Boots whilst travelling

H

H-J

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What does your horse wear???

Spider cant wear any travelling boots as she kicks and kicks so she travels in XC boots and she is fine. Just wondered what peoples views were on travelling horses in boots and what types you use
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Mark todd travel boots but if she was a better traveler I'd consider using nothing. Travelled the mare and foal home with nothing on, so they wouldn't stand on one another, no problems at all.
 
Depends! In company I always put mark todd travel boots on the boy, mainly in case anything else stamps around or kicks out. On his own, for short journeys, he just wears whatever he'll wear at the other end eg jumping lesson, he has his jumping boots. THat was in the trailer, now we have a lorry, initially I'll use the boots and see how he goes.
Other horse moves a lot more so she gets fully done up in travel boots at all times although has been known to shake one front one off if you get stuch in traffic as she is impatient and paws the ground!!
 
To be honest - no. Amy May is an excellent traveller, and it's never been an issue.

However, my preference would always be to travel her protected - just in case. In reality though it doesn't always happen.
 
I just want to add about horses hurting there legs, not much will stop them, last pony sliced through his fetlock/heel bulb. Blood everywhere and he was wearing boots, we were stationary at the time aswell... There's only so much you can do to protect them. Suppose its a game of damage whats the word errr... management? reduction... prevention... oh yeah limitation... how dumb am I
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My horse isn't very well balanced (in or out of a trailer) and has a tendancy to stand on herself. She also kicks out when travelling with proper travel boots on, or bandages. So she wears travel boots in front and Prolite XC boots or Woof brushing boots with over reach boots behind. I once forgot to put her boots on and surprise surprise she was fine the other end of the journey! But to me she is worth a lot of money (and sentimental value) and that's why I use boots 'just in case'. Same applies with any time I use boots on her, I'm just protecting my investment!
 
I prefer my horses to be protected when travelling but if boots make then irritable then they are actually less likey to hurt themselves without as they wont be stamping about etc.

my mare travels with a full set all round but a couple of the horses ive worked with have worn brushing boots plus over reach and hock boots - still protective but less 'irritating'.
 
I never used to travel with boots until... my 3yr old gelding was messing about and (i think) stood on his foot resulting in blood, piece of skin hanging off, very upset horse kicking out and a saturday call out fee! wasnt that serious but it could have been. So iv learnt my lesson now i use bandages if going Very far. otherwise travel boots.
 
I've always used Mark Todd travelling boots - never tried travelling without boots, just always have! Then in the summer my gelding tripped on the way up the ramp and landed on his knee...on the top step - completely sliced open his knee. There was blood everywhere and had to call the vet out pronto, ended up on box rest for over a month as it was such a deep cut we were lucky it didn't hit the bone. And this was with good properly fitted travelling boots! Now I use knee boots, hock boots and over-reach boots UNDERNEATH the travelling boots. You never can be too careful
 
I use nothing - IMO travel boots do more harm than good. My horse dislikes them, I think they make her feel restricted because they are so bulky and rigid, so I don't use them any more and have never had any problems.
 
Can't travel my daughters pony with anything on hind legs,fronts great.First time we put traveling boots on(mark todd) lorry hadn't even moved and she was thumping/kicking about and looked like she was trying to sit down so safer without.All others wear traveling boots tho.
 
I use boots, to be honest I've never really questioned why, I just do! He is a bad traveller, and would probably stand on himself without boots on.
 
Ive heard a lot of people say that recently. Especially quite a few racing peeps.

However, Mine wear long travel boots. But they are perfectly happy to do so.
 
Just to add, in my experience most travelling injuries occur either loading or unloading, all of ours travel booted and if long journeys bandaged, these must be done by experienced person to be sure that they don't come undone.
 
Nothing in the winter as I can't get their legs clean and dry enough, they do have full feathers though so kind of have their own boots.
In the summer they have travel boots.
 
Depends on the horse (and owner!)
Personally i like bandages. Have one whos travelled in travelling boots (not those horrible stiff ones though!), and two who wear brushing/tendon boots as they travel badly with anything bigger on! x
 
My boy kicks out with hind travel boots on, so never wears them.
It depends what we are doing at the other end, and if he's traveling alone. The other day he traveled in thermatex leg wraps.
My main concern is him hurting himself on the ramp, so any pading will do!
 
I understand some reasons for not using boots/bandages but PLEASE do not travel your hrse without any protection, i had a horse who had previously travelled lots, i always use travel boots, tail bandage and guard for all my horses.
Anyway my horse fell in trailer and was stuck, amazingly she escaped with minor injuries, Her boots safed her legs they were shredded! Her tail guard and bandage came half off and she ripped all the skin under the bottom of her tail, OK so this was a fluke accident but can happen to anyone, she would have had serious injuries to her legs if she had not been booted.
I also have a crazy pony who i cannot put travel boots or bandages on, so instead i use sport medicine type boots that are thick and go under fetlock, could be useful for those of you with similar horses! I also cannot get tail guard oin her so do it when she in trailer/lorry (this may not be v safe for everyone!!!)
 
Bandages are fine (though fiddly to put on) and I suppose XC boots cover the same areas, but hock and knee boots are needed as well. My horses travel herringbone on our lorry and spread their back legs. If they didn't have back travel boots on I would worry that the outside of their hock joint may get banged against the partition. ALso when loading and unloading that if they trip their knees could be damaged.
I have two pairs of fairly rigid travel boots, and one soft polypad set, these were used to introdice the horses to boots for the first time, and none of them object to boots now (other than to get excited when they see them because they know they are going to a party).

FIona
 
bandages on the back only. she has thrown of her fronts before so dont want to risk of her doing that in transit and going down

never bandages. she gets very very very excited when we are out and to be honest un-bandaging would be dangerous!
 
Always use good quality full length tough outer travel boots on my boy for fear of injury, he doesn't mind wearing them at all but gets soooo excited when he sees them as he knows he's going out
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Our other boy was a strange one. He came with shorter length travel boots where all 4 are the same and they stop below the knee, he travelled to us fine in them. We decided to get him some fulll length ones for extra safety during transit and when we put them on he wouldn't move his legs. When he did move he kicked out and hated them. we left them on him for a while and have managed to teach him that they are not going to hurt him and now he wears them fine.

He got caught up in his rug before we got him and we think it stemmed from that as he was terrified of his rugs too when we first got him and now he's absolutely fine with them.

If they fit well and are put on properly and are good quality and your horse accepts wearing them, then in my experience, they do not cause a problem and do their job very well. I would not want to travel either of my boys without their hocks and knees covered.
 
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