Hunting with boots on?

[Oaksflight]

If no, why not?

I've been told many different sides, the main one for not is that it causes the tendons to overheat and split, not sure how true this is though?

 

[KatB]

Depends. I never hunted cobby with anything other than overreaches as he just didnt need them ,and the sort of country I hunted him in was seriously deep and trappy, and they would have casued a hindrance. And he was out all day.

Lanky one now only does blood hounding, he wears boots because of lots of fences, and know they will be on for a couple of hours max. I treat blood hounding like an over long XC schooling session, and wouldnt go XC without boots.

 

[Jemayni]

I always prefer to hunt with boots on, however I often hunt the YO horses, they are dealers so not every horse that comes through can have a pair of boots, if I'm bootless I try to avoid walls when I can!

 

[k9h]

I have heard the tendon splitting thing but dont believe it.
Its more that if Im in very wet/boggy country I wont wear them for debrie getting under & rubbing/irritating the skin. Cob is fine & never wears boots, TB can & they all wear boots if land dry & in wire country as have to jump quite abit of it. As soon as back to wagon boots & bridle are taken off for traveling home.
Would rather they never had to wear boots but gives them that little bit more protection & saves their legs than so be it.

 

[Maesfen]

In all the hunting yards I have worked in we only ever had to use them on one horse which had damaged a tendon badly when racing so needed that bit of protection. Personally, I don't like them if horse is going to be out all day; far too much mud and grit can get in them and cause more problems than they solve. I've also seen and heard of accidents if they ever come off or weren't fitted properly in the first place. If it's a young horse, only going for an hour or so then fine but please be very careful that you clean up legs very well afterwards, I've seen some horrendous sores when they've not been done properly.

 

[lizzieuk1]

have afriend whos oh is a bit looney on the hunt field, anyway he went for a wire fence and the horse got a little deep and dragged straight through the wire v unusual for him as hes normally a v clean jumper, i think had he not had boots on it would have made a nasty mess of his legs

 

[Oaksflight]

See I don't really believe it either. Was intending on going out with boots on mine for first few times as not sure how he'll take to the jumps (i.e. whether he'll brush them, etc), as long as it's not wet or boggy area, but got this tendon melarky thrown at me. Next plan is to ask my vet who grew up on Irish hunting yard, as am sure he'll know whether it's rubbish or not.

 

[Maesfen]

If he grew up in an Irish hunting yard, 10 to 1 he'll say 'to hell with them'!!

 

[RobinHood]

I always hunt in boots but we don't have problems with deep boggy going in Surrey so they never move and I've never had anything get inside them.

My horse got both front legs caught in sheep netting on saturday resulting in him flipping over backwards. Nobody who saw the accident could believe how he escaped without a scratch.

 

[Oaksflight]

Ha ha, I know, I'm expecting that reply!

 

[KatB]

Proper hunting I won't use boots, for the exact reasons you specify! Have hunted several years, and don't use boots. Only use them now because of him being young, and only being young and leggy! And would never use them for prolonged full day hunting use. He doesnt go out for full days because of his age.

My horses always gets full leg wash and inspection as have seen some nasty grazes from debris under boots, but also seen some nasty injuries not having boots.

 

[Heidi1]

We go Bloodhounding so really only on for three hours max, bit like a long XC schooling session.... Plus they are TB's and not your chuncky hunter types......

 

[BBs]

I always hunt with boots on - always NEW max boots! they dont move and keep the legs clean and dry even in teh thickest of mud!

My horse loves hunting, but its not his job! so i want to protect him as much as i can. A few years ago, you rarely if ever saw a horse out hunting with boots on - now there are far more! perhaps because boots have improved over the last few years?

 

[bellgave]

Hunt my show horses so they are booted all round!!!!!!!!

 

[RunToEarth]

No no no.
When it isnt my horse I do whatever owner wants.
Hunted my coloured in boots last season because he was from hedge country and I didnt want him brushing walls.
NEVER had girly in boots, I think its more risk the prevention.
1) Most XC rounds last for what 6 mins? Badminton only lasts 12mins or so. Not sure about you lot but my hunting days last a few hours..upto 6. 6hours in muddy wet boots? No thankyou. Mudfeaver and much worse, I wouldnt like it, nor would my neddies.
2) Sometimes-just sometimes, we have country with wire on it, and there will always be a time when someone jumps it unaware. I saw a horse gets its front brushing boot stuck in wire. If it hadnt had a boot on it would have cut it. It had a boot on, the wire brought the horse to the floor and said horse was PTS.
I dont mind knee boots in big wall coutry, but not all the time, it makes horses lazy IMO.
I dont mind reachers, because some horses need them. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Weezy]

Havent read all the answers

No - never EVER hunt with boots on - mud and wetness can get underneath and rub and cause probs, legs can get WAY too hot - for me its a big no-no

 

[Weezy]

Can I just add something - people who hunt with tendon boots on to protect their horses hitting fences??!!!! Oh yes, its true!

 

[sunny123]

I do with Sunny because she is a nutter and likes to stand on herself, but i havnt and would never with other horses that i have hunted. Only in special cases would i use them.

 

[Tia]

No I would never hunt with boots on.....waaaaay too dangerous!

 

[RobinHood]

RosiiePosiiehunter I think you've hit the nail on the head with "6 hours in wet muddy boots". You've given an example of 'proper hunting' where I agree that boots would be unsuitable. Those of us who use boots seem to be people whose horses who have other careers than hunting and hence only do a few hours in less demanding country. I probably only hunt 4 times a season and only for 3hrs at the most which is the same length of time as a decent hack so boots are fine.

 

[LEC]

I never used to hunt with boots on but depends on the horse. My current horse has boots on all round but he is not a hunter that is only a fun thing which we do occassionally. We have lost a horse due to severed tendon in a ditch which was caught on tin when it went in. Jim hunts with tendon boots as he got a knock on his tendon last year and hunted fine for several years without boots.

 

[Evadiva1514]

I always hunt my horses with boots on. Mine wear clarendons all round.

 

[Governor]

Purely out of interest - would anyone consider hunting in these?

http://www.olneysaddlery.co.uk/prodshow.asp?id=505&cat=4&scat=75

Obviously the protection would be minimal but i'm curious to the opinions...

 

[Weezy]

Nope I wouldnt - its not just moisture that is a prob its mud and dirt that can pull them down plus I would never wear an exercise bandage for that long

 

[Fiona]

I hunt with bloodhounds and we are mostly out for about three hours. I always use boots, equiflect boots in front (smooth faux leather outer, hard tendon guard, soft rubber lining) and either equiflect or woof behind.
TBH I have never ever come home and found grit/mud/stones inside these boots, and judging by the scrapes/cuts/tears to the boots they have saved my horse's legs from being injured.
Last Sat we jumped up a stone faced bank, and as was only a narrow gap between hedge I approached rather underpowered and horsie didn't quite get both back legs up, with one dropping back down the front of the bank. The front of his back boot is totally trashed and I hate to think what his leg would have looked like if he hadn't been wearing it.

Also can understand people who don't wear boots as they have had boots slip/rub in the past, but as someone else said, boots are so good now, I just don't take the chance of going without.

Something like clarendons with elastic straps IMO is always going to start to slip if the boot gets wet or muddy, but many modern boots are great.

Fiona