knee boots

[paddy555]

I'm looking for knee boots for my 4yo next year when I start riding him (on the roads). What makes people have found to be the best for riding in, easiest to put on, best at staying put etc. He is 15hh and has medium sized legs. Any makes that just didn't work would also be helpful. Thanks.

 

[Red-1]

I have the WoofWear black ones for my baby, top and bottom strap with hard plastic shell with softer part under.

They stay in place for general hacking.

I did have some Westropp ones, and like the idea of no top strap, but they tend to slip round so I suspect the knee plate may not stay in place if the horse actually falls.

My old horse was wearing Woof Wear ones back in 1999 when he was hit from behind by an elderly drink driver. One bit was almost worn through, the other scuffed, but his knees survived intact. The same could not be said for his gravel rashed shoulder or his bottom which had glass and a windscreen wiper in them.

Happily, he was wearing overreach, 4 X brushing and knee boots and once the superficial cuts were healed he was just fine and went on to do his best eventing after the accident. The only scars he has were from the windscreen wiper and the edge of the windscreen, but they would have been easy to overlook even a few months later.

 

[paddy555]

I have the WoofWear black ones for my baby, top and bottom strap with hard plastic shell with softer part under.

They stay in place for general hacking.

I did have some Westropp ones, and like the idea of no top strap, but they tend to slip round so I suspect the knee plate may not stay in place if the horse actually falls.

My old horse was wearing Woof Wear ones back in 1999 when he was hit from behind by an elderly drink driver. One bit was almost worn through, the other scuffed, but his knees survived intact. The same could not be said for his gravel rashed shoulder or his bottom which had glass and a windscreen wiper in them.

Happily, he was wearing overreach, 4 X brushing and knee boots and once the superficial cuts were healed he was just fine and went on to do his best eventing after the accident. The only scars he has were from the windscreen wiper and the edge of the windscreen, but they would have been easy to overlook even a few months later.

Jeez, how awful. Poor horse and poor you.
I have been looking at the woof wear ones online so hoped someone would comment. There don't seem to be many makes around in knee caps.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I'm looking for knee boots for my 4yo next year when I start riding him (on the roads). What makes people have found to be the best for riding in, easiest to put on, best at staying put etc. He is 15hh and has medium sized legs. Any makes that just didn't work would also be helpful. Thanks.

I stick to the old travelling boots, the leather pad is much kinder to knees in the eventuality of a horse falling and slipping on the road or travelling https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Horse-kn...=item23b0054d02:g:vHMAAOSwTiVb-r6b:rk:34:pf:0

They maybe time consuming to put on, but after my mare fell twice on the road, I would not consider
A) material knee pad
B) combination brushing/knee boot
C) this type with no bottom strap as I have seen it first hand flipping up as horse fell, leaving horse to actually land on his knees. When you think of a 500kilo horse coming down, i want something strong which
wont tear,
won't break,

if they skid down on tarmac.like this time

Livery

sorry for the size

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Gibsons Saddlers have very reasonably priced traditional leather knee boots which are good quality. One of mine wears them all the time and I scrub the mud off in the sink with soapy water, dry over the radiator and then treat the leather bits with Stubben leather cream. 3 years old and still going strong and they get used every time I ride. Never slip or twist and have saved his knees on more than one occasion because even at 8 he still forgets he has 4 feet.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I use Jeffries skeleton boots. Fab until we cantered and they ended up round her ankles. 😂 but I don't think the top strap was tight enough and the bottom strap was not loose enough do think it was a fitting error rather than the boots themselves. Tried westropp combined boots and they slipped round and down. I'm going to give the Jeffries another try before going for the ones without the bottom strap... but would still stick with the skeleton boots if I wasn't planning a canter. Balance of risk I suppose.

People have such weird reactions to knee boots... "does she trip?" Erm no she hasn't yet but I don't want to wait until she does...

 

[paddy555]

Gibsons Saddlers have very reasonably priced traditional leather knee boots which are good quality. One of mine wears them all the time and I scrub the mud off in the sink with soapy water, dry over the radiator and then treat the leather bits with Stubben leather cream. 3 years old and still going strong and they get used every time I ride. Never slip or twist and have saved his knees on more than one occasion because even at 8 he still forgets he has 4 feet.

those must be the ascot boots which are on my list and seem pretty reasonably priced.

Just the sort of injury I was trying to avoid Iluvcowparsely.

My first knee caps bought 40 years ago used to slip down, I thought knee boot design would have moved on over the years.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Yes they are the Ascot boots, thoroughly recommend them. Half the price of the Jeffries and essentially do the same job. I only bought the Ascots because my Jeffries top strap snapped and they were a stop gap while the others were repaired and I'm still using them 😁

 

[Barlow]

I use the Jeffries style ones. I was gutted when the felt fabric wore through after 7 years of ownership! I found a pair with leather instead of fabric for £10 on eBay and am hoping they won’t wear through.

 

[pansymouse]

I use Jefferies skeletal ones and have since my old horse broke his knees in 1992. You do have to do the top strap as tight as is physically possible but mine hardly ever move and I do everything including jumping and galloping in them. I have never found a synthetic pair that will stay in place at anything more than a walk.