Dim question! Measuring for hoof boots!

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scewal

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Sorry in advance if this is a dim question. I would like to try my horse bare foot, and want to get some boots ready for when this happens. Is it possible to measure for boots while they still have shoes on?
Or would it be better to wait til she has the shoes off, trimmed, measure and then have another pair of shoes fitted giving me time to find a pair of second hand ones?
I am sticking with my farrier as he does a fantastic mustang trim on my pony.
 
I'd wait until the shoes are off, too, and measure then. If you have a look at some of the online details of hoof boots, take a look at their size guide and you'll see that there can be only a few mm lengthwise or in width between sizes, so it's worth doing it quite accurately.

For what it's worth, some people choose not to have their horse trimmed at the same time as the shoes are removed, the idea being that it may help the horse be more comfortable in the short term if there's a bit of excess wall still raising the foot off the ground a little (rather than the horse immediately having its foot much closer to the ground, and potentially feeling every stone it walks on). Just something to weigh up, especially if you have more challenging terrain or if you suspect your horse may be sensitive.

You may also find the feet change shape/size as the new hoof wall grows down, so whatever size hoof boot you start with, you may find that you end up with a different size a few months down the line.

Good luck.

Sarah
 
Thank you for your replies, i did think about just having her shoes removed and trimmed next time. But when will be best to measure?
 
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