My horse doesn't like travel boots: Options please?

[Marciamac]

I found that my horse didn't like boots touching his coronet, so whatever all the experts say, I made sure they were high enough not to annoy him. If they were too low, he would bang about until they slipped and he could rip them off.

 

[Boulty]

I've not used boots for a while. Up until my horse having his shoes off I did use over-reach boots in front but that was it. *touchwood* He's been fine so far (having said that prev horse never injured himself either with or without boots). I don't use them cos he can be a difficult loader and I prefer him to have as few excuses as possible not to get on the box. I'm debating bandages if I ever box him anywhere to do showing though as he has light coloured legs that show up poo stains rather well!

 

[Tnavas]

Unless boots have elastic, straps that first go through a metal loop or are made with material on the bias it is impossible to do them up too tight! It's far easier to do bandages up too tight.

At every opportunity put the boots on. Just fronts to start with, maybe even just one initially. Once accepted put on another until he's accepting of them.

I now only use boots when travelling horses facing forwards in a trailer or lorry. Having seen the damage done by hooves to boots when travelling forwards it's not worth the risk. If the horse is travelling sideways or backwards then I don't bother.

 

[PolarSkye]

BUT........ I would actually say that we now have LESS injuries without boots than with.

Maybe the horses know where their legs are better?

By way of an example of this . . . I know of a horse who, while wearing travel boots, tripped over a low fence because he didn't see it/couldn't feel it against his legs, and suffered a rather nasty injury to his belly/sheath that required weeks of rest/recovery and rehab.

I do boot my boy - but he doesn't mind them, practically loads himself and is a good traveller. If I had a horse who didn't like boots, OR was tricky to load, OR was a fidgety traveller, I'd either bandage (for longer journeys) or just put O/R boots on.

When we picked our boy up, he was bandaged - and for a four-hour journey, that seemed appropriate - a bit of extra support.

In your shoes, I'd just put some O/R boots on give the fronts that bit of protection from him stepping on himself.

P

 

[MissTyc]

My dumdum gelding can't stand anything near his back legs - over the years we now have a tolerance of fetlock boots only, so this is what we travel in. Sadly he was enough of a dumdum that he will stand on himself and he did used to bang his knuckles while travelling. My others I frequently travel only in the boots they will be wearing for their event or lesson ... Youngsters I do put in travelling boots - they learnt to learn them on the yard and then learn to travel in them, but older horses that will be standing still I am happy in brushing boots, etc. I do tend to use *smething* for that just in case moment.

 

[LittleGinger]

I use sports wraps - the Premier Equine ones. They don't slip (if they're designed to be ridden in at all pieces I'm more confident about using them when horse is still!), horse doesn't object to them (does with travel boots!) and they're very quick.
I'm not convinced by his protective they'd be in a major incident, but they protect L from standing on herself and keep white legs clean, so they'll do!

I use these (or bandages) on every journey - I personally feel more at risk on the winding country lanes around our yard with the cars always rushing found, cornering on the wrong side of the road and trying to overtake on blind bends than than I do on motorways etc.

 

[DJ]

I don`t use them on mine, never have ... even 400 mile up to Scotland, no boots.

If you do feel you need *something* why not use a sports boot/brushing boot. Premier Equine have a fantastic range that would do the trick and not have slipping issues:

http://www.premierequine.co.uk/PBSCCatalog.asp?CatID=2015804

 

[3Beasties]

I always travel in travel boots.

My gelding never used to like them and would panic when they went on so I spent a week working with him and now he doesn't mind them at all. I started by just putting one front boot on and leaving him for an hour or so in the stable. Next night he had a different boot on and so on. Once he was used to them individually on each leg I left them on in pairs. He got over his worry very quickly!

 

[chestnut cob]

I never use boots, apart from O/R boots, to travel. I always used to then had a horse who hated them and refused to walk in them, never mind load! Stopped using them after that and never gone back to them. I must admit I do wonder if they have the potential to overheat legs if you do long journeys in them...?

 

[rara007]

. I must admit I do wonder if they have the potential to overheat legs if you do long journeys in them...?

Most international hauliers won't take them with boots- we certainly wernt allowed them with Parker's to Hungary and back, a smaller firm to Austria and another firm from Holland.
I admittedly do use stable boots for mine now, we have a fan temperature controlled air system, without moving (much) the tendons shouldn't get to anywhere near moving temperatures and my pony is an idiot who flipped himself right over backwards travelling once. (Would have been fine without boots). All the others are still unbooted, even 5 greys for 450 miles- we washed them on arrival

 

[*sprinkles*]

Don't worry about travelling with no boots as long ad your horse is balanced and well behaved when travelling. Who I used to work for would never travel with travel boots - she claimed it just caused more accidents. Not sure if I entirely agree but I can see where she's coming from. Quite often I travel my mare with nothing or just overreach boots. She's very fussy when she first comes off the trailer and it causes a lot of stress and possible danger trying to remove travel boots when she's darting about imitating a giraffe on steroids !! My gelding gets very hot when travelling so on longer journeys I ditch the travel boots and use hock boots and over reaches only because he does tend to kick when stopped at traffic lights etc so just avoiding knocks from obvious places.

 

[Tobiano]

wow brilliant to have so many replies. Tnavas I never realised there was a difference in the direction they travel - mine go rear facing which i MUCH prefer, so I think I will go for overreach boots on the front and nothing else. I am not too fussy about cleanliness (!) as don't really do showing but I do have some stretch & flex wraps which might do if I ever needed that. If they are the right size…..

Thanks again all for taking the trouble to reply, really helpful!

 

[littleshetland]

Bandages - Its amazing how adept you'll get at putting them on! If you really can't be bothered with them, just put some leg wraps on and overreach boots (fitted slightly higher) on all round. I always travel horses like this and haven't used travel boots for years.

 

[Tnavas]

Most international hauliers won't take them with boots- we certainly wernt allowed them with Parker's to Hungary and back, a smaller firm to Austria and another firm from Holland.
I admittedly do use stable boots for mine now, we have a fan temperature controlled air system, without moving (much) the tendons shouldn't get to anywhere near moving temperatures and my pony is an idiot who flipped himself right over backwards travelling once. (Would have been fine without boots). All the others are still unbooted, even 5 greys for 450 miles- we washed them on arrival

NZ horse transport companies don't like boots as the legs over heat too easily. They also prefer that horses don't wear rugs as again the temperature inside a large transporter can get quite warm.