Making horse boots fit

[zandp]

My mare (ID/Conn) has mahoosive feet and I have the one pair of boots that are made that come anywhere near fitting her - Trelawne Easyboots, in a 6.

She's been barefoot years and has a lot of underlying issues that seriously affect the quality of her feet. She's on a track for turnout. Fed a handful of something to carry her balancer in - normally Agrobs or Thunderbook or soaked grass nuts; I have been feeding Pure Feeds balancer because of cost but am now back working in an office job again and so am moving back to Forage Plus which has worked for us in the past. Also has linseed and soaked hay.

I have never been able to get the Easyboots to stop swivelling too much, I know there will be some movement but as soon as she trots one normally flies off. They fit quite well length ways, until her wall starts collapsing and her feet flare and chunks come off. Width ways they only fit in places.

i've tried a lot of "bodging" to get these to work - and am now asking if anyone else has any ideas - list them all if you can I may not have tried them.

 

[tallyho!]

Sorry I'm not sure I understand... why are her walls collapsing and you have loads of flare?

 

[zandp]

she has PPID and EMS.

I am really after ideas for making boots fit, thanks.

 

[ester]

So 'trelawne' isn't a type of easyboot just perhaps the UK seller? the ones wiht the cable?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

You might have to get a different boot. In my experience certain brands and/models fit certain shapes better than others. I'd take a fresh measurement after her next trim and shop around if these don't fit her shape well. Some fit narrower, rounder, larger, etc. hooves better than others.

Now, if the boots fit initially but as she gets further into her trim cycle the hooves begin chipping and this causses a fit issue, short of having another pair, I'm not sure how you could make them fit.

I'd also buy myself a good rasp to rasp between trims to prevent sharp edges that occur from minor chips that can lead to larger pieces breaking off of the hoof.

 

[Auslander]

she has PPID and EMS.

I am really after ideas for making boots fit, thanks.

Maybe buy some that are more suitable for the shape of her foot?

 

[zandp]

So 'trelawne' isn't a type of easyboot just perhaps the UK seller? the ones wiht the cable?

Yes, the ones with the cable, I've had them years - the label on the box says Trelawne ?

The boots don't fit at all if her feet lose chunks, they are truly massive then.

I've tried vetwrapping all sorts of directions to give some traction to the boot, I've sent templates off to both manufacturers and retailers and the boot I have is the one closest to fitting her that is made currently. Shoeing isn't an option as the damage the shoes leave in her walls when the shoes fall off - about a week after shoeing)- is even worse than the effect of grass on her feet when she's barefoot. I've tried the easy boot pads, I've tried other pads, I'm at a loss and am hoping any ideas anyone has may be of use to making these boots work.

I'm on a yard so can't do a totally grassless track, but it's as grassless as I'm allowed to make it.

 

[ester]

They are the original Easyboot then, I think you can add a gaiter to them to make them easyboot 'epics'
https://www.easycareinc.com/our_boots/Easyboot-Epic.asp which might help a bit - I use gloves with a similar gaiter set up.
Muller tape is usually advised for traction but wouldnt' fill out any space per se.
There are a few more 'large' options about now which helps but still not many.I think you are limited to cavallo big horse, and easyboot trails, or old macs (+what you are using). It's a shame I don't think the fusions will go up big enough as a softer boot might have helped.

Have you tried home making pads with yoga mat? am wondering if you could make them slightly bigger than the base of the hoof/boot to fill in some of the extra space.

 

[zandp]

I have before with little success, and have tried the easy boot pads but OH isn't wfh at the moment and he's clearing up the loft and has just found another yoga mat for me to try with so off to try again later. Thanks.

 

[Gloi]

I think from what you are saying about chunks of wall coming away I'd be looking at a different way of having her feet trimmed so there isn't so much wall to be breaking away. Have you got a lot of flare and white line separation that makes this happen.
Have you pictures of her feet? She hasn't got HWSS through her Connie side causing the problems hopefully