely all weather surface to work on so its not too much of a hardship not to hack if that's what keeps him happy.

I've tried normal concave fullered shoes in the past and found they made no difference to my horse's level of grip in the mud, compared to the grip he has without shoes (ie both rubbish!) but never tried putting studs in then. I am thinking whether to shoe now in order to try him with studs, with me thinking great big mud studs as our mud is deep and thick holding clay. Trimmer mentioned that easyboot gloves and renegades can be fitted with studs but I've just had a quick look and they both just seem to be tiny little ice/slippy grass studs that you can get for them, not mud pluggers. Has anybody tried these or got any other ideas I could have a look at please? All thoughts and comments welcome!

 

[Spinal Tap]

I bought studs for my Boas, took one look at them & decided never to use them ever Basically you drill a hole in the boot, stick a flat headed bolt through the hole (that is your stud) & stick a nut on the other side. If anything happens to the nut, the bolt will go into your horse's foot. Not a chance worth taking in my book. Also if the studs do substantially increase the grip of the hoof boot, I could well imagine the torque on the boot twisting it or pulling it off.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has experience of using studs with hoof boots because although I know lots of people who use hoof boots, I have never known anyone use studs with them.

 

[Silverspring]

I would try hoofboots this winter and see how you get on, they cost about 2 sets of shoes so if they aren't good enough then it wouldn't be a massive loss.

I use easyboot edges on the front and gloves on the back and I find my girl has better grip than when she was shod. It's not perfect, it's not as good as a studded shoes but I personally think a little slip isn't a bad thing, horses are designed to be able to slip, it when they don't slip and need to that tendons go pop! The easyboot edge is coming out with a higher traction tread but I think it will be to harsh for any road riding, then again so it's the same with studded shoes, you can't walk any distance on hard ground.

The Old Macs also have a really good tread, probably better traction than the edge. I usually just boot on the front but at this time of year I have to boot back feet for the same reason as you described, my girl goes like bambi on ice when it's slippy underfoot, she can have a bit of a drama when she slips even a little!

 

[custard]

Unless you are going jumping in slippy conditions I'd say the Old Mac G2 are your best bet, they have a more open tread pattern than the older type (I have both) but have done pleasure rides with them with no issues.

 

[Bethie]

Thanks for the suggestions so far, lots to think about there. Has anybody got experience of the easyboot grip? Just come across them and think they could look suitably, well, grippy.

 

[Spinal Tap]

My old yard is plagued with the most slippery clay underfoot and is also hilly, so I have plenty of miles on the clock riding on super-slippery going My old lad was better off barefoot than on Boas which were truly crap in mud, his feet were too big for any other boots. My mare was fine barefoot - yes she slipped about a bit but no worse than a shod horse. I used to ride my friend's horses too, they were barefoot & booted and the best boots I found for the mud out of the ones I used on them were probably G2s or Renegades. I think the Grips are not recommended for use on roads which is a problem if you are hacking over a variety of surfaces, as you would be around here. I don't know anyone who uses them so I'd be interested to hear feedback too Although as usual it's only for academic interest as far as I'm concerned because they don't come in sizes big enough for bogtrotting IDx feet

 

[AndySpooner]

Considering the time it takes to get a hoof into decent condition after years of shoeing, I really feel thet to shoe, just because of mud is a drastic step. Renegades seem ok in mud, and I have cut extra tread into easy boots with an angle grinder which improve the traction.

I am not keen on studs as it alters the dynamic's when not on soft ground.

 

[Bethie]

Thanks Andy, my horse's feet have always been fantastic in and out of shoes - farriers and various trimmers I've used have all voiced this opinion without me seeking comment from them, I had absolutely no transition period when he came out of shoes and I've had him all his life kept at the same farm.

Shoeing just because of mud is a drastic step, but the alternative that I've gone with for the past 10 years is I don't really hack out from about now through to about April as this horse can't cope with the deepness/slippiness of the ground.

On paper, with his feet and breeding he should cope fine, but he doesn't, my other horses have never been upset about winter hacking and none of them have as good feet, but that's horses for you. Hacking can be kept all off road, and all the off road hacking is in the same type of mud once the ground goes, that's why studs of one sort or another, or the Grips, are a viable option for me.

Unless you've experienced mud like ours, on the terrain that we've got (1:10 hills being a gentle slope here) on a horse that finds losing his feet deeply upsetting, it is difficult to appreciate why I'm looking at alternatives "just for a bit of mud", but I can assure you it is not something that I'm undertaking lightly!