Easy Boot. Yay or Nay?

[JustKickOn]

Sugar's had her shoes off, as her owner cannot afford to shoe her. I can't afford to shoe her either.
The dilemma is that we mainly hack, and she gets footsore. With the fields being so muddy, we're not allowed to ride in them as they would get churned up and it wouldn't be very safe.

I don't have the money to spend £45 on shoes every 6/8 weeks, so I'm looking at alternatives.

Old Macs and Boa's are out of the question due to the price, but I've seen some "Easy Boots" in a catalogue.
One style is £35, the other, Easy Boot Epic, is near £50.

Which style would you say would suit a barefoot horse.
The Easy Boot original says they are a shoeing alterntive, but the Epics are for a barefoot horse?

Does anybody have any personal experience of using them, or opinions?
What's their durability like? Do they slip/rub/come off?
And other points about them?

Many thanks, Lizzie

 

[Diggerdog]

Epics are great for roadwork. They do wear pretty well, but obviously not as well as steel shoes. I use pads in the boots for extra comfort.

They don't rub or slip at all, as there are no hard parts above the coronet band. I haven't used the original Easyboots, so unfortunately I can't compare.

I would try boots on just the front feet to start with and see if she can cope without hinds, as many horses can.

www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk are really helpful and knowledgeable about all of the different hoof boots and can advise you on choosing the right size.

 

[carys220]

Have only used original and my mare can get it off within a minute in the field. I think that could be because of her weird foot shape though.

 

[Abbeygale]

The epic has the gaiter fitted to the boot as well. I use this on my mare and would thoroughly recommend them. I have had my boots for cracking on a year of use - i hack out (mainly road work) 3 / 4 times a week averaging 8 - 10 miles per ride - and the boots are still going strong.

i have never used the boots without the gaiters - but TBH wouldn't bother. The gaiters have never rubbed my mare, but do need cleaning well to avoid grease building up on them. I have never had a boot come of, never had it move, they are much easier to put on and off and fit than the likes of the old macs that I had before.

Basically, IMO they are worth the money - also most of the easyboots are priced individually, and not per pair like the old macs are. So you would need to double the price. When (or if!) these boots start looking too knackered I will deffo get more or these same boots.

 

[JustKickOn]

Oh bugger. I thought it was £35 a pair.

They're out of my price range now too.

Thank you for the info though

 

[LauraBR]

If the owner can not afford to shoe her she needs to find a home who can.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but no foot no horse and if she is unable to afford shoeing how would she cope with unexpected vet bills etc?

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

[ QUOTE ]
If the owner can not afford to shoe her she needs to find a home who can.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but no foot no horse and if she is unable to afford shoeing how would she cope with unexpected vet bills etc?

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly what i was thinking

 

[Silverspring]

I just got old mac G2 and absolutely love them! If you invest in these boots it will save money in the long term as they can last up to a year. If both owner and sharer can't afford shoes or hoof boots then I think you should seriosuly consider full loan or sale, it an expensive hobby and when the costs get too much the horse needs to go.

 

[sherryberry]

If you can't afford the shoes you shouldn't have a horse, why should the horse suffer?