Knee Boots - is it worth the risk?

Dotilas

Dotilas

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I've been pondering for a few days now about knee boots..

I've seen several horses go down on the roads on their knees, and seen a definitle HOYS potential show horse's career ended because of it.

If a horse does slip or trip and go down on his knees, the after affects could be minimal, damaging to the value of the horse or career ending.

I personally have never used knee boots on the road, but now I have a horse of greater value (both to me and in money terms) than I have ever had before, and I am sat here pondering as for the sake of £20, whether road work without knee boots is worth the risk.

Your thoughts? :)
 
Can only answer from experience and I would say worth every penny. Years ago I had a pony go down on the road and did himself damage. Then I bought some knee boots, a bit late I know!! My current horse then went down. We were only walking on the road and he slipped. Luckily he only scrapped one knee but still has a scar. I never ride on the road without them now. I bought mine years ago. They are the ones with a leather pad for the knee protection then like a blue fleecey material with red binding. They were alot of money but well worth it IMO X
 
Hi
I don't hack out on roads any more as tooooo dangerous here..but when I did, I NEVER left the yard without knee boots. There is just not enuff protection if those knees hit the tarmac/concrete and and 'an ounce of protection is better than a tonne of cure'
Spend the £20 and keep your horses' knees safe:)
Bryndu
 
We use the Westroppe ones that are just like brushing boots with knee extensions and canter and jump over logs that we meet without problems. Never go on the road without them since a horse tripped with me and ruined his knees
 
I don't use them - I think I would, IF I could get some to fit. Mine are 13.2hs with skinny legs, not treetrunk native legs.
 
carthorse said:
We use the Westroppe ones that are just like brushing boots with knee extensions and canter and jump over logs that we meet without problems. Never go on the road without them since a horse tripped with me and ruined his knees
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Yes me too, have no problem doing anything with them on, there's no extra boots to put on as they are all in one and they dont slip down. Not sure if they would totally prevent injury if the horse went down hard and fast but got to be better than nothing.
 
CrazyMare said:
I don't use them - I think I would, IF I could get some to fit. Mine are 13.2hs with skinny legs, not treetrunk native legs.
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The traditional ones should fit fine- punch mroe holes in if needed. Since having one go down that's what we use with our LW 13hh up :)
 
CrazyMare said:
I don't use them - I think I would, IF I could get some to fit. Mine are 13.2hs with skinny legs, not treetrunk native legs.
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The reason i sarted using the combined ones was because my last horse did have tree trunk legs and didn't have enough definition between the chunk of the leg and the knee joint so regular ones slipped down
 
I always hack in the Westropp knee/brushing boots, ever since (and I still feel dreadful about this) my aunt's show Section D mare fell on the road with me and couldn't be shown again... My current horse fell flat on his face twice as a four year old (luckily only on grass), so I just daren't take the risk!! He canters and jumps in them, and they don't slip. So I would say it's been £20 well spent!
 
A horse at my old yard slid on the road and fell onto his knees, his injury went down to the bone, Luckily with no lasting damage. But I vowed then and there to use knee boots in future.
 
I always hack on the road with them on after seeing a horrible injury on a horse that had gone over on the road. I got some posh leather ones and they never slip. A friend of a friend got some of the ones with the straps at the bottom (the ones for travelling) she didnt realise you shouldnt ride in those ones and had the bottom strap loose and the horse caught its hind foot within the strap, fortunately it broke but could of been nasty I suppose.
 
have the westropp standard ones on both an anglo and welsh D. Do find that they take a bit of fiddling with to get the fit spot on so that they dont drop when cantering but if they have dropped never had a problem with them as they just seem to bend enough, did break the top once and replaced it with a dog collar :). Much easier than leather ones with cold fingers. I don't use them on the cob all the time as boots tend to make his legs scabby but definitely been using them in this cold spell.
 
Vickijay said:
I always hack on the road with them on after seeing a horrible injury on a horse that had gone over on the road. I got some posh leather ones and they never slip. A friend of a friend got some of the ones with the straps at the bottom (the ones for travelling) she didnt realise you shouldnt ride in those ones and had the bottom strap loose and the horse caught its hind foot within the strap, fortunately it broke but could of been nasty I suppose.
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I hack in these and never had a problem, I used the top strap only ones previously but when my welsh cob slipped and came down they flipped up and he smashed his knees anyway, they scarred and he was our of work for a couple of months so they were a bit of a waste of time!
 
its just general rule on our yard that horse must wear knee boots, my horse has pair of leather ones and we borrow some littel leather ones for the 12hh pony
 
I don't as my boy won't walk if he is wearing them :rollseyes: but my friend does after her horse bucked and slipped on the road the first time she hacked him, I think they are cottage craft.
 
When I lived in the UK and worked in a livery yard - every livery went out in Knee boots - they are invaluable - make sure the top strap is tight enough to keep the boot on and the lower strap long enough that the horse can flex it's knee properly.

Occasionally one would slip down but was usually because the top strap was too loose.

They certainly saved a few knees over the years.
 
Thoroughly recommend them and I would also go for the best you can afford. If you buy the Jeffries ones, they will last you years, well worth the extra. The cheapo neoprene ones are worthless on the road IMHO, I've seen them sliced to pieces before now whereas the leather blocked knee pads take it much better with maybe only a scratch on the surface to show for it.

ETA make sure the top strap has an elastic insert which gives a bit as the horse flexes his knee because you need to have them as tight as possible so they don't slip down. The bottom strap should be loose (usually on the first hole) so the knee can flex too otherwise it will pull the boot down and make them worthless.
 
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My boy (on the right) wears knee boots all the time as the majority of my fitness work is on the roads, this is due to my ginger boy on the left falling when he was about 8yrs on the roads and geting what is termed 'broken knees' he is 26yrs now and always had a home for life with me but my others usually get bought, worked on and sold on so I don't want a blemish like that to put off buyers.
 
those of you who use the combined brushing boot/knee boot by shires weststropp - what do the sizes come up like?? - i have a 16hh ISH with skinny legs - I only have bandages and one set of brushing boots (which are a size 2 equilbrium wrap on her) So am thinking cob? depends how they come up as dont want them too short obviously!!

thanks !!!!!!


JUST FOUND MEASUREMENTS ONLINE WILL MEASURE HER TOMORROW!!
 
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kezimac - just to let you know, the westropp boots come up large, I have a cob size pair on my 16.1hh lightweight, and they are plenty long enough and very wide - I may well get the pony size ones for him next...!
 
I use the Jefferies ones, they're expensive but an investment as they're leather and give more protection than the cheaper ones. Haven't had a problem with them slipping or hampering the mares at all.
 
Always always put them on all of mine. Majority of our hacking is on the roads, some hilly with poor road surface. All have road studs in too. I've had a few tumble that would have been in a real mess if they hadn't had their boots on. We use Jeffries Leather kneeboots - def worth the money.
 
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