Competing with no boots?

LadyRascasse

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Would you do it? I planned on doing flat work with my boy tonight and he only ears over reach for that, anyway to cut a long story short I was riding in our jumping field and the others were jumping and I could resist popping him down the grid that was set up (very small x poles maybe 2ft) anyway he jumped really well and very cleanly (career pole basher if you haven't seen my previous posts) which got me to thinking how safe is it to compete with no boots? He currently competes at 2ft9/3ft I would obviously boot up for XC but I might stand a chance of getting a clear round with no boots at all!!
 

LeannePip

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i dont tend to showjump mine in boots tbh and nearly always jump with out boots at home, occasionally tendon boots if i do boot up, but always boot with qulity ones for XC. she has good legs and i do alot of road work to strengthen her and havent havent had a problem with her but then shes a hardy sort being a part bred welsh :)
 

angelish

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i had a nasty fall a while ago , my horse didn't jump properly into the first part of a double and put down in the middle resulting in legs and poles flying and him falling dragging his face in the dirt and standing all over the back of his front legs with his back feet
if he hadn't been wearing his boots that day i really don't think i'd have him now , his legs and boots were a mess with chunks missing out the backs , that would have been his tendons :(
so personally i think i'd rather have a pole down than risk my horses legs

open fronted tendon boots would surely be better than no boots at all and have the same effect :confused:
 

Lolo

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On a horse which polebashes, I think no boots/ open fronted boots are the only really useful things. Unless he's a panicker, he needs to feel the poles...
 

MandyMoo

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I always jump in boots, whether it is SJ or XC at home or away from home. I have to admit though when I am SJ schooling at home I just chuck on an old scabby pair of open fronted tendon boots and that's it. However when I compete he has the full shabang of tendon boots, overreach boots and fetlock boots for SJ and then back brushing boots and front XC boots for when I do any XC competing or XC schooling.

For flatwork I rarely put on any leg protection. Occasionally if I feel like I can be bothered/want to look ''proper'' I put on some exercise leg wraps (I know this is silly but haha, I like to put them on sometimes, makes me feel like I'm riding better ;) god knows why..)
 

Nugget La Poneh

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I tend to not boot for SJ. Sometime put on bandages or SMB's at home but that's normally if I decide to loose jump him and he goes a bit silly. Even Old Mare was left au naturel fro SJ and she wasn't the cleanest of jumpers.

Accidents happen with or without boots - your horse so your choice. No harm in trying once and going from there :)
 

millitiger

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I rarely boot up for show jumping at home or at shows.

I never boot for flatwork either unless the horse has a known issue of clonking itself.
 

MissGee

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I do what works best for my horses (have 5) some jump better booted up but have one that just hates wearing any boots, spends his whole time trying to kick them off so decided its safer without and he goes so much better ;)
 

LadyRascasse

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Thank you for your replies I have tried all sorts of boots on him and he just doesn't pick up his feet properly, but without them he didn't touch a think and was uber careful never felt so good, that said it was no height for him so would have to jump bigger to see if its made that much difference.
 

snooples

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I never wear boots jumping at home or SJ, my horse doesnt need them so he doesnt wear them. I put them on for cross country becuase hes more likely to hurt himself travelling at speed and over solid fences but i wouldnt neccessarily ride all horses in back boots cross country some only get front boots
 

starryeyed

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I personally always put open fronted tendon boots/over reach boots on mine while jumping, as I could never forgive myself if she was to rip open her tendons when it could be so easily prevented. I use open fronted boots so that she can feel when she knocks a pole, which she does take notice of (and get annoyed by!). If doing XC then I put XC boots on for full protection.
 

Hattikins

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I don't boot my current horse up for anything, he is an extremely clean jumper and I have yet to find a pair of boots that don't slip down on him, so even XC he goes boot less and has done for 4 seasons of BE. Having said that he would wear boots XC if I found a pair that didn't move. SJing wise on other horses I only use tendon boots. It does depend to a certain extent what suits the horse.
 

stencilface

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My sister doesn't wear anything on hers as she doesn't think he likes the feel of them and as a result doesn't jump as well in them. He can be a polebasher too so every little helps!

I wear closed boots on mine (prolite or WW xc boots) for SJ as mine he uber careful and hates knocking anything, gets himself upset sometimes so I do my best to protect him. He also wears a doughnut boot behind if we're on grass after he managed to stud himself in the coronet band whilst standing still at one show :rolleyes3:
 

FfionWinnie

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I don't boot for anything now although she isn't shod so I don't think there is much danger from not booting, compared to over heating tendons from booting. Different if shod/studded probably.
 

blood_magik

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I used to boot up for everything. Nowadays they only wear boots at shows.

Beau used to be terrible for kicking himself - thankfully he seems to have grown out of it.
 

samlg

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No boots works for some horses, makes them think more about where their legs are. no more than open fronted tendon boots though for sj
 
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