Hoof boot people! Flex boots?

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awelshandawarmblood

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Hiya!

I have a barefoot WB youngster who I want to keep that way & also about to take the fronts (already barefoot behind) off my cob for the first time in years. So I'm after 2 sets of hoof boots for their fronts!

I'm looking for something with good grip & not clumpy, mainly for use on roads & stony tracks so need to be secure. I have a pair of Cavellos for the youngster but they're like clogs & he's not happy in them plus they move about whatever I do.

I've got my eye on the flex boots as they look to be pretty snug & tidy. Has anyone on here used them at all? Or any other suggestions?
 
Ones which fit well.

They all have their own fitting guide, and it depends on a lot of things.

*overall shape of the hoof
*dorsal wall angle
*heel butress placement
*how much the hoof grows between trims

Hoofbootique has a huge range, and also you can buy the shells of different types to see how they compare for fit and size.

T wears scoots for loger hacks up and down the forestry tracks in Wales without problems.
 
Ooh thank you I'll have another go with the Scoots then too - I had them as part of the fit kit last time but couldn't even get my cobs foot in there so wrongly haven't thought of them since.

I'll be getting the fir kit from the hoofbootique again I'd imagine as they were great last time even though I couldn't get anything to work. Hoping the fronts will be easier!!

Welshy has pretty much perfect front hooves but as he'll just be out of shoes I wonder if its worth waiting a few trims before fittiing as he's bound to change shape.

WB has great feet but doesn't half grow a lot of hoof between trims.
 
I really liked the look of the flex boots but got a fit kit and none of the sizes were quite right. Definitely worth trying them to see if they fit yours though as I did think they looked like they'd be good if they fitted.

I also use Scoots and think they've probably got the best grip but I do need mud straps to keep them on and that means they can be a faff to put on.

Other people swear by Renegade Vipers but I like to use a pad and you're not meant to with those so I've never tried them.
 
It really depends on the size and shape of the hoof as to what is best for the particular horse but Renegade Vipers fit my pony perfectly as he has lovely round front feet. They aren’t clumpy and have never rubbed him. You can get factory fitted bonded insoles of you want a pad in them but they are special order from the US. I never got on with Scoots but have friends who love theirs. Easy to get on and off and I think they are a better design and shape now than a few years ago when I tried them.
 
Thank you everyone! I've been looking this morning & on my fit kit list so far with your suggestions is . . . .
Flex hoof boot
Scoots
Renegades

Also intrigued by so will ask for the Evo hoof boot premium & Swiss Galloper

I'm on you tube watching reviews & how to fit tutorials!!
 
I have a full set of flex boots for my horse and love them. They are very low profile and there is nothing to cause rubbing or delay breakover. I have had issues with one hind boot twisting but that is because of my horse's movement not the boots. I have also used Renegades and Swiss Galloppers that are on your list. I really like the Renegades but if they move or come off they have the potential to make a real mess of your horse with the wires and I stopped using them after having to cut one off from round the pastern. The Swiss Galloppers are lovely but work best on flared hooves so once my horse's flare grew out they kept coming off!
If you are in South Wales then Justine at Equine Podiatry Supplies is very helpful and you can go and look at the options before committing to buying.
Oh, and have a look at Explora Magics too, they are really lovely boots and very adjustable. You can even heat the shells and mould them to the hooves for a tailored fit. I was very close to getting some instead of the Flex boots and I may still go back and get some.

Eta. All boots twist on my horse's hinds but flex are the only ones that haven't injured her leg when they did twist!
 
Brownmare said:
I have a full set of flex boots for my horse and love them. They are very low profile and there is nothing to cause rubbing or delay breakover. I have had issues with one hind boot twisting but that is because of my horse's movement not the boots. I have also used Renegades and Swiss Galloppers that are on your list. I really like the Renegades but if they move or come off they have the potential to make a real mess of your horse with the wires and I stopped using them after having to cut one off from round the pastern. The Swiss Galloppers are lovely but work best on flared hooves so once my horse's flare grew out they kept coming off!
If you are in South Wales then Justine at Equine Podiatry Supplies is very helpful and you can go and look at the options before committing to buying.
Oh, and have a look at Explora Magics too, they are really lovely boots and very adjustable. You can even heat the shells and mould them to the hooves for a tailored fit. I was very close to getting some instead of the Flex boots and I may still go back and get some.

Eta. All boots twist on my horse's hinds but flex are the only ones that haven't injured her leg when they did twist!
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Ooh thats all really good to know thank you! Maybe the Renegades maybe not such a good idea having a youngster & one with no self preservation :rolleyes: The Gallopers maybe ok with the WB then as he has more flat than upright hooves, worth a try anyway! I'll add the Exploras to my list too :cool: I ordered my pastern wraps & pads for the Cavellos from Equine Podiatry Supplies - do they have a shop then?
 
awelshandawarmblood said:
Ooh thats all really good to know thank you! Maybe the Renegades maybe not such a good idea having a youngster & one with no self preservation :rolleyes: The Gallopers maybe ok with the WB then as he has more flat than upright hooves, worth a try anyway! I'll add the Exploras to my list too :cool: I ordered my pastern wraps & pads for the Cavellos from Equine Podiatry Supplies - do they have a shop then?
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EPS doesn't have a shop but Justine's home address is on the website and she allows customer collections from there. I've been a few times and she is happy to bring boots to the door for you to look at.
 
Brownmare said:
EPS doesn't have a shop but Justine's home address is on the website and she allows customer collections from there. I've been a few times and she is happy to bring boots to the door for you to look at.
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Ooh perfect, thats good to know - I'll contact her then as it would be good to have some advice & also look at them.
 
I've been using Flex boots on mine for a couple of months now and am really impressed with them. She strides out better than in any others I've tried so far and there's not a hint of rubbing, even if they're on for hours at a time.

You're wise to get the fit kit but if they suit in hoof shape I think you'll like them. Depending on the length of your trim cycle you may want to run a rasp around the foot now and then (I use a Radial rasp) but they are well worth that little bit of effort IME. You can use pads if you like, too. I have the 6mm Kevlar pads in mine as we're working on improving sole depth, but they are so flexible and springy that's guilding the lily really.

My mare is rather light of bone so I did end up swapping the gaiters and going down a size but, again, well worth the extra bit of time to get them exactly right at the begining.

A huge bonus for me, with my somewhat creaky hands, is that they are easy to get on and off too.

I wanted to like the Glove soft but I couldn't get them off! The Viper is a super boot too and I had no problem using a thin pad in them but my mare seems to really appreciate the 'spring' in the Flex. We tried Scoots but they didn't suit my mare's chunky heel bulbs and rubbed dreadfully. Such a pity as they are also a great boot for those they do suit.

Good luck in your search for the perfect boot! Happily for all of us there is a thriving market for second hand boots since it can sometimes take some trial and error before we find the right ones.
 
Baroque said:
I've been using Flex boots on mine for a couple of months now and am really impressed with them. She strides out better than in any others I've tried so far and there's not a hint of rubbing, even if they're on for hours at a time.

You're wise to get the fit kit but if they suit in hoof shape I think you'll like them. Depending on the length of your trim cycle you may want to run a rasp around the foot now and then (I use a Radial rasp) but they are well worth that little bit of effort IME. You can use pads if you like, too. I have the 6mm Kevlar pads in mine as we're working on improving sole depth, but they are so flexible and springy that's guilding the lily really.

My mare is rather light of bone so I did end up swapping the gaiters and going down a size but, again, well worth the extra bit of time to get them exactly right at the begining.

A huge bonus for me, with my somewhat creaky hands, is that they are easy to get on and off too.

I wanted to like the Glove soft but I couldn't get them off! The Viper is a super boot too and I had no problem using a thin pad in them but my mare seems to really appreciate the 'spring' in the Flex. We tried Scoots but they didn't suit my mare's chunky heel bulbs and rubbed dreadfully. Such a pity as they are also a great boot for those they do suit.

Good luck in your search for the perfect boot! Happily for all of us there is a thriving market for second hand boots since it can sometimes take some trial and error before we find the right ones.
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Thats great to know thank you! He's trimmed every 6 weeks so one of those rasps would be fab just to keep them even - I'll ask my farrier to show me how to do it just to keep it tidy before he's due.

Definitely interested in pads too so I'll have a look through the different types, the forestry we hack through is rather stoney & as much as he's absolutely fine now I don't want him becoming bruised or footy.

I've got a good list to try now for the fit kits but I am really hoping the flex boots are the ones if I'm really honest. Vey good point for the second hand market - my cavellos will be on marketplace in the next week :)
 
I have used a lot of types of boots on various horses. Recently I decided to try to get an optimum set for my mare, ie fit well, don't move, easy to clean, not impossible to get on and off, last well etc.
So, I got the hoofbootique to send out shells. I kind of had my eyes on renegade vipers but they just didn't fit her! She's been in cavallos, equine fushions and easy boot gloves in the past, all of which had good points but also bad.
As well as the renegades I tried scoot boots, evos and flex boots.

The flex boots are honestly fab. They don't come in loads of sizes, in fact I've got the biggest ones on my mare and she is a 16hh tb type, so not massive hooves. But if they do fit your horse, I think you will like them :)
The only thing I'd say is that the gaiter that comes with the size I have is huge on my mare's dainty ankles, but you can easily cut them down to fit.
 
AnShanDan said:
The flex boots are honestly fab. They don't come in loads of sizes, in fact I've got the biggest ones on my mare and she is a 16hh tb type, so not massive hooves. But if they do fit your horse, I think you will like them :)
The only thing I'd say is that the gaiter that comes with the size I have is huge on my mare's dainty ankles, but you can easily cut them down to fit.
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Does anyone know how flexible sizing is?

size 130 is closest. Says width 125-135 and length 130 to 140.

On paper that should work for all 4 feet! But they are quite different sizes!

Feet are:

LF 135mm wide x 135mm long
RF 128mm wide x 135mm long
LH 125mm wide x 130mm long
RH 125mm wide x 140mm long
 
Can you get a fit kit to try some different sized shells? I'm using them on my horse's front feet and on paper he should be a 120 but in fact the 130s fit him better. I think there's probably some flexibility so long as you can get them snug enough on the hoof.
 
HelenBack said:
Can you get a fit kit to try some different sized shells? I'm using them on my horse's front feet and on paper he should be a 120 but in fact the 130s fit him better. I think there's probably some flexibility so long as you can get them snug enough on the hoof.
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I thought about fit kit, and hiring but he is so much within the 130 size, and nowhere near the 120 or 140, that I could only see myself getting use from the one fit kit shell.

And it adds delay as I need boots urgently, and I think for the cost of hiring the shells, and hiring the actual boots for two week trial, I can sell the new flex 130s as tried on / used once for a similar price, if they don’t work.
They seem high priced second hand.

Also my issue with the last two makes of boots has been they are too tight on the non-weight bearing part of the heel bulb, which doesn’t show up on the fit kit shells, as I need the full backs of the boots in place to experience the problem.

I can get the last two pairs of boots on, but his heel bulbs are too squashed.

I have ordered two 130 flex boots. They are within range for all four of his feet. Hopefully they will suit either backs or fronts! <fingers crossed>

Equine Fusion, All Terrain Ultras, would also work well for his foot and heel bulb shape, but annoyingly I need 1 x 14, 2 x 14 slim, 1 x 13 and they don’t sell them in singles only matching pairs.

Has anyone tried the Equine Fusion, Trekking boot? Has the all terrain sole, and a new back fastening.
 
I have a pair of Flex boots and really like them. Unfortunately my horse has a LOT of feather and it makes boots like this really difficult to do up. Everyone raves about them and they fit him really well, but the slack caused by his bulky feathers in the straps means he catches them with the hinds and pops them off in canter. I think they suit WBs and anything without feather really well, though. Haven't sold them yet for this reason, as I might trim his feathers right up. Might be persuaded, though! They're size 140 and true to size (very snug!).

Haven't tried the new Fusion Trek, but I do have the Active model and they suit him better, due to the high sides.
 
Fransurrey said:
I have a pair of Flex boots and really like them. Unfortunately my horse has a LOT of feather and it makes boots like this really difficult to do up. Everyone raves about them and they fit him really well, but the slack caused by his bulky feathers in the straps means he catches them with the hinds and pops them off in canter. I think they suit WBs and anything without feather really well, though. Haven't sold them yet for this reason, as I might trim his feathers right up. Might be persuaded, though! They're size 140 and true to size (very snug!).

Haven't tried the new Fusion Trek, but I do have the Active model and they suit him better, due to the high sides.
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thanks, the EF actions are a bit tight on his heel bulbs, though foot size is right. Bigger is too big.
I am hoping EF treks will be a bit more forgiving on heel bulbs that stick out, even if not as forgiving as ultras.
He hasn't got any feather, so I am hoping the 130 flex are good for him <fingers crossed>
 
flying_high said:
thanks, the EF actions are a bit tight on his heel bulbs, though foot size is right. Bigger is too big.
I am hoping EF treks will be a bit more forgiving on heel bulbs that stick out, even if not as forgiving as ultras.
He hasn't got any feather, so I am hoping the 130 flex are good for him <fingers crossed>
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Hoof boot update. Equine Fusion Trekking and Active no go - too tight on heel bulbs.

Flex 130 seem to magically fit all four feet. I’m using with Kevlar pads. Do need my rubber hammer to get toes right in. Seem to stay put snd not rub. We are not yet cantering in our rehabilitation plan to test them more.

they don’t seem to give much protection over stony ground and I think he still feels sharp stones. He trots better on grass than tarmac, and walks slower on gravel etc.

I also have equine fusion all terrain ultras 14 slim with pads to try.

I think these combined with flex should be good.

He’s only two months out of shoes after 7 years of wearing shoes! So hoping to continue steady improvement.
 
bouncing_ball said:
Hoof boot update. Equine Fusion Trekking and Active no go - too tight on heel bulbs.

Flex 130 seem to magically fit all four feet. I’m using with Kevlar pads. Do need my rubber hammer to get toes right in. Seem to stay put snd not rub. We are not yet cantering in our rehabilitation plan to test them more.

they don’t seem to give much protection over stony ground and I think he still feels sharp stones. He trots better on grass than tarmac, and walks slower on gravel etc.

I also have equine fusion all terrain ultras 14 slim with pads to try.

I think these combined with flex should be good.

He’s only two months out of shoes after 7 years of wearing shoes! So hoping to continue steady improvement.
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That sounds positive. The flex are designed to let the horse still feel the ground. It'll help with conditioning the hoof if you take it steady. :)
 
Fransurrey said:
That sounds positive. The flex are designed to let the horse still feel the ground. It'll help with conditioning the hoof if you take it steady. :)
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Yes I read that in their blurb. I was hoping with the pads for a bit more cushioning. I am not too keen on hacking a horse that shortens its stride and pecks a bit over certain types of ground. The difference in his back and stride length on good grass going is quite marked at the moment. nI can avoid some but not all tough ground. He's bare in field / stable / arena which is also hopefully conditioning his feet.

I am going to play about with flex on the front feet (which I think are the stronger feet) and equine fusion all terrain ultras with pads on the backs.

At the moment the backs have a more significant lack of digital cushion and the frogs are slightly prolapsed. As in the frogs are somewhat more weight bearing than the sole, when ideally I'd like frogs, sole and wall to share weightbearing. It isnt really the type of frog tissue you can trim. It was suggested the wearing of open heeled shoes for 7 years has caused some dropping of the whole bone structure down into the hoof. But should improve with padded boots to get him using back of the foot both better and more comfortably.

He has correct bone angles and decent sole depth on all four feet. Right front is a bit contracted, though expanding.

If my judgement is right, he will be happy over rough stony ground with flex on in front and equine fusion all terrain ultras with pads on the backs. Then hopefully in x months time, he will be happy with flex on all four feet. I think I'll probably always want boots to hack, as there is some really harsh ground, different to the ground he lives on.
 
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