boots or no boots?

[am3l1a]

My horse has become a self harmer since she had back shoes put on! but she seems to be getting marks on the front of her back legs instead of over reaching on the front. I dont really want her to be wearing boots for turnout as she lives out 24/7 during the summer months. Is there any top tips or anything else i can do to prevent her from hurting herself? thank you!

 

[am3l1a]

oops, just to add she does wear boots while exercising but recently she has been coming in from the field with deep cuts on her back legs.

 

[kgj66]

Have you had her long, or is she out with new horses/new place or is she young?. I ask as I had a horse that managed to cut himself every single time he was turned out when I first got him. He was a 4 year old and liked to have a play about! I Admit I tended to overboot in fear that he would injure himself badly and he went out to the field basically completely wrapped up! However I did find after a few months that the days that I was maybe in a rush and dIdnt have time to totally boot him up he got less and less cuts. I found there was nothing I could do to stop him larking about but as he grew up a little he learned to stop kicking himself!

 

[rhino]

Whereabouts are the cuts? Would something like a sausage boot help?

 

[You Wont Forget Me]

My boy get boots on all the time when he's out and getting excersiced he stays in at night tho. You could maybe put boots on her and just check daily that theyre not rubbing ect

 

[am3l1a]

i've had her nearly 2 years and shes about 12 now, but i dont know if being an ex trotter has anything to do with it? Her worse cuts are on the cannon bones of the back legs. she does have very fine dainty legs, but the cuts have only seemed to have appeard since she had back shoes put on!

 

[am3l1a]

My boy get boots on all the time when he's out and getting excersiced he stays in at night tho. You could maybe put boots on her and just check daily that theyre not rubbing ect

what boots does your boy wear?

 

[ThePony]

I'm not a fan of booting up 24/7 for the hell of it, but if you horse is actually managing to damage herself then I would def boot up. Whether with brushing/xc boots on behind, or if she is managing to make the cuts on her hind leg with her other hind leg then I don't know if some good over reach boots might do the trick and just put some distance between her shoes and her legs? PE do some reasnobly priced breathable xc boots which are v good so worth considering perhaps?

 

[Dizzydancer]

i would probably try over reach boots on back legs first as its probably the shoes cutting her legs so they may help prevent the cuts. my boy has them on his front feet as he does tend to cut himself. Her being a trotter could be a reason as they do tend to be quite close behind. If over reachboots dont work then some good cooling boots would be my next option