Hunting ! To boot or not

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Equestriangirl123

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Do you boot up when you hunt ? I can't seem to find a pair of hind boots that don't rub my horse after a while ( one pair rubbed so much the other day he's got a pretty sore area from them) . Would be interesting to hear what you do
 
Been a few threads in the past on this, in the hunting section....

Me - no, never. Too worrying to think about them: rubbing, slipping, filling with boggy water, thus causing issues.
Most regulars dont either in my neck of the woods - which is a mix of sandy & clay ground, woodland and also hills, with plenty of jumps
 
If you can't find a pair that don't rub then I wouldn't boot the backs. I boot all round, with just a simple pair of brushing boots on the back but they stay put & don't spin, slip or rub. The main reason I boot backs is in case she stands/ kicks herself turning round quick. I suppose I don't really need to put them on for that reason anymore as shes chilled out & doesn't fidget, however they at least protect some of her back legs from thorns!
 
It is far better not to boot unless you have to - especially if you are in heavy going. Two reasons - one that mud, grit etc gets inside them and rubs. The other is that you can seriously weaken tendons by over heating them.

In no other discipline will you be riding in such ground conditions for so long without any real opportunity to get off, check boots, cool legs etc. If you have something really prone to over reach / strike etc you will have to weight the pros & cons. Otherwise let the hair on the legs grow - as in a proper hunter type clip. That will provide all the protection you need.
 
Not.
I've taken mine in boots in the past and wouldn't do it again. Without boots, he's much more careful about what he's doing (far fewer near-death experiences!), legs nice and cool and not sweaty.

He came back from hunting this weekend with a couple of tiny nicks on his legs from the hedges, neither of which would have been prevented by boots (too low down).
 
No boots for my horses, though I know people that do.

To an extent it depends on the type of ground your hunt crosses and for how long you stay out.
 
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