hoof boots recomendations please

[ticobay831]

Im looking for a hoof boot for my boy, hes obviously barefoot and i am starting to do a bit of road work with him so i want somthing could just slip on his hoofs to give him a bit of a helping hand, the roads have all just been re serviced round by me and hes feeling it, poor boy

Any reccomendations please

Debs x

 

[3Beasties]

I love the Cavello ones and will be getting some when I have been paid

 

[jennydunn]

I use the Old mac boots and they are great but can be a bit fiddly to start with getting them on. But they dont rub and wear really well. Just wish they did them in other colours!

 

[domane]

My boy is recently barefoot but he has a lot of flare so I'm having to hold off ordering boots for him until his hooves have settled into their final shape. I've been perusing boots though and quite like the look of the Easyboot range. I've been told that not every boot fits every hoof though so be prepared to settle for a second choice

My first choice would be Renegades but these can be expensive to get from the USA once you have paid for the boots, shipping AND import duty.

 

[kerilli]

i've got the Marquis supergrip ones for 1 of mine, only for fronts, and they have been excellent. it took me a few goes to learn how to get them on right, but now it's easy and takes less than a minute per boot.

 

[Abbeygale]

I use the easyboots for my horse, and I have them on all round on her.

I have the bares on her hind legs, as she moves a little close behind at times, and the bares don't have a metal buckle on the front, and she has epics on her fronts.

I have been using these for about 18 months and she has just worn a miniscule hole in the toe of one boot. I do mainly road work - so am not complaining at all about the length of time that they last! We have also been galloping through the woods and jumping small jumps (we don't really jump...) and they have been great.

I like the easyboots as they have the built in gaiter which helps the boots stay in place. I have never had these boots twist or move at all since I Have been using them.

I used the old macs before, but they didn't suit my horses feet and ended up twisting a lot. I also think the old macs are a lot clumpier than the easyboots.

The most important thing is that you find the boot that is the right shape for your horses foot. If you take a look at this:
http://www.easycareinc.com/education/new_to_boots.aspx

this shows you the shape of each of the boots and so you can see which is most suitable. I would recommend speaking to your farrier about this if you are not entirely sure, and see if he will help you measure, as the fit of the boots is important.

I buy mine from www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk - they have a good range, and also do a loan scheme if you want to try different boots. This works out a lot cheaper than buying them and then finding that they aren't right for your horse.

 

[Indy]

I really like the easyboot gloves but the only boot what will suit my horse is the Old Mac G1 because his hooves are wider than long.

I use Boas at the moment and they are ok, my only critiscm is that the grip is rubbish

 

[Kallibear]

Ones that fit and suit her foot shape!

Once you've measured his feet up you might find you're limited to what you can have. What you plan to do with them also matters.

I've had pretty much every boot going except renegade and they all have good and bad points.

The easyboots (that fit below the hair line) are great for long rides as they don't rub BUT they don't suit very wide feet. They also don't suit very short feet as the attatchment for the heel strap will sit on or above the cornory band and rub (the problem I had on the backs).

I really wanted the Easyboot Gloves but they don't go even remotely big enough. Same applies to renegade - they'd be my first choice except they only come in little sizes.

Boa's generally stay on brilliantly, and also suit wide or big feet. But they can and do rub, The gaiters help with the heel rubbing but the dial at the front can put pressue on the coronary band. They can be difficult to get on if the foot is wide. They aren't really suitable for long rides (anything that fits above the hair line have a limited time)

Cavallo boots are dead easy to get on, but again not great for very wide feet. I've found they rub on horses with very prominent heel bulbs too. The gaiters are crap! Again, can't be used for long rides.

Marquis looks sounded great until my friend tried a pair. They were SOOOO bulky and cumbersome. And heavy. Didn't rub and stayed on, but god where they huge!