BArefoot horses/hoof boots

[Morgan123]

Hi, my barefoot W cob is still accustoming to barefoot life, and has recently got an abscess in his hoof. The vet says she's seeing a lot of this due to the sporadic rain/sunshine etc, esp with barefoot horses, and that if i can leave hoof boots on him in wet weather it would be preferable.

my cob has very healthy hooves, though i do find his white lines quite crumbly and have to be careful to pick out anything stone-like every day, or he gets separations (hence the abscess).

I have a pair of old macs, but i find that they aren't good in wet weather as the velcro collapses and they end up flapping, held on only by the buckle. Has any found cavallo boots to be good? i like the design on these but don't want to fork out if not worth it??

how do other people manage this sort of thing?

thanks!

 

[stencilface]

Hijack alert! Woudl like to see some opinions on these kind of boots too if you don't mind

 

[MagicMelon]

I looked into hoof boots for one of mine - I went for Boa Boots which have been excellent so far. I tend to use them just for turnout when he's feeling footy and they never move / rub / undo etc. I have ridden the pony in them in walk/trot/canter with no problems at all including in wet weather & long wet grass etc. Boa's are pricey at about £85 a pair however I think mine will last some time so are worth it IMO.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I have a barefoot Haflinger who uses Boa boots very successfully, she is quite flat footed and does feel stony ground tho fine on anything else. So ironically I only use my hoof boots in dry weather with hard ground, sounds like you need the opposite.

One of the other Haffie owners uses cavallo boots successfully, just for hind feet in her case (shod in front).

Personally for the rough terrain (bogs streams hills n mountains) we do here I wouldnt go for a velcro or strap based fastening boot but for the torture instrument type - can really recommend the Boa boots as the dial tightening mechanism is a lot easier when you are out and about. They havent come off in heavy mud or streams and Im still on the first set (18 mths)

hope this helps and Mr Crumbly hooves can speed around; the nice thing about the vets plan is that you will do the hoof good by leaving the shoes off, so all good !

 

[Kallibear]

If his white line is crumbling and he has seperation, it's highly likely he has a hoof wall infection (similar to a human nail 'infection', though usually bacterial in horses rather then fungal).

I personally wouldn't be leaving boots on in the field as rubbing is highly likely and it creates a perfect thrush and WLD environment.

Do you use a barefoot trimmer or a farrier? If it's an EP then they should be able to get ahold of some decent antibacterial hoof wash. Cleantrax is probably the best (a one off soak that kills everything, but it's not cheap and a right faff, but it is good) there there are a couple of daily topical solutions you can buy.

 

[kerilli]

i've got the Marquis Supergrip boots for one of mine, for hacking out on roads only, but have been very pleased with them.

 

[kellywelly]

I do not use any boots on my barefoot horse he is a tb eventer and so far has not needed them. However we are very particular with his diet and that has helped with the strength and growth of his new feet!!

He has linseed, seaweed and magisium (not the expense stuff, calmeg). and copra coolstance feed which is great as it helps with performance does not fizz him up. He is not aloud any sugar and has restricted grazing (lots of hayledge) and this had hugley helped and touch wood he has no longer got weak feet and the problem in his deep flexor tendon has heeled.

I am very new to the barefoot scene so I am very sorry if I have just written something you all do automatically!!

 

[dthiele]

Boas are really good. However, would strongly recommend using the gaiters that come with them as well as you don't tend to notice they are rubbing until there is a sore. They can also cause a bit of pressure and swelling at the coronet if on for more than a few hours for turnout. My big trakhener has been barefoot for two years and we hack in Boas as he can get a bit footy. I'm still on my first set with loads of wear to go. Its fiddly when you first start and a bit time consuming, but the savings make it all worth while. If you can get comfort pads for inside the boot, the gaiter foot can go underneath the pad which holds everything in place, makes putting them on easier and the gaiters last longer.

 

[Abbeygale]

I have used the easyboots for about 18 months now - after having old macs before. I can definitely recommend the easy boots - I have the epics, they stay in place really well, and none of the horses I have used them on have had any problems using them. Best of all you can order pretty much the whole boots in spares. I got mine from www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk - and they have quite a good selection of spares for the boots in stock.