Easyboots opinions please?

mrsjcmking

mrsjcmking

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Hi

I'm looking at the possibility of buying my pony some easy boots, to reduce costs of shoeing.

has anyone used these before? How long do they last? Are they any good?
 
I've used Boas and Old Macs. They are both great. You must get the size right, otherwise it's a nightmare. Mine have all lasted several years, with hard use on stony forestry tracks.
 
I've got a youngster thats not been shoed before. I was going to leave him barefoot but I take him out on roads a lot and I can see it's straining his hoofs. I wondered if this would be a kinder way of shoeing him, I really don't like the idea of metal shoes, i've always ridden barefoot horses!

He's a 2 yr old, not knowing much about horses hooves, do they grow much or will his hooves stay the same size (i don't want to spend loads on something that in 3 months time wont fit him!)

the joys of owning my first horse, I thought i knew it all, but there is always so much more to learn!
 
soloequestrian said:
How is it straining his hooves?
Click to expand...

Well i've just googled it to see if I can find out what its called as i can't explain it, and after googling it I think I might get farrier to have a look on wednesday and tell me what he thinks about it, and what might be causing it, I don't think shoeing will help. He's got rippling (I think this is what it is called) it's especially bad on his back hooves, with quite deep grooves.

He hasnt been trimmed in a while though because his hormones kicked in just before christmas and he was a complete nightmare so couldn't do anything with him until gelded and calmed down. and i've been meaning for him to be done for about month, but due to family disasters (everything bad happening at once) I haven't had a chance to do it. I want to be there with him, because he gets quite stressed about his feet (I'm still working on picking them up!) I think this might be the main cause of it, although they are not too overgrown.

I can honestly say I don't know much about hooves, they don't seem to cause him any discomfort, they just don't look right!

I hope this makes any sense
 
Usually the rippling in hooves is related to diet, ie too high sugar/starch.

I use Cavallo's and they are an excelent buy although they do wear quicker than the G2's. I have about two pairs a year at £75 a pair, so still cheaper than being shod. I do a lot of roadwork in them and they have never come off even at a gallop!
 
Is this your little spotty chap?

Horses' feet tend to be a fairly good diary of what happened to them over the last 18 months. So any big 'life events' ie a change of diet, a change of field, being sick, or a sudden growth spurt will all show up as a line on their feet. And then of course as said above, high sugar diets (or impending metabolic crisis/laminitis) will also cause rippling on the feet.

Just nosing through your posts, your little chap has had a fairly eventful 18 months, and I would hazard a guess that will be shown on his feet. Have a word with your vet/farrier when they're next out though and discuss whether you need to be doing anything differently feeding wise. I guess the thing to be wary of with your chap is that although he was skinny when you got him, he has the genes of a fat native, so as he gets older he may well be a laminitis risk.

It won't be the roadwork causing the ripples in his feet, unless of course you've been taking him out for several hours a day hammering him so fast that he's got concussive laminitis ;-) He should be able to cope with babypony poddles on the road without anything on his feet. Is he sound or does he get footy?

In answer to your original question, easyboots are much improved these days, but really, your chap shouldn't need them.

ps My youngster is rising 2 and his feet are still expanding.
 
I use easyboot gloves, I'm on my second set now. First set did in excess of 800 miles! We do endurance. But not used second set as much because her hooves have improved so much we don't need them.

As said above it is not working on the roads that cause the growth rings (ripples) it is down to diet or laminitis etc x
 
His feet are still growing, and as above, the ripples are "event lines" - change of diet, etc.

I have Easyboot Epics and they are great for road work and I took part in a fun ride yesterday with them on the fronts and they were fine. The do eventually wear out, the wires stretch and fray and then break, the clips can wear and my horse wears the toes out of his boots and the tread will eventually wear off, like a car tyre.

If you boy is only young, so long as you keep his feet trimmed and increase the work load gradually and - most important - feed him correctly he shouldn't ever need shoes.
There is loads of information on the internet about correct feeding, etc. for barefoot horses.

I used to have a small welsh pony and that didn't have shoes and I took him hunting and to shows and hacking, etc. and he was fine.
 
I've got a pair of epic's - they have not shown any signs of wear in the 3 years I have had them !.... mainly down to the fact I have only used them once !!!!! lol

They are REALLY tough to get on, coupled with the fact my mare has had a foal now I've managed to get by with out them ! going to start riding again now though so may give them anouther go.... if the mice haven't eaten them that is !! ;-/
 
... I have now got mine out of the cupboard (no mice holes ) off for a hack tonight so update will follow on my opinion !! :-)
 
As previous posters have said -it won't be the road work causing the ripples it will be what he is ingesting, whether orally or by injection.

The ripples are a sign that not all is well in the hind gut - it just shows in the feet.

Road work causes a healthy well conditioned foot no problem at all. In fact it is to be recommended if you can do it without getting squashed by traffic and your pony is safe to handle on the road.

If you do decide on boots don't get too set on one brand, because different ones suit different shaped hooves and they must be something you find easy to use.

I like the EasyCare range but until they launch their new wider than long boot they don't fit many of mine.
 
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