Do you boot for turn out?

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My fields are wet, muddy and my horses haven't been out all week, maybe a few hours before that! I put boots all round on as a precaution.

One livery told me it was an absolute disgrace?? That was all!

Is it really that bad to take steps to prevbt injury on horses I know would be idiots!!
 
What's disgraceful about it??? Your choice, surely, and as long as they come off and legs and boots are cleaned .... plenty of horses would be absolute idiots after a week cooped up!

To answer your question I use OR boots in a mostly vain attempt to keep shoes on, but nothing else.
 
I really don't know :/ I was a bit like um yeah thanks!!

They will have the boots on for 6 hours max then legs hosed and stable wraps on to dry so not like they have them on 24/7 like someone I know who leaves tendon and fetlock boots on 24/7!
 
Beans2000 said:
One livery told me it was an absolute disgrace?? That was all!
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Oh my days people who stick their noses in where they aren't wanted really wind me up!! They are your horses and its your choice what you do, one thing i have learned from having horses is your own experience works a treat. Take advice from those you think have a good point and completely ignore those idiots that don't. IMO most people with decent advice wait for you to come to them they wouldn't be so rude as to call it a disgrace.

I personally don't boot, only as I have 5 and it would cost a bomb! But good on you for thinking about your horses safety :p
 
If it was dry and he had been cooped up for a while i would, as he is a bit of a loon, but as everything is so wet and muddy, id rather not take the chance of mud riding up under the boots and rubbing him. Iv noticed that in wet weather he tries to hoon about, but then his self preservation kicks in when he goes skidding and he tones it down a lot :rolleyes:
 
Not usually. When mines been in over night & the ground is frozen solid, I put smbs on her hinds, she always spends first 10mins after a roll galloping round, rearing & generally pratting round. And at 23 & having damaged her annular & suspensories a few years back, I'm not sure its helpful to race on ground like concrete. However after 15mins when she's had her initial blast & has warmed up, I take them off. Very occasionally I've used brushing boots all round for introducing new horses, but only for first hour or two. But as a rule, no. Reason being that I'd rather risk cuts or knocks than overheating tendons.
 
Routinely I wouldn't however in that situation I would - my mare would get sports wraps as she has previously pulled a tendon and muddy field + being an idiot after a week in = re-injury and my sister's tb can be an idiot so first time out after a week would be full set brushing boots plus overreach boots

As a one off they're not going to be harmed by having boots on but could easily do damage without them when it's first time out in ages.
 
I would never, ever turn out in anything other than over reach boots, and my vet would probably throttle me if I tried!
 
Beans2000 said:
Is that from over heating staarzan or another reason?
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It's a mixture of reasons - overheating the tendons being the main one. I think people boot up as a matter of course without realising that most horses don't actually need boots. If your horse doesn't move close or over reach, why bother? I understand booting up for jumping, but not for just hacking or schooling unless the horse actually needs boots - you're just cooking their tendons and weaking the fibres.

It's also because boots will get muddy and inevitably get grit underneath them, which can rub and really irritate the skin.

I was lucky enough to work on a yard which was a stud and rehab yard for racehorses, and I learnt a huge amount from the amazing people who ran it and the vets they worked with. When turning out horses who had been on complete box rest for months on end, we never, ever booted up. These were horses worth more than my house (took a lot of getting used to, learning not to be a wimp about them and their value!), who were just introduced to turn out gradually and sensibly rather than booting them up and letting them go bonkers.
 
Whether I do or not is irrelevant. I'd wonder why a livery felt they could speak to me in that way and I would have asked exactly what their problem was frankly!
 
FfionWinnie said:
Whether I do or not is irrelevant. I'd wonder why a livery felt they could speak to me in that way and I would have asked exactly what their problem was frankly!
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I agree with this entirely though. I have friends who boot up for turnout, and friends who boot up for hunting. I think it's madness, but I would never tell them they were a disgrace, or even suggest they do otherwise. Their horse, their choice.

I do advise my liveries, and they have signed a contract containing a clause which states that I or any member of my staff can refuse to carry out instructions issued by the owner if we feel them to be in any way detrimental to the welfare of the horse, so if I was asked to boot a horse up for turnout, I would say no and explain my reasons for doing so.
 
Starzaan said:
I agree with this entirely though. I have friends who boot up for turnout, and friends who boot up for hunting. I think it's madness, but I would never tell them they were a disgrace, or even suggest they do otherwise. Their horse, their choice.

I do advise my liveries, and they have signed a contract containing a clause which states that I or any member of my staff can refuse to carry out instructions issued by the owner if we feel them to be in any way detrimental to the welfare of the horse, so if I was asked to boot a horse up for turnout, I would say no and explain my reasons for doing so.
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Yes that's fair enough. What you wrote is very interesting. I suspect if the best the livery could do was call the op a disgrace about it, they probably haven't the eloquence to explain their thoughts.

Do you think this is a bad idea. I put o/r boots and sports medicine boots on my 5yr old for travelling to lessons, then have the lesson and travel home with them on. I do it because I have to hire the school and also because my instructor always helps me get her untacked and I always feel like I am holding her back (I don't need help she just does and it is nice but you know what I mean!) so it's for speed really. If its a really bad idea I will stop doing it. I hack out in knee boots only so its only once a week. And I don't turn out in boots either :D
 
I don't boot for turnout as I don't want to risk overheating tendons but in exceptional circumstances I would while he had a tear about then take them off when he settled down, if it was absolutely necessary.
The only thing I would say is to be careful you don't overheat the tendons, if you boot for turnout & use stable wraps, as it can make the tendons weak.
 
FfionWinnie said:
Yes that's fair enough. What you wrote is very interesting. I suspect if the best the livery could do was call the op a disgrace about it, they probably haven't the eloquence to explain their thoughts.

Do you think this is a bad idea. I put o/r boots and sports medicine boots on my 5yr old for travelling to lessons, then have the lesson and travel home with them on. I do it because I have to hire the school and also because my instructor always helps me get her untacked and I always feel like I am holding her back (I don't need help she just does and it is nice but you know what I mean!) so it's for speed really. If its a really bad idea I will stop doing it. I hack out in knee boots only so its only once a week. And I don't turn out in boots either :D
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Personally, I wouldn't, but I have a livery who does the same and hasn't had any problems. I always cold hose her boy's legs for a good while when he gets back, and they're boiling hot when he comes off the lorry, but (touch wood) so far so good! As long as you're not travelling for hours I'm sure you'll be fine.
 
Starzaan said:
Personally, I wouldn't, but I have a livery who does the same and hasn't had any problems. I always cold hose her boy's legs for a good while when he gets back, and they're boiling hot when he comes off the lorry, but (touch wood) so far so good! As long as you're not travelling for hours I'm sure you'll be fine.
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It's an hour each way plus an hour lesson and some faffing around on top.
 
No. As has been said its a case of carefully introducing turnout so they don't go Mad. Even my expensive jumpers and show horses go out in a group unbooted. They also all go hunting unbooted. I don't agree with over heating of legs, mud gets up them and irritates and also boots can slip and do more damage. I use tendon and fetlock boots at shows and when schooling over fences, but they come straight off once ridden. Would NEVER leave them on to long, a friends horse has a scar on leg from tendon boots on too long. I also bandage when introducing horses to lateral work but once established dont bother. Common sense should be your guide. Out hunting on the show cobs I don't canter on the roads, they are very well mannered though and are happy to walk up the road even of everything else charges off.
 
Its not really her place to give advice if she wasn't asked for it!
But to answer your question, my mare lives in OR boots 24/7 because she regularly forgets where her feet are, behaved like a loony and last year had a horrible OR cut to the cornet band which resulted in a big abcess and 6weeks box rest to keep it clean and free of infection and lots of bandages and pultice and hibi scrub, so i will not be risking that again. When i first got her, i booted all round for the first time i turned her out because she didnt have any turn out for 3 months so i knew she will be a loon. She only went out for a couple of hours though so the boots came off when she came in.
I do use turn out boots when it snows as she gets photosensitivity on her legs from the light shining off the snow and her legs get covered with little scabs and she gets very mardy about it all as it hurts so i keep her booted and we have no problems :)
I think, as long as its only a few hours, and the legs are hosed off afterwards and left without boots or wraps or anything, then it should be ok :)
 
Each to their own. I booted for hunting after seeing a lovely young horse at Liphook who had struck so badly into himself when out that he was going to be a field ornament for a while and then PTS. My boots for hunting are fleece lined so nothing gets up there to rub, albeit they are a faff to put on. I have the air cooled brushing boots and event boots for the summer so never worry about overheating. The youngster is turned out in a full set of boots as he will strike himself and does so everytime we try to reduce his boots. In fairness with all hs growth spurts he gets a bit like Bambi from time to time! Legs are washed and dried, boots washed properly on a weekly basis and run under the hose.

But agree with earlier comment...why let someone else speak to you like that? It is not their place and I would nip this in the bid by confronting said livery tomorrow and saying that in future, any advice would be asked for. I would be as direct as that and I am normally diplomatic!
 
No I don't boot any of mine for turnout. I don't want legs overheating in the summer and don't like them having muddy wet boots on in winter. But this is totally personal choice - it's not really anyone's place to tell you what to do with your horse when you haven't asked for advice
 
Fig and CS wear over reach boots on all 4 legs, all year round. They both prat around (Fig particularly!). CS has taken a chunk out his heel previously, which was a ****** to heal and Fig is prone to standing on his coronet bands (likes to simultaneously roll, buck and rear).

CS is prone to cellulitis and we've discovered that keeping the pink skin on his heels covered up works well at preventing major reoccurrences.

We put brushing boots on all 4 legs when they first change fields, or if we have a working/new livery arrive or for forbid, snow!
 
I've never booted for turnout, and I can't see myself starting any time soon. My mare lives out most of the time anyway, so it wouldn't really be practical. Plus, since she lives out, she tends not to charge about like a mad thing too much anyway.
 
No, I don't boot for turnout (dressage and eventers) as I don't want their tendons heating or grit/mud to work their way up under the boot. All horses go out every day in the fields together.
 
I don't boot up routinely, I really don't see the point if your horse doesn't gallop around but each to their own and it is no ones place to criticize your management! Since changing my horses diet and improving her hooves I don't need to worry about OR boots but when we rotate fields in summer she goes out for the first day in tendon, fetlock and OR boots because she gallops around and I don't want to risk her breaking a leg :rolleyes:
 
Beans2000 said:
One livery told me it was an absolute disgrace?? That was all!
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What is it with some people? It's absolutely none of their bloody business what you do!

In answer to your post, in general I am not a fan of booting for turnout.

That said if introducing a new horse to a field or turning out after a prolonged period of being in then I would boot for the first day only.

My current ridden horse will now be wearing OR boots at all times, including turnout, having caught herself twice in the last month.
 
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