Hoof boots - please tell me all you know!

[Saratoga]

I have recently taken the front shoes off a newly purchased 4 yr old. He's a little footsore on the stones at the moment and I've been looking into some hoof boots for him.

The two makes that seem to stand out at the moment are the Cavallo Simple boots, or the Easyboot Trails. He has pretty spherical feet.

I don't really have that much experience when it comes to hoof boots.

How do they come up size wise? Are they secure or do they move around and rub? What's the breakover point like? Are they clumpy for them to walk in?

In the long run, do you end up saving money by going down this route? Or is it just as expensive as having the horse shod in front once you take into account the boots, the regular trim and the faff?

Thank you.

 

[ThePony]

This place is fab too for those who might have more experience trying diff boots. http://uknhcp.myfastforum.org/forum2.php

I got mine from thesaddleryshop and they were mega helpful with advising which to go for/sizing etc. In the end we went for the easyboot gloves as their sizing suited our mare's feet the best, and I had read alot of positive reports of people useing them. Her feet have changed shaped again now, so I think we will give the easyboot wides a crack now - only because they are the only ones that would fit!!
Would def drop thesaddleryshop an email, really helpful people!

Haven't found any problems with clunkyness etc - she moves really well in them, can jump in them, belt around the fields etc! They are a bit of a pig to put on at first, but you'll get used to them really quickly. We didn't have a problem with rubbing at all, and we were suprised with that tbh as a boot only has to look at her wrong and she gets rubs!! Boots wind up cheaper than the farrier as you only use them when you are riding over challenging surfaces so they last along time, years usually. Appart from the £ point of view, our girls have massively better feet without shoes (and our farrier did a lovely job shoeing them!) and move better too. A real revelation!

 

[OneInAMillion]

We had Old Macs and Cavallo's. Both pairs fitted well and did the job well but I found the Cavallo's much much more user friendly

 

[Clava]

I use Easyboot Gloves which are brilliant, they are neat, not clunky with fairly good grip. Boas are awful and feel like riding in wellies and Renegades are good but I don't like their grip.

 

[soloequestrian]

I use Old Macs on two and Boas on one (he has huge feet) and they are both great. I tried the Gloves, but the didn't suit my horses feet - very difficult to put on and then pinged off again for no real reason. I've also tried the Marquis boots and they were horrible.

 

[spookypony]

If you have someone nearby with different types to try on, that's a good idea. Mine has the Easyboot Gloves as well, which were fitted by his trimmer. I find them easy to use, and after an initial "Ministry of Silly Walks" impression lasting a few strides the very first time he wore them, he moves perfectly normally in them. I use them only if I'm anticipating unusually stony ground or if he appears a bit footy in the Spring. I avoid using them in mud, but then, you shouldn't need to! They are two years old, and show very little wear.

 

[wyrdsister]

Another vote for the Old Macs. They look a bit like moon boots, but aren't at all clumpy to ride in and don't budge an inch. I really have saved so much money using them. I bought a pair for one mare, who absolutely couldn't wear shoes (long story; not relevant) and she did great in them. She's now retired but by a stroke of luck they fit one of my other mares and are making her transition to barefoot sooooo much easier. £110 for a pair that have done two horses and lasted over a year with no signs of wearing out, and the cost of a rasp (£20) to keep their feet tidy, versus £70 every six weeks, per horse for a set of shoes or at best £35 every six weeks per horse for a half set - yup, that's why I don't shoe mine!!!!

 

[DougalJ]

I use Easyboot Gloves which are brilliant, they are neat, not clunky with fairly good grip. Boas are awful and feel like riding in wellies and Renegades are good but I don't like their grip.

I'm looking into purchasing a set of Easyboots as got such a good review. Are they good on the roads?

 

[Saratoga]

Thank you for your replies. As he's only a baby I wanted to get some that are pretty lightweight. Are some boots heavier than others?