Help with hoofboots please!

[budley95]

Bud walked up to the school fine Monday and then stood there with his near hind in the air refusing to weight bear at all. Called the vet, huge abscess right up on the sensitive tissue. Cue lots of blood and pus whilst he was a superstar and stood there with nobody holding him as I was changing buckets over and vet was digging. Rather large hole now though and my vet has said where he has such rock solid feet (took a fair bit of digging to get to the abscess!) it would be a shame to put shoes back on him but to get hoof boots to keep it clean as she thinks the hole will take a while to grow out, as is about 3-4cm deep. He's much better now though and was wandering about earlier in his poultice boot on the yard

Can somebody give me a general list of different makes of boots I should be looking at so as I can find sizing guides to see which one's will be best? I've found Cavallo Trek, Sport and Simple, Boa and Old Macs, but none of these look as though they'll fit just right with measurements, or is there some leeway in them? I'm a complete newbie to hoofboots having never used them and I have no idea how much I should be doing in them when I first get them etc.

Ideally I want something we can do a 1.05m course in, as we're due to jump at Hickstead at the end of August and I don't want anything getting in where it shouldn't, but will obviously not go if it's not going to be plausible.

 

[Gloi]

I use hoofboots on mine but I really don't like jumping in them. I think you could get some for general use though. A good idea is to keep an eye open for second hand ones so you don't lose out if you aren't going to be using them for long. I use Easyboot Epics which have a bit of leeway on size in them which Easyboot gloves don't. Measure his feet and then speak to the people at thesaddleryshop who will give good advice.
Personally I would get some Keratex hoof putty and pack the hole with that once there is nothing coming out of the abscess and jump him without boots on.

 

[budley95]

That's interesting. I'll give thesaddleryshop a call. Can I ask why you don't like jumping in them?

He's missing a fair chunk of his hoof, so I think even with putty he'll be footsore. I can't put a picture up as I'm on my works computer, I'll try later if I remember when I'm home!

Thanks

 

[Gloi]

I'm just wary of the grip and catching them with a hind foot. I may just be being soft, mind you, but it makes me wary enough not to commit to a fence like I should.

 

[irishdraft]

I tried cavallo trek & some other boot cannot remember name jogging shoe I think, both of these were supposed to be suitable for hunting /jumping etc but I would not have contemplated even cantering in them they are so bulky, I would worry about the horse tripping.

 

[budley95]

Ah. Ok. I'll have a rethink! A picture of the hole when I was tubbing it yesterday, it's so much better than it was, but I don't know if putty will cut it, but have only seen positive reviews looking it up. May just find some boots for light hacking to build him up as I'm worried about over doing it, although he was pretty fit before all this.