Leather knee boots while hacking out.

[Tihamandturkey]

No one has insinuated that your horse has any issues.


It is however a simple matter of physics that if you apply something extra to one side of the foot this will affect the balance and symmetry which people should be aware of. That isn't personal to you or your farrier.

Please can you just leave it? As I said before I'm not looking for an argument ?

 

[Raz16]

I have a young WB who I hack out in hoof boots & brushing boots, I've tried numerous knee boots & none will stay up! The only thing that stops any sliding down is having them done up uncomfortably tight The best ones I've found size wise are Caldene (he has HUGE knees!) but they come down too.

Any suggestions for boots that you don't have to cut the circulation off to get to stay up?

Sue Carson Knee Boots, I use them all the time and they don't slip.

 

[RHM]

Would be interested to hear thoughts on road nails on the front feet. The study referenced seems to only refer to when they are used in hinds. My mare is shod in front and wouldn’t dream of not using road nails as the tarmac around the yard is horrendously slippy. I have multiple per hoof, if they are equal on both sides would this impact hoof balance and have a negative effect?

 

[brighteyes]

Knee boots every time out on tarmac. Am thinking maybe every time out from now. Think mine might be the travel ones but are a skeleton pattern. Leather and traditional pattern.
I bet I could improve on the padding if I thought about it...

 

[Tihamandturkey]

Knee boots every time out on tarmac. Am thinking maybe every time out from now. Think mine might be the travel ones but are a skeleton pattern. Leather and traditional pattern.
I bet I could improve on the padding if I thought about it...

Re the padding - I agree 100% ?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Would be interested to hear thoughts on road nails on the front feet. The study referenced seems to only refer to when they are used in hinds. My mare is shod in front and wouldn’t dream of not using road nails as the tarmac around the yard is horrendously slippy. I have multiple per hoof, if they are equal on both sides would this impact hoof balance and have a negative effect?

My mare has tuncston studs/ aka road nails and would not be without them

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Re the padding - I agree 100% ?

I think you will find all the travel ones were made with felt. Well they were in 80's skeleton ones were actually exercise ones, unless someone cut the felt off.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

I think you will find all the travel ones were made with felt. Well they were in 80's skeleton ones were actually exercise ones, unless someone cut the felt off.

I've always had felt lined exercise ones - same in the 80s as now - the leather is obviously the protective part but they do look like they could be more "comfy" ?

 

[Bluewaves]

I have never ever considered using knee boots when hacking. I've never seen anyone local wearing them. I have worried about him tripping when out but i didn't know these existed. Thanks for raising awareness of them. One more horsey item to have to wait for payday to buy!

 

[TPO]

Mine has 2 road pins at either side on each front hoof- is this still as bad?

It's not as bad as only using one but it upsets the balance of the hoof and the normal movement, assuming healthy heel first landing.

This picture showing the impact of a penny thickness of imbalance has always stuck with me. Especially the effect that it had the higher up it goes.

 

[Kat]

I have never ever considered using knee boots when hacking. I've never seen anyone local wearing them. I have worried about him tripping when out but i didn't know these existed. Thanks for raising awareness of them. One more horsey item to have to wait for payday to buy!

If you aren't desperate for leather ones westropp do very reasonable ones. I have the brushing boot style ones which are fab. My horse has gone down in them twice and they not only protected her knees but her canon bones too. She lost a bit of hair on her fetlock on one occasion but the skin wasn't broken at all. The strike pad was scuffed but intact.

My friend has the more traditional style ones from westropp and has also had good experiences. Hers have lasted over 10 years of regular use, mine have required replacement but they last several years.

 

[milliepops]

Would be interested to hear thoughts on road nails on the front feet. The study referenced seems to only refer to when they are used in hinds. My mare is shod in front and wouldn’t dream of not using road nails as the tarmac around the yard is horrendously slippy. I have multiple per hoof, if they are equal on both sides would this impact hoof balance and have a negative effect?

my shod horses always have 2 road pins all round. our roads and concrete are horrendously slippy. i don't hack the current shod one a lot because she doesn't enjoy it but when we do go out, slipping or falling would be a disaster so pins it is. my OH is my farrier. he moans at me wanting them (easy for him, he has NO idea how slick the surfaces are) because they stop the minor slippage that a non-pinned hoof would do. well. he says they do. the horses still slip even with pins in.

for me, the risk of a bad slip is too great. when i've had horses with really weak feet he would only put the pins in behind until they strengthened up a bit. if the hinds stay under the horse they are less likely to fall so i guess this is a compromise.
I hate the feeling of a horse mincing about because they don't trust their footing, to my mind walking out tight like that does more harm than not hacking.

anyway, that's my 2p on the subject... if the horse is shod and the surface is slippery, needs must.

 

[Barlow]

Going back to the knee boots, I use the ones with a top and bottom strap for everyday hacking and I have a pair of skeleton boots for hacks where I know I might be cantering. Don’t want to risk the hind leg getting hooked on the bottom strap during faster work.