Hoof boots advice please

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Charlie31

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I have decided after much procrastinating to try my horse without shoes. It's a big step for me as I come from a land where if your horse is being ridden you just shoe it. However, I have become increasingly convinced that the problems my horse has with his feet are largely caused by shoeing and so I want to give it a try without shoes and see how he gets on.

I have no idea what to expect. We're lucky where we are in that our hacking is pretty suitable for shoe free horses so this might make it easier. There are a lot of horses on our yard without shoes who all hack out happily. Of those who have transitioned from shoes to no shoes most just did it and got on with it with no problems. I only know of one person who used hoof boots and that was more out of precaution than because she actually needed to.

So maybe we'll adapt quite easily but I think it's wise to get some hoof boots lined up in case he does need them. I don't know anything about hoof boots though so I'm looking for some advice really on where to start with it all. I guess different models suit different shapes of feet and types of terrain?

If anybody can offer any helpful hints I'd be really grateful as I'm in complete alien territory here. Thanks.
 
hoof boots are not something you get lined up. They have to fit, very well. The only way you can accurately measure is when the shoes are off after the trim. The feet may well change a lot, pretty quickly so what fits then won't fit a couple of months down the line.
What you get depends on the size of the feet, smaller feet you have lots of choice, large cob feet not so much. It also depends on the shape of the foot as to what will fit.

Some horses come out of shoes and barely notice it. Some have problems and you can only tell when the shoes come off. I would leave the boots ATM, protect the feet by keeping the horse on grass, soft surfaces etc and giving him chance to adapt to barefoot. Then gradually start doing a little on smooth tarmac to start conditioning the feet. You are lucky if you have easy hacking and you may not need boots.

Grip is everything with boots. The horse has to stay upright on slippery surfaces. The best boots I have found for grip are renegades and easyboot gloves or easyboot epics if you have difficult to fit feet. The scoots also have good grip.

Before you take the shoes off start using a good supplement, you want the feet to grow. Also have a very close inspection of the co lateral grooves and central sulchus. There may well be thrush, often is in a shod horse. It can make a barefoot horse sore so treat it now before the shoes come off. That will give you a head start.
 
https://www.hoofbootique.co.uk



This company is very helpful you can send pics and they will advise about suitable boots and fit etc

After using cavallo treks for turnout, not needed anymore but the longer he had them on they rubbed so if you were going to use this type I'd us the pastern wraps from the start.

Scoot Boots look good
 
Thank you both this is very helpful. It makes sense that I can't measure up until the shoes are off but I guess I was just being impatient really and wanting to have them ready for if he does get a bit sore. However, if it turns out that he does need them then a few days of taking it easy while we sort them out isn't going to be the end of the world. So I'll start off with riding on suitable surfaces and see how he gets on and then take it from there. That looks like a great website though for if we do need them so thanks for the recommendation.

His feet are actually pretty healthy and he has great frogs. The problem is that he has thin hoof walls and his hooves are slow growing so in the summer when things dry up his hooves tend to break off below the nail line. I'm hoping that getting rid of the shoes will break this destructive cycle, although obviously I'm aware that the concussion from his bare foot on various surfaces could cause cracks and chips.

I have tried all sorts of supplements to try and speed up his hoof growth and none have really made any appreciable difference. The vet thinks it's genetic and supplements won't really help. I'm always happy to try things though so if anybody has any miracle suggestions I'd be very interested to hear them.
 
I agree that you should wait and see before buying boots, there are so many options that you need to ensure you go for the best fit for hoof shape. I have to wear boots for hacking as our tracks are pretty unforgiving. I started with a pair of Cavallo simple boots for front feet only as these can be a bit more flexible for fitting different hoof shapes and they weren't too expensive. They served a purpose but I quickly realised they were too chunky to be of use long term.
I now have Scoot boots on all 4 feet and absolutely love them, fit brilliantly, no rubbing and my horse is very confident in them really steps out and is happy on all terrains and speeds - in fact I have to hold him back sometimes as he would happily keep going at a pace in them! However you would need to ensure you had a good fit for these to work and they won't suit every hoof shape.
I can also recommend the Hoof Boutique website, very helpful and options to hire fitting kits too.
 
I've used Cavallo Simples on several horses now and they have worked well for hacking over varied terrain. I'm using the Big Foot Boots at the moment which are a larger version of the Simple. All the horses have had round feet with plenty of width due to being unshod already. You'll need to measure length to the heel buttress and width after a trim. Then you'll have an idea of which boots will fit best. It's worth researching now though so you are familiar with the different options. Fwiw I prefer Equine Podiatry Supplies as I've found them to have a wider range but take a look at both sites. Some of the boots can be very tricky to fit. The Cavallos are easy and I've never experienced an issue with rubbing but you can use wraps (or thick socks!) if you think they might.
 
OP, it sounds like you won't be getting much help from your vet.
What supplements have you tried? I'm no expert, but mine have Pro Earth, micronised linseed, brewers yeast, magnesium oxide, and a handful of copra in a molasses and alfalfa free chaff. Not only do they have great hard bare hooves but their coats and manes are gleaming.
 
i got mine from hoof boutique she is really helpful and lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you cant buy thembefore the shoes come off ideally you want to wait for a couple of trims as the horses feet will change loads
 
When I was looking for hoof boots the lady at the hoof boutique told me you will end up with the hoof boots you need rather than the hoof boots you want! So true as I found out many £££s later. Different boots fit different shapes of feet: so you have to think about shape as well as size. My two have round feet and have ended up with Equine Fusion Ultimate boots from Norway.
 
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