Hoof boots are they any good?

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vikkibeth

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Further on from a thread I posted yesterday just wondering how good hoof boots are as a replacement for traditional metal horse shoes, just on the front. Currently hacking and jumping (looking to do a bit of xc this year). Are they easy to put on? Can I use them in wet conditions? Can I trot, canter, gallop in them without a worry? And which brands to avoid and which to consider? Thank you
 
Some are easier to put on than others which brand depends on your horses feet. If they fit correctly you will be able to canter and jump as normal in them and some can even be studded

Down side I have found is they can be a bit slipsy on wet grass or surface mud. That said we hack down a few roads that are tarmac and shod horses slide about on it mine happily trots down it both booted and barefoot
 
They are not a replacement for shoes, they are an aid to help your horse cope with the transition from shoes to barefoot. Eventually you would want to aim for not wearing boots but some horses may always need them for very stoney tracks.

I only use them for very stoney tracks, horse is fine on all other surfaces without them and I personally wouldn't jump anything but a small log or something out hacking.

Fit wise, you need to measure your horses feet, length and width, and find the most suitable boot based on the size as they all fit slightly differently
 
I think they're rapidly overtaking metal shoes as far as hoof-protection technology goes. I disagree with Wheels: under some circumstances, hoof protection can be desirable or necessary even for an established barefoot horse, and hoof boots are the way to go there. One situation that springs to mind is higher-distance Endurance rides, when you're asking the horse to move over often very rough, stony terrain at speeds much greater than it would sensibly choose, for much longer than it would sensibly choose. While there are people that manage bare, I don't see the point in taking a risk of being lamed out for a bruised sole, when I have complete hoof protection available!

Obvious advantages are: you can remove them afterwards so that the horse's hoof structure is not compromised by nailing metal to it; concussion is dissipated more naturally than with shoes, the loading of the hoof is more natural (not peripheral loading), and if one comes off, then you're not scuppered until the farrier can come.

Disadvantages that have been observed by various people are that certain brands can be more slippery on certain surfaces than studded shoes (though people's experiences with this seem to vary wildly); finding the right boot for your horse can take some time (with many brands, fit is very important, or it may fly off)...and that's about all the disadvantages.

There are various brands of removable boots, all of which are designed for different purposes and circumstances. In addition, there's the option of using a glue-on shell, which will generally stay put for several weeks. To discuss options that might work for you, I'd in the first instance talk to a hoof trimmer that is experienced with various makes, or phone up Liz at the "Hoofbootique".

For high-speed galloping-about over varied terrain, brands that are often mentioned are the Renegade, the Easyboot Glove (which has to fit very well to stay on, though there are tricks), and Easyboot or Renegade glue-ons. I've found that the Renegade works best for my pony, over all terrain including deep mud and severe hills, and it takes seconds to put on.
 
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Thank you spookypony I will contact Liz I think. Tbh he's fine on grass and even roads but he struggles with stones and gravel and to get out of our field we have a half a mile gravel then stoney walk which he does struggle with, after that he seems fine. Farrier says he's very flat footed so does need something.
 
My older cob has used them for I think three or four years. Hacking at all speeds, great on steep Tarmac hills and stones tracks, even through rivers, mud etc. we use Old macs as he has wide feet, they are a lower distance boot, great for my lad who may only hack once a week. Never had a rub even when they've been on for many hours, and I've only had one come off recently, either I didn't do it up tight enough or he trod on it with a hindfoot
 
I used them for about 8 years on one particular horse who could not tolerate shoes. Fantastic! I never had one come off in all that time. I used 'Old Macs' and found them to be pretty hard wearing over all types of terrain.
I can't rate them highly enough.
 
getting the right boot for your horse is key-horses that don't move straight are slightly more problematic. I've used Old Macs, Easyboot Trails and back countries with success, didn't have much luck with the gloves (although that was before the wides came out) or cavallos (same horse hated them, as did I tbh).
 
On roads or stoney surfaces, in walk and trot, no different to shoes- on grass, mud etc or any faster work, after 8 years trying, I do not use them! On grass/mud surfaces they are very slippy and the horse is more stable bare or shod and they can of course fly off/twist etc at faster paces. If they fit good then they are tight and difficult to put on. They usually rub too unless you try to adapt or invent anti-rub gaiters or socks or whatever. I have not seen any yet that truly work as well as either shoes or nothing at all.
 
serenityjane said:
On roads or stoney surfaces, in walk and trot, no different to shoes- on grass, mud etc or any faster work, after 8 years trying, I do not use them! On grass/mud surfaces they are very slippy and the horse is more stable bare or shod and they can of course fly off/twist etc at faster paces. If they fit good then they are tight and difficult to put on. They usually rub too unless you try to adapt or invent anti-rub gaiters or socks or whatever. I have not seen any yet that truly work as well as either shoes or nothing at all.
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on roads and stoney tracks they are far superior to shoes as the sole is protected especially trotting on stony tracks.
They are not brilliant on some horses on mud and slick grass. Some have no problem and some horses do slip. That is the biggest downfall of them. They work best on a horse kept as a barefoot but who can then be booted for the more difficult surfaces yet left barefoot for grass, jumping etc.


I have used them daily since 2005 on one horse. They are very quick and easy to get on. They have to be reasonably tight for a good fit but it is simply knack to get them on quickly.
I have had no rubbing with the gloves, epics and renegades. The other makes I regard as hopeless for working horses. The gloves, epics and renegades have the best tread. That is what keeps the horse upright.

They are not the easiest thing for a beginner to fit. I would advise people to try and get a trimmer who is experienced in booting to fit them initially. A horse will have a lot more success once an expert has fitted the correct type of boot in the correct size and shown the owner how to put them on and off. The boot fitter should have a set of glove and renegade shells (the bases) so that they are able to try actual sizes on the horse. The sizing charts are a very rough guide at best and useless at worst.
 
Well I have just bought and tried out a pair of the new Cavallo Treks and to be honest, for simplicity, staying put-ness and neatness, they are probably the very best of the 'non-performance' boots (the gloves and renegades which require a little more fit & expertise). I trotted and cantered my lad in the new treks for 40 mins, roads, wet verges and jumped a few puddles and sticks (horse was offering and it would have been a crime to say no!). They are not nearly as bulky as many of the other kinds of boots, have a good tread and I was really really impressed. I bought them to carry on rides 'just in case' and as they take about 10 secs to put on, I would be happy to hop off and put them on if needed. They are far better than the Cavallo simples though I haven't tried the Old Macs. My horse is a 16hh Anglo who can be sharp and has been known to twist the gloves off when setting off on an uphill canter. I was surprised how confident my horse felt on the wet muddy verges. He really felt no different to being barefoot so a big thumbs up from us!
 
webble said:
Some are easier to put on than others which brand depends on your horses feet. If they fit correctly you will be able to canter and jump as normal in them and some can even be studded

Down side I have found is they can be a bit slipsy on wet grass or surface mud. That said we hack down a few roads that are tarmac and shod horses slide about on it mine happily trots down it both booted and barefoot
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You can get studs to put in the holes.....I've got a stud pair and a normal pair.
 
Slightlyconfused which brands do a stud pair? Comments have most certainly swaid me to look further into them as a real option. Just now want to find him the correct pair and hope it doesn't take us too long :)
 
The studded Renegades look interesting: I note the studs are much smaller than conventional studs, but there are more of them. I'd be very interested to see how they perform!
 
what do people think of the equine fusion boots?

Am looking to get some boots for the longer road work hacks we're doing as she's struggling a little as she's coming back into work and with stony areas. She has (or will once the flare is taken off tomorrow) almost round feet - they're currently wider than long but with a flare on the fronts
 
My lad has Cavello simple boots, look clumpy and it took a farrier to show us how to fit them, but certainly did the job, TB rarely needs them now but he was happier with nappies as liners when he did, if I was buying today, I would look at something with a closer fit, but I would buy them again
 
I have Easyboot backcountry (glove but different upper). They're brilliant over everything. We do have some very slippy terrain around here, so I use Ice Spike studs, designed for human shoes and tyres in the winter. They've improved the grip further and I keep them in permanently. 6 in each front boot. I got transitions for the hinds and love them once on, but by God, they're a b**** to put on if you have a bad back! Thankfully he's mostly just fronts only, due to the stony forestry tracks round here.
 
I think the downside of hoof boots is they can be a pain to fit. I bought my first pair of Cavallos Simples and they worked reasonably well for my mare until she lost most of the flare on her fronts and went down a size. The Cavallos also rubbed the little bit of feather she has and even after weeks of wearing them she was never 100% happy with them. Rather than buy another pair of Cavallos I went with Easyboot Epics, had the regional reseller come out and fit her. Alas, her Easyboots twist slightly on her hooves even though they are supposedly the right size. It's not a major twist but it's just enough to put me off, and tightening the boots and adding cushioned soles hasn't helped. My mare loves them anyway and struts her stuff gladly, but I worry about them being slightly off-center and the long term effects it will have. Saving up now for a pair of Renegades which I hope will be a much better fit for the shape of hoof she has right now!
 
Well, apparently, Renegades are well up to the Gordon Way at Bennachie... :eek: ...we didn't mean to climb up all those stairs, but now I can say I understand just how cats get stuck up trees. At some point, it was just easier to keep going up than down! Thankfully, there was a forestry track that we could take down a bit later; still a steep hill with loads of sharp rocks, but perfectly doable. The longer the pony has the Renegades, the more I rate them. :) He wears them fronts only, bare behind; the horse he was with (who was perfectly willing to go down the stairs, but I think he's just smarter than she is) is shod in front and wears Gloves in the back. I would have been really scared on those rocks on a shod horse, as opposed to just somewhat apprehensive.
 
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