Cantering in knee boots

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scewal

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My mare wears knee boots as she went down on the road last month graing both knees.
She wears the ones with top and bottom strap.

Is it safe to canter in them? Or would i be better off with the ones that have one strap?
Thought there was more risk of the knee boot flipping up if the horse were to fall with the boots that only have the top strap.
 
Perfectly safe to canter in them providing they are fastened properly.

Ensure that the top strap is fastened sniugly enough to prevent them from falling down. I usually give them a little shove once fastened to check that they won't go over the knee joint. If they will, they're too loose. Bottom strap should be loose.
 
Ok thank you. Have cantered no problem so far. Just was told that potentially the horses hind toe could get caught in the bottom strap?!
 
Never had this problem. Used to be 'the norm' to hunt and complete hunter trials in knee boots. Would think that, if it were a leather strap, that would give way if a toe did catch. Horse would need a very big movement (the sort where he risks cutting into a tendon) to worry me about this.
 
I found ordinary knee boots always ended up around my mare's ankles after a canter, so I changed to Westropp combined knee and brushing boots and found them to stay put no matter what (including after getting soaked through in the local lake).
 
I also use the westropp combined knee and brushing boots, there is no trouble cantering or galloping in them and they don't fall down or flip up. They also protect much more of the leg.
 
I wouldn't risk cantering in the two strap skeleton knee boots......Westropp knee brushing boots all the way, easier to fit and more protection.
 
When I worked in a racing yard we always wore knee boots for hacking out and always took them off if we went on the gallops.
 
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