Boots or no boots out hunting??

[Vicki1986]

What do you put on or nothing at all??

My clarendon hunters slip so cant wear them, her sports boots slip so cant wear them either. so all she can really wear is her over reach boots! i just dont really like the idea of nothing on her skinny legs - although i guess better than mud getting inbetween boot and skin.

 

[icemaiden113]

Usually just put on brushing boots, huntsmans horses have nothing as he tends to lose them!

 

[eventergirl87]

I just use bushing boots all round and tape them too.

 

[Clodagh]

I go naked!
'Orse is very precious about her legs and kicks and bucks with boots on. I have also been more worried about the rubs and tendon overheating, so we just have to doctor the odd bash, she is such a wuss about mud she knocks herself trying to tippy toes around the puddles!

 

[Ereiam_jh]

"I go naked!"

Could you post pictures?

 

[Clodagh]

"I go naked!"

Could you post pictures?

Trust me, its better not seeing!!

 

[Jerome]

I was going to say "I trust you" but I fear that may appear rather ungallant. I'm sure you have a perfectly lovely bod but I hope you don't hold it against me for saying that.

 

[wombat]

MY LOT always have boots on, after wills put his leg into a fence, and tore his boot.. to think if he had not had a boot on it would of been his leg.

 

[peterthepony]

Nothing on for Hunting, ive always used no boots all for the reasons of loosing them, getting caught etc etc.

 

[Bossanova]

I use the sheepskin lined NEWs with tape for extra security, never had one come off

 

[Clodagh]

I have no intentions of holding it against anyone...now back to boots!!

 

[lucecaldicott]

my mother always refuses to let me use any and as shes a vet i have no choice but to agree with her. she says its because of the fact its so easy to get grit under the boots and if this gets embedded in the leg it can cause big problems, also if they slip they can cause discomfort to the horse and most of them soak up the water so leave the legs all warm and soggy which i think can encourage mud fever.

 

[pixiebee]

I PUT LIGHTWEIGHT NEOPRENE BRUSHING BOOTS ON, SIMPLY BECAUSE i worry about splints, no idea if this helps but better safe than sorry-sorry about the caps lock-went a bit mad on the keyboard!!

 

[RunToEarth]

I always believed that brushing boots and such were a bad idea for hunting.
Pre ban I was fearful of jumping wire and it snagging on the boots and bringing my horse to the floor- we are in big jumping country and wire pops up sometimes- I have watched it drag a horse to the floor and it have to be PTS.
Also xc boots IMO shouldnt be left on for the 4+hours I hunt for, muddy wet boots- eugh. Have heard of tendons ripping in them.
Do wear knee boots when we are in big wall country, cant gamble that with the coloured, chestnut always went naked, mare was rarely booted.

 

[Weezy]

I would never EVER wear boots for hunting - too much opportunity for mud laden appendages to be anchored to my horses legs causing stress and rubs!

 

[AmyMay]

I would buy a set of brushing boots that actually fitted and use them. The hunters on my yard all wear boots behind - and one wears boots all round. The boots are also taped which ensures they stay on.

I would never use the wrap around sports boots as mud works their way easily between the boot and leg and can cause bad mud rash.

 

[Sooty]

No boots - once wet or muddy they can do no end of harm.

 

[druid]

I always use boots - NEW max performance ones w/ tape (Same as Bossanova). Mud never gets inside them, they don't slip and her legs are never noticably hot under them even after 4+ hours hunting.

Rosiie - I'll get pics of Sparky's wire scars to show you why I think boots and wire are safer than wire and naked legs

 

[RunToEarth]

Yes druid I know what harm wire can cause to naked legs- but I was whitness to one of the worst sights out hunting a few seasons back. Lady brought a horse out and we jumped a hedge with wire in it (unknown to us at the time). Mine brushed it and cut his leg- as did many- this horse caught its front brusher on the wire, it wouldnt free, and it brought the horse down mid hedge, on top of the wire. The horse broke its leg and was PTS.

 

[Vicki1986]

Seems it varies greatly then. Seeing as my mare has just got a touch of mud fever on the hinds, and none of the boots i have stay up they all slip i think i am better off with nothing. i dont "proper" hunt yet anyway so in comparison to some i am not jumping anything major really

 

[vicijp]

Same here - no tape though (if a boot ever fell off id soon be on the phone demanding a new pair). No mud ever gets up inside them, and the legs are cool and dry when you take them off.
I think neoprene lined boots are evil. Neoprene is an unnatural matieral and will cause the legs to overheat - I have seen plenty of leg injuries worsened because of this (I wont say caused because there was probs something there anyway - but they bring them 'to attention'). To use them for anymore than 30 mins is madness - and thats to say nothing about the crap that can get inside them.
Jeremy split one of his hinds straight down the front about 2 months ago. If he didnt have the boot on hed still be on box rest.

 

[druid]

Sounds like a horrid accident but a freak one - not many boots would catch like that

I still prefer to boot for wirse S has a huge fetlock (maybe twice the size of her normal one) form an encounter w/ wire unbooted

 

[matthew]

Only use if they are really needed!

 

[ali985]

I have front boots on only because my horse did a tendon 5yrs ago and its 2 protect her tendon if she hadnt done that then I would go out with out any because of the above reasons. I always put tape around my boots to help them stay in place.

 

[madgirl]

did wear them at first but found mud got in them and he had hot legs. I dont ever jump wire anyway so no need for that!

 

[tinker88]

i go with rockwood and wear knee boots.

some times ive used tendon boots but they end up wet and saggy.