Best Hoof Boots

Check out the equine fusion jogging boots. I have an older version but am about to upgrade. They are totally flexible so enable the hoof to recover whilst in transition and the hoof works almost as well as without the boot in the boot. Bitlessandbarefoot.com do them for a trial so you pay full price and if you dont like them aft the trial then you get all your money back. A newer performance version has just come out too which is lighter and other benefits to it. They are quite forgiving on foot size and shape too due to the flexibility to them. Definately recommended!
 
JHC said:
Well Im about to take the plunge and remove the front shoes off my TB.

I know I'll need hoof boots, but which are the best?

Will be for hacking on tarmac and tracks.
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No one can tell you which are "best" you need to measure his feet and buy the ones that fit the feet, what is best for my horse might not work for yours.

Having said that there are some boots that are more suited to those new to boots and transitioning out of shoes. Cavallo simple, Cavallo sport, Easy Boot Trail, Old Mac, Old Mac G2 would be the ones to consider first, with the Cavallos being cheapest.

Many people will tell you that Gloves, Epics or Renegades are best, they probably are but they are not necessarily best for a transitioning foot that is likely to be changing shape a lot and may need the support of some thick pads. They are also expensive if you are not sure whether you will need them, or get on with them long term.

I found the Saddlery Shop website very helpful, and they do a try before you buy service on some of the boots too. The equine podiatry supplies site is good too, though I bought my Cavallo Simples more cheaply on Ebay.

Also try the phoenix horse forum for advice, they have a sticky thread called the boot bible that is very helpful.
 
How long is a piece of string? Best type will depend on foot shape, size, whether there are any pathologies... For versatility and flexibility in fit, I'd probably choose Cavallos, or possibly the Equine Fusion. If you want to do lots of fast work, you might be better doing some research on tighter fitting boots, like the Easyboot Gloves. I would do a lot of research yourself, after studying your horse's hooves for shape. Some podiatrists have a selection you can try (if you're going that route). Otherwise, there are boot banks around, similar to bit banks! Can't remember which sites do them, though, so you'll need to google.

It really is a horses for courses thing, OP. You might find that you build up a collection of different types, like many of us!
 
Kat said:
Many people will tell you that Gloves, Epics or Renegades are best, they probably are but they are not necessarily best for a transitioning foot that is likely to be changing shape a lot and may need the support of some thick pads. They are also expensive if you are not sure whether you will need them, or get on with them long term.
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and I am one of them. They are the only boots I would ride in the reason being the traction. These 3 sorts have the best traction and I prefer my horse to remain upright on mud and slick grass rather than on it's side. The epics are a good boot for transitioning as you can use a thick pad.

The epics may not be the cheapest however what price the cost of an accident due to slipping?
 
paddy555 said:
and I am one of them. They are the only boots I would ride in the reason being the traction. These 3 sorts have the best traction and I prefer my horse to remain upright on mud and slick grass rather than on it's side. The epics are a good boot for transitioning as you can use a thick pad.

The epics may not be the cheapest however what price the cost of an accident due to slipping?
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If you can use a thick pad with the epic then they are probably worth chucking into the mix, though I'm not sure how forgiving they are on fit, or how easy they are to get on given the fastening system.

I understand that the traction is better in these boots than in some of the cheaper alternatives and I would look at them (gloves specifically) if I was planning to jump or do fast work in boots. However for a horse that is transitioning and doing primarily road work I doubt that the traction in the boots I mentioned would be a problem. I ride in Cavallo Simples and haven't had significant slipping issues, but I am mainly on roads or in the school. I certainly have better traction on roads and snow or ice than shod horses. Another on my yard has found Old Macs and Old Mac G2s to be ok for general hacking, fun rides and jumping on fun rides.

I always boot up with full knee brushing boots for hacking to protect against injuries should my mare lose her footing (which she has done when in shoes) so I think I mitigate the risks as best I can.

At the end of the day it comes back to weighing the pros and cons of each style of boot for your own needs before making a decision. People can offer you views but every horse has different needs.

I know that if I had gone straight for something like a glove, epic or renegade I would have given up and put shoes on. I had enough trouble getting the very easy to fit Cavallo Simple on to a horse that was difficult with her feet, and I would never have managed something more difficult to fit. I needed to be able to shove it on quick and get out of the way. I needed something that wouldn't get damaged or cause damage if she panicked while I fitted it and I needed something that didn't require difficult positions, or banging or fiddling because she wouldn't have coped. Now she knows that having her boots on is nice she co-operates nicely but in the early days it needed to be simple and easy. And yes it needed to be cheap because I wasn't sure how we would get on with them or whether we'd use them long term.

I'm not trying to get into an arguement, I have no interest in what type of boots someone uses, other than to share my experiences, but I do think people choosing their first boots need to consider it carefully and that sometimes the advice from experienced barefooters may not always reflect the requirements of someone new to it.
 
Kat said:
If you can use a thick pad with the epic then they are probably worth chucking into the mix, though I'm not sure how forgiving they are on fit, or how easy they are to get on given the fastening system.
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I wouldn't "chuck" epics into the mix, I would regard them as a far superior boot to many of the others now they have the new sole pattern. I boot with epics on a daily basis. They are a lot more forgiving on fit than gloves or renegades and I use them specifically so that I can use a thicker pad yet have a well fitting boot with good traction. I will admit they are not the cheapest. They are very easy to get on and off. If you fit "up buckles" they become even easier. It takes me around 20 seconds to get a glove on and the epics are about the same, in fact they are easier to get on than the gloves as they are a slightly larger fit. It then takes about 20 seconds to bend down and fasten the "up buckle". The advantage of them is that there are several differents degrees of adjustment on the buckles to get the best fit.
They are very easy to get off. Flip the buckle with a hoof pick, unfasten the gaitor and take them off. Easier even than tight gloves. Around 15 seconds max.

The requirements of any barefoot horse, be they a new owner or not, are the same and that is traction especially in view of what now apears to be our constant wet and muddy weather in both summer and winter. On Phoenix only last week was someone who had used, I believe, Cavallos, and the horse had gone flying. That just makes the horse and rider lose confidence and the whole thing becomes a nightmare.
 
On the advice of my trimmer, I went straight for the Gloves with my TB when I took her shoes off. He said anything else would've looked like Doc Martins on a supermodel hahah!! Fortunately her feet haven't changed shape and we only needed thin pads for a month or so.
They worked well on my mare's front feet but not on her hind feet which were very flat (so no 'suction' mechanism to help hold the boot on), had a bit of flare so the boot didn't fit tight even with power straps and to top it all off she twists her foot on every stride so the boots just kept coming off! Gloves seem to work better on well shaped feet that are evenly formed!
It really does come down to your hoof shape and to some extent the horse's action more than anything. Good luck with your journey.
 
Try contacting Liz here: http://www.hoofbootique.co.uk/

She has helped me out so much with the best boot/ fitting.

I needed something to protect my horses hoof as the road/ arena was wearing her feet down too quickly so I went for Renegades.

I have used them to canter down muddy tracks, they stay on and fit really well, padded around the heel. They provide lots of wear underneath and horse feels happy and sure footed.

This is her trying them on fronts:
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from the underside:
rightfore2W_zps4cada34d.jpg
 
Old mac g2 are amazing, my filly had been living out wearing them 24/7 for 2 months due to abcesses in both front feet and not being able to stable her.....they have held up amazingly and didn't cause any sores or anything :) very impressed with them
 
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