Hoof boots - who uses them and why?

Russel Brand

  • Total voters
    0
S

Silverspring

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 March 2008
Messages
2,895
Location
Scotland
Visit site
This is something I've been thinking about trying for my mare who gets really sore feet in the summer due to the hard ground, she's suffered bruised soles before and generally doesn't want to go fast on anything other than grass/sand/forestry. Thinking hoof boots might be worth a try, just wondering who uses them etc
 
I used them because my horse is a b*gger for pulling of his front shoes, and can go through phases of having one off a week (a deft over-reaching style move that he's perfected!!)
I am a bit lazy though so gave up on them after getting his feet better with no shoes and farriers formula.
 
I have a pair of old macs that i bought before my horse was shod as he was footy on the roads and any hard/ stony ground despite having been unshod for over a year with previous owners. (he didn't do any road work with them though)

He is also a dab hand at pulling off his fronts so now I use them between farrier visits when he loses a shoe or two!

I like them but he really doesn't! Always stands still untethered to tack up until he spots the boots...then we have the 500mph nonchalant walk away!!!
tongue.gif
 
I used the Boa boots all summer in 2004- Solo's feet had got to the point where the farrier couldn't shoe him behind, so he suggested 3 months without shoes- that would have meant complete field rest, until my friend lent me her set of Boa's. They enabled me to have a couple of short hacks every week with Solo, and to take him for walks around the village where we used to live.

The only downside was that they did bruise his coronet bands- perhaps because they are more of a boot compared to the Old MAcs etc- so i returned them to my friend, and gave him the last month off.

His feet were alot better afterwards- and have been ever since.
 
easycare epics- wonderful in all types of ground, dont come off and more importantly dont rub. my horses have the same size hooves so i can swap them around which is great.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I take it your horse has no shoes then?

[/ QUOTE ]

She has shoe's on but she's still really footie on stoney ground, she used to wear pads when she was competing to keep her from being too sore but it's a hassle to get them on all the time for general hacking. It's interessting to hear why everyone uses them, a few people have said they use them for more than 2 years and I'm intrigued as to which boots they use as they must be great!
 
if your mare has sore feet, i'd shoe her if at all possible.
i use Marquis supergrip fronts on my big lad, because it suits me to have him unshod (he's nannying the babies) but this way i can hack him out if i want to. his feet are fine unshod though, in fact the farrier says they're much better than when he was shod. very pleased with the Marquis ones.
 
We bought one for my mum's mare when she had a particularly big deep abcess dug out, we often use it if she casts a shoe, she works quite happily in it, and gallops around in the field like normal. Ours is an equiboot, and apparently then can be used instead of shoes. Have you tried pads on your horse?
 
I use old macs with the socks and they work wonders and save lots of money on shoes...they also grip better on roads through the winter and are just brill....
 
[ QUOTE ]
Have you tried pads on your horse?

[/ QUOTE ]

She used to be competed in pads but I was lead to believe this was a short term solution, she needed shod every 6 - 7 weeks when competing (she had rolled toes shoes) so the pads could come off then and new ones applied, however, now she wears normal shoes I can usually get 9 - 10 weeks out of them before her clenches start to rise, not sure I coold use pads for that long? Anyone have experience of this?
 
Hi there
I was using those cheap shires hoof boots (easi-boot, about £15 each) over shoes until recently. They were succesful when ridden but I would not turn out in them in case they rubbed or came off in a horrific accident....

My horse has paper thin soles (not sure why, have owned him for nearly 18 years and his feet have got progressively worse over the last two years despite supplements etc) and they were the only way to ride him out. Then he started to get footsore in the field even when shod, so I have switched to pads.

The pads are working really well. I have him shod every 7 weeks, and we are on our second pair of pads. I dont know if I would be comfortable leaving him longer between shoeings as he needs a regular trim for foot balence, but the shoes stay on OK .... Im a bit paranoid about feet so I dont go over the 7 week mark, thats all.

Im currently investigating boots for my little mare. I want to take her shoes off as she is not ridden but give her some protection when I take her for walks in hand. Im not sure I want to use the Shires boots again as they are a faff to get on and off and I end up exhausted by the time they are finally on! ... thinking about the Boa ones perhaps?? Or those little ones that do up with velcro (are they by kavalcade?)

Good luck...
Cassandra
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi there

The pads are working really well. I have him shod every 7 weeks, and we are on our second pair of pads. I dont know if I would be comfortable leaving him longer between shoeings as he needs a regular trim for foot balence, but the shoes stay on OK .... Im a bit paranoid about feet so I dont go over the 7 week mark, thats all.


[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the advice, did you farrier source that pads for you? I've got my farrier coming out in 2 weeks so I might talk to him then about pads or the alternatives, having read what everyone has to say I'm not sure I want to take her shoes off. It doesn't seem like many people use these boots all the time and I couldn't cope not riding for even a week while I got the boots sorted
smile.gif

I'll let you know how I get on with the pads, thanks guys!
grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top