Brushing Boots or Tendon & Fetlock Boots?

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rose2802

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Looking to purchase some boots for my pony for schooling. We do quite a lot of fast work (canter) and we do lots of pole work and jumping. I would like boots which provide quite a lot of support as he is only a small pony (13.2hh) but he jumps quite big tracks (90/1m) for his height which puts quite a lot of strain on his legs.
I would like to know which boots (brushing or fetlock & tendon) would be better for my pony?
Thanks x
 
If you boot when you don't need to you will actually weaken the tendons. The way to strengthen them is to warm up properly, cool down properly and work on a varied surface. 90cm /1m isn't too big for a 13.2. 138cm classes go up to 1.20+.

As already said none of the boots you suggest provide support; often the reverse. If pony has problems like bowed tendons or splints you might think about using proper supportive bandaging. But if he has problems like that you shouldn't really be jumping anyway. I'm rather presuming he doesn't.

If he constantly knocks the insides of his legs together (brushing) then use brushing boots or a sausage boot. If when jumping he has a tendency to cross his hindlegs or knock them into one another then use rear fetlock books. Open front tendon boots are really only useful if in the excitement of it all pony might over jump and hit himself behind the front feet with his hinds. If that is likely you should also think about overreach boots. Many people use boots for competitions simply because it is even more exciting than schooling at home making the risk of injury greater. (Or as a fashion accessory...)

The only exceptions - in my view - are brushing boots and over reach boots to lunge if you have a pony likely to go nuts on a small circle and go hooning around. And XC boots for XC competition where the risks are more from twigs, branches, debris etc than necessarily from the pony striking themselves. Personally we don't XC school in boots - but I do understand why people do as the risk is actually pretty much the same. And always take the boots off as soon as possible and cool the tendons with water or a suitable gel. Overheating will weaken them.
 
Ditto, boots do not offer support.

Lightweight boots that don't heat up the legs too much are the best, only use when necessary and take them off straightaway.
 
Boots won't support tendons/ligaments as such, however, they are not without their uses. They are designed to protect the horse from knocks and concussive injuries. Bearing in mind what you are doing with him I would personally buy a set of tendon boots and fetlock boots (the ones that look like mini brushing boots). Try and find ones that are soft for the horse and as flexible as possible while being protective (tricky when their small I know but have a look at eskadron pony). Hope this helps.
 
two troubles said:
Boots won't support tendons/ligaments as such, however, they are not without their uses. They are designed to protect the horse from knocks and concussive injuries. Bearing in mind what you are doing with him I would personally buy a set of tendon boots and fetlock boots (the ones that look like mini brushing boots). Try and find ones that are soft for the horse and as flexible as possible while being protective (tricky when their small I know but have a look at eskadron pony). Hope this helps.
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Apologies for hijacking the thread, but can fetlock boots be used on the hind legs?
 
Aoibhinn said:
Apologies for hijacking the thread, but can fetlock boots be used on the hind legs?
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Fetlock boots are normally used on hind legs, and tendon boots in front.

OP if you want boots for schooling and as a general all round use then brushing boots woud be best. Woof wear do good everyday boots, the club ones. If you only want them for jumping then tendon boots would be better :)
But they aren't supportive, but I don't think you meant supportive as in supporting the tendons, I think you meant supportive in a protective sense?
 
Those are hind fetlock boots, I assume you mean the very small ones which are generally used on hinds only, if you need front boots, most front boots will protect the fetlocks.
If in doubt I prefer ordinary brushing boots, good quality. If you really need them [ie weak/poor conformation/unbalanced] and are competing then even more important is to get the right boot.
I used Westrop knee boots [purcased unknowingly in a sale] upside down when I broke my standardbred, he was very unstable when young, I then spent whole winter on uphill work to develop inner thighs, and by then he was "a leg at each corner"
 
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Bonkers2 said:
There are hind fetlock boots, I assume you mean the very small ones which are generally used on hinds only, if you need front boots, most front boots will protect the fetlocks.
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Phew, I always use them on my boys hind legs going XC and just had a slight panic moment where I thought that I had been doing it wrong :D
 
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