Hoof boots: too much choice for the indecisive

Caol Ila

Caol Ila

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I'm not 100% happy with how my Scoot boots are fitting Foinavon. They were Gypsum's boots, which he's inherited. I measured his feet today, and as per the size chart on the Hoof Bootique website, he should be in something two sizes bigger for Scoots. Whoops.

Do I stick with Scoots and just go up to the correct size? It looks like there are new and exciting options out there, like Evos, Renegade Vipers, or Swiss Galoppers, and Easyboot Fury Heart. Does anyone like or not like these? Are some more adaptable to the hoof growing cycle than others? I prefer lighter ones over the heavy duty things like Cavallo Treks or Easyboot sneakers.

Here are some terrible photos I took today. 240658851_1282905135479908_5021927845210910555_n.jpg240612558_1190776628068898_5759177973515570797_n.jpg241006405_823394771677303_3520446398484455607_n.jpg241009781_556247985686017_3564624629765554886_n.jpg
 
Following as after my next trim I’m going to measure for boots too ? does it make any difference which make if you want ones for all 4 hooves?
 
At least a while ago scoots seemed to come up big for their measurements, have you photos of him in them?

All of the lower profile/lighter options tend to be better without much of a trim cycle which is easier if you trim your own. It might be just the shadow but his look pretty long to measure.
 
I have a simialr dilema OP.

I have currently have Scoots - one horse is great in them, the other horse walks like a plonker in them ( each pair fit correctly) . I am considering Flex boots..... one day I will remember to measure him and then talk to Hoof Boutique or Urban Horse etc
 
Looking at the photos he looks as though his feet are nice and round which would suit either Flex boots or Viper Renegades. My boy has Vipers in 125x120 in front and 125x115 behind so yes you can have the same boots all round. In Flex he fits a 120 all round but they are made of a much softer material than the vipers and depending on your terrain and how he holds himself they will wear faster than the Vipers. Vipers are certainly lightweight, wear well, don’t slip on a round Hoof and my boy went from barefoot to hacking miles in them without any rubs.

Best advice I can give you is send the photos to Liz at the Hoof Boutique who will do her upmost to sort you out with the correct boot for his feet. She can send you shells which you need to try straight after a trim but obviously depending on how quickly his feet grow they will get tight by the time he needs another trim.
 
I have the vipers on my TB. He's done really well in them, never come off or twisted, and never rubbed. I went for them as they are lightweight, but have quite a hard/sturdy sole, which I needed as we have some stoney tracks. They are fairly easy to put on and take off.
The only thing I will say is that, from memory, they are better suited to those with small/low heels bulbs, so you may want to check how they would suit a native (they would never work on my cob, even if they were the correct size)
 
I really rate vipers if they'll fit. They are, I believe, the only boot with a truly independent heel cup, with articulation, so the cup never moves on the heel bulb and there's no rubbing.
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Scoots do seem to come up big. Mine should be in a size larger by the chart but I occasionally use the spare set which are two sizes below chart size and they go on though the backs are a bit low. What is the problem with the fit of the boots? Are they just too small or is it a particular problem. If like mine they are just a bit low on the bulbs you could stretch them with a heat gun.
 
I think they are just too small. I have to bang them on with my fist and really pull the rubber tabs in the front hard to secure them. I can see that the boot is stretched to its limits. When I first rode him, before I bought him, he had more contracted heels and the farrier (not mine) overtrimmed him, so I got away with it. Under my farrier's care, his feet look better but I think he needs bigger boots!
 
Caol Ila said:
I think they are just too small. I have to bang them on with my fist and really pull the rubber tabs in the front hard to secure them. I can see that the boot is stretched to its limits. When I first rode him, before I bought him, he had more contracted heels and the farrier (not mine) overtrimmed him, so I got away with it. Under my farrier's care, his feet look better but I think he needs bigger boots!
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It does sound like it. Maybe just keep them for when he is newly trimmed and get larger ones
 
I'll definitely keep them. They fit better on his hinds, so if we get another winter like the last one where I will need to put studs on him if I want to actually ride, they will be useful.
 
Ime Scoots come up big and I always use a size down. Nice round feet suit them well and I think they're a good compromise between the easy fit but clumsiness of the likes of Cavallo, and the precise but often unsuitable types like Renegades.
Have a quick look at the Scoot fitting guide. They should be fairly tight but not rub the heels. If you look at the gap at the front it should stay parallel at each side. If it becomes V shaped they are too tight. I've just bought a size up for my Dales, who's had a grown spurt. I couldn't even get the old ones on last time I tried.
 
I used original renegades, then vipers for my horse, really like them. Vipers come up small as the sizing is the boot not the foot size. Those feet sadly look like they will be too big. You can hire shells to try for size before buying, its an expensive mistake to make if they don't fit.
 
I got on well with Vipers when i had barefooters, they were a great fit on my older mare and pretty painless to use. I did have a rasp around in between trims to keep the fit fairly consistent.
Unfortunately they didn't fit my welsh who has big round feet and nor did normal renegades. almost nothing fit her well which is why we went back to shoes all round.
 
I would send photos and measurements to hoof bootique and see what they suggest.

They recommended scoots for me and I will be hiring the fit kit at the time of my next trim.

Renegades are great boots if they work for you, I used them on a different horse but they don't work for mine. My trimmer was very positive about flex boots but said scoots are a bit more forgiving fit wise and a bit more hard wearing.
 
I've messaged Hoof Bootique but their auto-reply email said they are understaffed at the moment, so who knows when they'll get back to me.

The gap at the front of his Scoots is definitely forming a V.

According to the sizing chart, it looks as though the largest Vipers could fit. In theory.
 
Hoof Boutique do a mixed fit kit which is quite useful, although for some makes you only get the shells. I have been quite snobby about Cavallo for some time but currently have both natives in Cavallo Sports-which are far less clumpy than the Simples/treks especially if a Slim (although I am guessing those aren't slims)
I didn't get on with Scoots at all, I might try flex boots at some point as the 130s in the fit kit fit him and I like the concept.
 
Caol Ila said:
I've messaged Hoof Bootique but their auto-reply email said they are understaffed at the moment, so who knows when they'll get back to me.

The gap at the front of his Scoots is definitely forming a V.

According to the sizing chart, it looks as though the largest Vipers could fit. In theory.
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Liz is around. I needed boots for my Connie last week and emailed photos across late afternoon and she replied within two hours. Gave advice and I got more photos the next day, we conversed again and I ordered the size she recommended that evening and the boots arrived two days later so from start to finish the whole process took 4 days.
 
Caol Ila said:
I've messaged Hoof Bootique but their auto-reply email said they are understaffed at the moment, so who knows when they'll get back to me.

The gap at the front of his Scoots is definitely forming a V.

According to the sizing chart, it looks as though the largest Vipers could fit. In theory.
Click to expand...
I think that might be a case of managing expectations. When I contacted them (6wks or so ago) the auto reply gave a time scale and they replied in about half the time they said.

Urban horse and Equine Podiatry Supplies can offer fitting advice too though. Try emailing them.
 
I have found scoots come up big size wise, my TB is in boots a size or two down compared to what the chart says. If they otherwise fit, might be worth getting the next size up? He has (or had at the time) feet slightly wider than longer. I was advised scoots could work, the other option was vipers with the length cut back. I went for the scoots and they have worked really well.

Others to try are Urban Horse and The Saddlery Shop, both do fit kits and offer boot advice.
 
Not sure about how they would work for your hoof dimensions, but Ive recently swapped to Flex Boots and am very impressed with them so far. Nice and lightweight and work for my horse throughout her trim cycle.
 
To state the obvious, the best boot is the one that fits best! I'd love to be able to use Scoots but they rub my mare terribly.

She does very well in Vipers which are a superb, hard wearing boot. And the Flex suits her too and that's what she's in now. I particularly like the Flex because I can use a pad if I want to and they absorb concussion well. If you're doing a lot of work on hard surfaces the foot is able to expand in the weight-bearing phase + the sole of the boot itself, being a hard rubber, will absorb some more concussion. I doubt they'll last as well as the Vipers but for me that's a small price to pay.

Both boots are a doddle to put on and take off (even with slightly arthritic hands!) and both boots allow you to replace each component, rather than having to buy a whole new boot, should one get damaged (though messing with the cables on the Vipers can be a bit of a pain).

I tried the Swiss Galoper. It pulled off in the first bit of mud we hit! They just feel like you can't get them tight enough to stay on. Pity because they are another nice boot, though I don't know that they offer anything that the Viper doesn't?

Ideally you will take measurements for fitting immediately after a trim. It's a bit hard to tell from your pictures but it looks like you are perhaps mid-trim cycle there?
 
I recently used hoof boutique to help with both my horses who have slightly tricky sizes it seemed when looking at all the size guides!
I rented their fit kits in the modles and sizes they suggested from sending pictures to them and managed to find the right ones. Would not have been the size or makes I would have guessed from my reading! (One has scoot boots and one has renegade vipers)
 
I've just spotted some second hand flex boots that should fit mine.
How have people found them? Any problems? I'm not sure I like the tread pattern, is there much grip . I normally use Scoots.
 
Hoof Boutique advised me that Flex boots need to be a really close fit, so you need to be trimming the horse yourself. To some extent, that seems true of all boots, but from what I've heard, it might be more of a thing with the Flex.
 
Caol Ila said:
Hoof Boutique advised me that Flex boots need to be a really close fit, so you need to be trimming the horse yourself. To some extent, that seems true of all boots, but from what I've heard, it might be more of a thing with the Flex.
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Thanks. When I asked they'd been sold so never mind.
 
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