Knee boots for road work

[Hollycat]

Just wondering if anyone uses them and if so which brand is good? My mare who can be very sharp was messing about on a hack today and I was worried she was going to slip. I co-own her and we both thought we should maybe invest in some knee boots just in case

 

[mrsew]

Wouldn'd be without them. My boy went down (& thankfully straight back up!!) one frosty morning after spooking on some really shiny tarmac....all was ok but knee boots slightly marked....I've got the jeffries leather ones...excellent

 

[Hollycat]

Thanks mrsew. I liked the look of the jeffries ones but for some reason could only see brown ones - horse is jet black! I like the look of the westropp brushing/knee boots combined too.

 

[RachelB]

The Westropp ones flap horribly (I remember them being used on a riding school pony I used to ride when I was little and they sounded like flip flops!). The Roma ones are cheap and perfectly good

 

[Hollycat]

lol - Inks would not like the flapping. Will look at the Roma ones! Thanks S

 

[sarahrees]

I use the roma ones theyre brilliant

 

[Hollycat]

Quick question - the roma ones are one size. Will they fit large warmblood knees?

 

[custard]

Buy the biggest leather travelling knee boots you can get, the 'skeleton' ones are a waste of time I reckon. I never go on the road without them.

 

[sarahrees]

They fit my 15.2 arabs knees but not murphy my irish sports horse type.

 

[Hollycat]

Thanks sarah and murphy. They would not fit my Inky then!!!! The clarendon ones look nice as they have sheepskin inside for sensitive skin but are nice and solid on the outside

 

[Bugly]

I have tried all sorts of expensive ones in the past and I love the Roma ones..cheap and don't slip........

 

[nikki_07766]

I was worried about my boy slipping so have just got a pair of the knee brushing boots today, i shall get back to you re flapping etc etc......

 

[lcorbe]

Please please be really careful when you buy knee boots...

1 - many of the knee boots on the market actually specify that they're not for road work - ie won't give you the protection you need.

2 - and this is the scary one. I started using the skeleton style knee boots for hacking as my lad has arthritic knees and there is a slight risk of him tripping. The arthritis doesn't stop him being a geriatric delinquent though and in the middle of a fast-ish canter, he started the usual kangaroo hops and bucks. By the time I pulled up he'd caught the boot with his hind and ripped most of it away... he was left with an anklet where the boot had broken but the fastening had held. We were really lucky that the main part of the boot had broken away and he hadn't trod on the bit left behind. I've heard horror stories since of knee boots / fast work and would never use them again.

So yes, the westropp boots are a bit odd looking (and a leaf falling in the top can cause hysterics - not to mention a bee crawling down inside!!) BUT I haven't found that they flap and there's no danger of getting caught up in them. The cob size fits my 16.2 TB if that helps.