Boots for turnout. You're experiences please :)

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Jesstickle

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So yet again my filly has mild cellulitis due to some piffly little knock she has picked up in the field and is on ABs. Although I do my best to check her legs every day she is rather hairy right now so it is easy to miss things, plus she blows up from absolutely the tiniest things. I can't believe that it is good for her to be on them four times a year and so I am wondering if turning her out in boots might help to stop at least some of them.

Do any of you turn out in boots, how long for and do you have any problems from this?

What boots do you use? I am looking for maximum coverage I suspect. Fortunately we don't have muddy fields so that is one less thing to contend with.

It is either this or wrap her in cotton wool and put some cling film over the top and hope that does it :D
 
I don't, as mine as about as likely to go galloping around expending excess energy where it's not needed as they are to bring me breakfast in bed; but where I used to work we used to turn out in exercise bandages (as all horses were turned out max 1 hour per day) or the really expensive horses were put in over reach and brushing boots and lunged before being allowed out. :rolleyes:

The equipchaps (or something like them) I once tried for a horse who had terrible mud fever, but they just always fell off him. He did have huge legs though!
 
I always turn out in brushing boots and over reach boots as otherwise my TB tends to come in with little cuts that usually heal fine until last week when i left them off and he got an infection in a tiny cut and had to have antibiotics.

I would prefer not to boot up but prevention is better than cure and he is in at night (I wouldn't leave on 24/7)
 
Brushing boot people...

Which ones do you used. I don't want her rubbed. She is out nearly 8hrs a day. A rub would get infected too on her. Useless TB that she is.

I quite like the look of the equichap ones. They cover a lot of leg. I feel this could be important.

Mind you todays one was on the knee so no boot is going to stop that. I'm not putting her out in knee boots. That's a step too far!
 
i never turn out in boots, i'm more worried about the tendons getting too hot. it sounds as if your filly's immune system is rather compromised tbh, i'd be looking at boosting it really, tackling the problem from that end, if she were mine.
 
kerilli said:
i never turn out in boots, i'm more worried about the tendons getting too hot. it sounds as if your filly's immune system is rather compromised tbh, i'd be looking at boosting it really, tackling the problem from that end, if she were mine.
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I'm not entirely sure how to do that? She has a good diet and is fed pink powder so she isn't deficient in anything. She is a nice weight and basically a healthy little thing besides from being a thin skinned critter!

I'm not sure that you can boost an immune system can you? If you can I am all ears :)
 
Sorry, hate the turn out chaps :( I have the blue Equilibrium ones and they have proved pretty useless :(. Mud gets up inside the bottom (so will rub), they slip unless you do them up really tight.

Others may well have had better results, but I know mine are relegated to the bottom of a bag somewhere.
 
MrsMozart said:
Sorry, hate the turn out chaps :( I have the blue Equilibrium ones and they have proved pretty useless :(. Mud gets up inside the bottom (so will rub), they slip unless you do them up really tight.

Others may well have had better results, but I know mine are relegated to the bottom of a bag somewhere.
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Don't be sorry! That's why I asked :) I won't bother with them then. Will probably save loads of money off the back of that piece of information as they look like they'd be pricey.

You should ebay yours!
 
Bubblewrap...?? :p

Sorry I have no sensible suggestion as ours were only out an hour in them :(
But yes, similar problem with my fella with the equichaps so maybe it wasn't the fault of his giant legs
 
I used the Derby House turnout chaps last year for out two that were suffering a lot with mudrash (or rather they were fed up at being in so much to prevent mudrash). They went out in a little grassed-over hardcore paddock most days that was only 20x30m. Once or twice a week I put the turnout chaps on and let them have a couple of hours in the big (muddy) fields. They stayed on pretty damn well, didn't slip at all. The bottom velcro on one horse came undone a few times (basically as the horse is a hippo in disguise, that stands knee deep in the boggiest bits of the field all day eating the lusher grass, so the boot strap got saturated..) other than that they were pretty impressive, and half the price of other chaps last year. I wouldn't want to turn a horse out in anything all the time though (apart from OR boots perhaps) as I think they cause more problems than they solve!
 
jesstickle said:
She is a nice weight and basically a healthy little thing besides from being a thin skinned critter!
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MrsMozart said:
Sorry, hate the turn out chaps :( I have the blue Equilibrium ones and they have proved pretty useless :(. Mud gets up inside the bottom (so will rub), they slip unless you do them up really tight.

Others may well have had better results, but I know mine are relegated to the bottom of a bag somewhere.
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I agree with Mrs M, they are a total waste of money. As your horse is thin skinned they would probably rub her raw too. If you really want her to wear boots in the field, then brushing boots would be better. I have some breathable lagacy ones that I put on my mare if something exciting is going on. They have never rubbed but she doesn't wear them every day so I can't comment on what would happen with more regular wear.
 
I used to have the sportabac ones which they have stoped making. Dragonfly saddlery do one calle castle turnout socks (I think) and I ordered a set of these recently.

You do have to get the right size, and I would say they come up maybe a little bit small. I have a 15.1 tb type but he has more bone than you would expect, and short little cannon bones.

I got size 2 for the fronts and 3 for the hinds. The hinds were fine, the fronts rubbed a small sore on each fetlock. I took them home and washed them and stretched them and let the sores heal before trying again, they were fine then. I think they are just a little stiff when new.
 
Faracat said:
I have some breathable lagacy ones that I put on my mare if something exciting is going on. They have never rubbed but she doesn't wear them every day so I can't comment on what would happen with more regular wear.
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Everything is exciting if you're a 2yo TB filly apparently :D she has a good hoon about at least once a day. About 11 o clock is play time and then at about 1 o clock it is time for a nap! Very cute but not so good for those peggy legs.

Definitely won't be trying the equilibrium ones though!

Thanks all for your thoughts. Maybe she'll just have to carry on as she is and hopefully once she starts working she'll grow out of it a bit.
 
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