Difficult to shoe - best hoof boots?

Holly Hocks

Holly Hocks

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My 21 year old ex-racer is getting difficult to shoe - very difficult. Vet is pretty sure he has arthritis in his knees and has put him on one bute a day for two weeks and then as and when he needs it. Before any of you start about how bute can damage the liver/kidneys, I am fully aware of the risk, but would prefer that he has a couple of years out of pain than 10 years of discomfort.
Yesterday it took three farriers and half a tube of sedalin to get two front shoes on. He was really really bad - dangerously bad. I can only think his knees were hurting him.

We're going to give it one more try at the next shoeing, but if he's still as difficult, then I'm considering hoof boots. I have tried completely barefoot with him in the past for several months. It really didn't work and he was very unhappy, but I am thinking that if I can get a pair of good hoof boots on for hacking - he only goes out about three times a week to keep him ticking over, then it would be ideal.

What hoof boots do you use or have had experience of? Are there any you would specifically reccommend or any you would advise to avoid? Many Thanks
 
I have Old Mac G2s which are fab for my two (fronts only).

The only thing I would say is you are going to have to lift his feet to get any boot on and the G2s take a bit of getting used to to get on to begin with. Once they are on you can do all the straps up with the foot on the floor and you get better at is as you do it more often. I have the problem that mine hold their feet UP because they have been trained to do so when you just point at their feet!
 
I'm in a similar position to you my horse is recovering from lami and has been having heartbars fitted..BUT he also has arthritis in both front knees and shoeing was so traumatic for him, me and my farrier :( that I took the decision to have him barefoot.

He can't manage completely barefoot though, very pottery on hard ground so I bought some Old Mac's for his front feet...best investment i ever made.
I agree that they are a bit awkward to get on at first but it does get easier :D
 
Thanks both
Gingercat it sounds like my boy is the same as yours. I've had a look at the Old Macs and I also like the look of the Easyboot glove....Do the Old Macs stay on well? I dont' want something which comes off all the time!
He should be able to hold it up for long enough for me to get the boots on. He's not too bad if I hold it as low as possible to the ground, but obviously the farrier can only do so much which is why I'm thinking of trying to minimise the trauma for the farrier and the horse by thinking of the barefoot and boot route!
 
Homer is retired due to injury (that's how he came to have athritic knees) so only wears his boots on the way to and in the field and they stay on fine.

If you believe the 'bumph' that goes with the boots they are used for all disciplines including endurance riding so I would assume they stay where the're put :D
 
I've just bought some boas as they are the only boots that come up big enough for my boy. They are pretty good.

I think you need to measure your boy's feet (next time farrier is there and has his shoes off) and work out what shape his feet are as that will determine which boot fits him best. some are designed for rounder feet, some longer than wide and some wider than long.

As another poster said, they can be tricky to get on so it may not be the answer to your problems.
 
I wanted the gloves, but your horse needs to have pretty 'round' feet, ie not too much longer than they are wide. Both my two didn't fit into any size on the chart when I measured them up and looked into it.

No, my G2s don't come off! There is an internal strap that holds the boot round the pastern and then a velcro cover and an external strap to keep them secure. We go up and down mountains on rough old tracks, through the river, on the road and even a bit of sand arena work if they are 'footy' after a trim. i have never tried riding through deep mud with them though as we don't have any! They have worn them for up to 40km at a time and never even had a rub. Do get the gaiters to use wth them, if they are not supplied when you buy them. :)
 
I have Old Mac G2's all round on my 19 year old arthritic cob, and just bought a pair for the four year olds front feet too. They won't come off, and I use them without gaiters, never get a rub. Do use the comfort pads as well though, these are a memory foam which supports the frog and soul, they've certainly put a spring in my horses step!

In your position, I would take measurements as per the Easyboot website, then speak to Trelawne Equine about which boot is best for your horse.
 
I had a pair of gloves fo my lad they were brilliant easy to put on and he took to them really well, unfortunatly i had to end up having front shoes on him so only got ot use them about 3 times, if you interested in them PM me :-)
 
cavello boots, easy to put on, come with gel pads, stay on, affordable, no fancy fastenings, just simple and durable.
 
Thanks everyone - it's given me plenty to think about and it's good to hear that they do work! I'ts five weeks til the farrier comes again so if he's no better then, I'll speak to him about using boots. I have a feeling the farrier will be more than pleased not to have to do battle with him and stick to dealing with the mare who stands like an angel!
 
Shall watch this thread with interest. I'm considering a pair so that my youngster doesn't need shoes on behind as she is still not great with the farrier.
 
Holly Hocks said:
Thanks everyone - it's given me plenty to think about and it's good to hear that they do work! I'ts five weeks til the farrier comes again so if he's no better then, I'll speak to him about using boots. I have a feeling the farrier will be more than pleased not to have to do battle with him and stick to dealing with the mare who stands like an angel!
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HH when does he play up? lifting his foot or when the blacksmith puts the shoe on? If the first will you not have a problem lifting the foot. Am also watching this thread as have had to take all shoes off our lad.
 
flowerlady said:
HH when does he play up? lifting his foot or when the blacksmith puts the shoe on? If the first will you not have a problem lifting the foot. Am also watching this thread as have had to take all shoes off our lad.
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Flowerlady - both. He lets the farrier take the shoe off and be trimmed, but it seems to be when they are banging the nails in - I think the impact could be going up his legs - he tries to go up. The worst part though is when they put his leg up on the stand - he can't do it and then ends up getting the farriers in the ribs when he pulls back. When I was feeding him in the field this morning, I tried bending his legs and holding them up and he was fine, but when I tried to pull them out at the front - like you sometimes do when you've girthed up, he pulled back straightaway.
He also has old tendon injuries from racing on both front legs so all the tendons are very tight as well as the stiffness in his knees.
What is really frustrating is that when he was done five weeks ago he was fine, but six weeks before that when he was done, he was an absolute nightmare again. I don't blame the farrier and I certainly don't blame the horse. There is definitely something wrong as until about six months ago, he was completely fine to do, but all the farriers have commented that he really is stiff. Very sad when he still wants to do stuff and stay active. He loves hacking out!
 
Holly Hocks said:
Flowerlady - both. He lets the farrier take the shoe off and be trimmed, but it seems to be when they are banging the nails in - I think the impact could be going up his legs - he tries to go up. The worst part though is when they put his leg up on the stand - he can't do it and then ends up getting the farriers in the ribs when he pulls back. When I was feeding him in the field this morning, I tried bending his legs and holding them up and he was fine, but when I tried to pull them out at the front - like you sometimes do when you've girthed up, he pulled back straightaway.
He also has old tendon injuries from racing on both front legs so all the tendons are very tight as well as the stiffness in his knees.
What is really frustrating is that when he was done five weeks ago he was fine, but six weeks before that when he was done, he was an absolute nightmare again. I don't blame the farrier and I certainly don't blame the horse. There is definitely something wrong as until about six months ago, he was completely fine to do, but all the farriers have commented that he really is stiff. Very sad when he still wants to do stuff and stay active. He loves hacking out!
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Our lad was fine pick up and trimming it was when they start banging the nails in. He now has arthritus in one back leg vet not quite sure where be it fetlock or higher. We have to have him faced slightly downhill so weight goes on his front legs just to clean out his back foot. He doesn't try kicking or rearing just snatching the foot down or he nearly falls over. He is totally bare foot and not ridden anymore 1 Danilon a day until blacksmith due for trimming then about 3 -4 days before I have to up it to 2 a day until blacksmith has been. Good luck:)
 
I started off with old mac g2s. I found them very easy to put on and my horse moved well in them. I used them for turnout for the first 2 weeks, then for walking to and from the field and hacking. They never came off even going flat out round the gallops. I used them with 12mm comfort pads and gaitors to prevent any rubbing.

I've since upgraded to easyboot gloves as they're more streamline with better grip. I've jumped out in our grass rings and round the xc course with no problems. Again I find them easy to put on and they're never rubbed or twisted. I only use them now if we're going hacking round somewhere stony or somewhere new so I don't know what the terrain will be like, and I use them on all 4 feet with powerstraps. Before using the powerstraps I did manage to lose both hind boots going flat out round the gallops, resulting in 2 broken gaitors, but no problems since I installed the powerstraps. I did initially use pads in them (old squashed flat ones from old macs) but I don't use them anymore.

A horse on the yard had cavallo simple boots for turnout following laminitis and had no problems with them.
 
This is a link that has a pretty good comparison chart for things like grip, ease of putting on/off etc. http://www.easycareinc.com/education/new_to_boots.aspx

I don't use them myself but I often ask my customers what they find are the pros and cons of different boots they use......
for ease of on/off and generally really good customer support most say Cavallo Simple Boots. (unfortunately they're not on this chart!)

I do know different boots fit different shape feet better than others, I'd do some googling as well as the good feedback here. :)

Good Luck.
 
I have just invested in some Cavallo Simple Boots so am interested to see how they go.

Managed to get them from a supplier on e-bay for £76 inc gel pads and pastern wraps which was a result as tack Shop was selling the boots only for £115.00.

Glad they have received some good feedback on here.
 
I have used old mac g2's and also the easyboot epics and easyboot bares. Have a look at the link saddlebags had put in her post - you can find a chart on there of the shape of the different boots, so that you can find the boot that is best suited to your horses shape of foot - this is the most important bit of choosing a boot, as not all boots will suit all horses.

The old mac g2's did not suit my mare, I had a real problem with them twisting, the internal straps rubbing - although they never came off.

The easyboots I much preferred. There is maybe more of a knack to getting them on, but they are find once you have learned how to do it - just takes a bit of practice for you and your horse to get into the swing of it. The easyboots sit below the hair line on the foot, and come with a gaiter that is built into the boot. The epics have a buckle system that pulls the sides of the boot in snug to the foot, but the gaiters really keep them in place, and i have never had an easyboot twist. The bares have a rubber strap across the front, and so you don't pull them in tight when they are put on, but they can be trickier to get on because of this. I used the bares on my mares back feet as she moves a little close, and had caught herself a couple of times with the buckles on the epics

You can buy all the spares for the easyboots, so if any single part of the boots start looking worn, you can just replace that part. They are also sold individually, so if your horse has different size feet you can get the best size for each foot.

My easyboots lasted about 20 months, with riding my mare 3 - 4 weeks, and doing between 8 - 10 miles a ride, nearly all road work - so they are certainly durable.

I would get your farrier to help you assess which boot is best suited for your horse, and also measure up to make sure you get the right size. However, if your farrier is having problems picking your horses feet up, then you may still run into problems putting boots on, as they do need to be fairly patient to start with while you learn to put the boots on. :) x
 
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