New to hoof boots!

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unicorndreams

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After umming and ahing about it for a few years I've finally taken the plunge and had the shoes removed from my TB mare. My farrier has done much to improve the shape of her front feet but her back feet 'had stopped growing' and he was recommending bar shoes and pads. Reluctant to go down this route I decided to try to see if we can improve her feet more naturally and enlisted a well regarded trimmer.
She's had a couple of weeks off, and a minimal trim to set her up, leaving the heels well alone for now - they are underrun as you might expect with a TB. She's comfortable ridden on grass but 'ouchy' on gravel (no surprise given how early we are into this). I've done my research on feeding etc (some great posts on here about that already, thx) what I'm really interested in your advice and suggestions on starting work in hoof boots, how much exercise, how to minimise rubbing, what to look out for?
She's very fine skinned with 'stick-like' legs so my trimmer sent me some Easyboot gloves (he said anything else would be like putting Doc Martins on a supermodel!). With her low heels especially on the hind feet I'm concerned that the edge of the rubber will rub her heel bulbs. Should I vet-wrap them or will that 'ride up' with the movement? Any suggestions? I don't want to make her sore before we even get started!
(yes I'll be mod-ing the straps as suggested on here to avoid rubs where that overlaps at the front of the pastern)
 
I've done hundreds of miles in gloves and my only problem has been the front overlapping gaitor problem that you are obviously aware of.
I would put the boots on without any vet wrap and walk out in hand a little. If no rubbing try a little further. Bit more each day over a week or so and see if you actually have a problem. If you have somewhere safe to do so try riding a couple of miles, take the boot off and check. If you have a yard/pen you could put the boots on, leave her for an hour and take them off to check for damage.

Don't know if your trimmer has sent you pads but they may be a possibility which will alter the height of the feet in the boot and therefore the height of the back in relation to the bulbs. You can certainly get 6mm pads in gloves and if your heels are low I suspect they may well be pretty small feet heightwise and you may get 12mm pads in. These would alter the bulb postion again.
 
Thanks, yes the trimmer left me with 6mm pads for her back feet because the heels are so rubbish that she has put down bars to provide the additional support. I can do some short rides around the local lanes. I guess I'm over anxious as she lost a shoe on one hind some weeks ago and just walking back down the gravel lane grazed her heels poor lass. Its just about healed up (no pun intended)
 
OK so we are 3 weeks into our barefoot programme. Interesting times! I got hoof boots all round but struggled to keep the hind boots straight - by the time I got the the end of the lane they had twisted about 2cm to the side on both feet (she does skew her feet on strike off). So I took the plunge and went without boots on her back feet and so far so good, no sign of grazes to the low heels, so sign of her being sore/tender on her soles or frog. She does step a little more cautiously when on sharp gravel but is fine on roads and grass, we've kept to short rides and she's happy to be going out again.

Her front feet are definitely growing, the digital cushion is much improved and the hoof walls are starting to shape themselves. Her hind feet are not chipping or cracking etc but as the farrier was concerned that 'she'll never grow any heel' i am wondering how to make sure that I don't overdo it? After 3 rides on mixed going she has just started a little bit of wear on the bars and the underrun heel but I'm still not seeing much growth in those hind feet yet and the digital cushion doesn't seem to be much improved (those hind feet have a lot of improving to do!) How much can I expect in such a short time? Will it be the wearing of the bars and heels that will stimulate growth or will I have a fine balancing act of work and rest to improve them?
 
Hopefully one of the very knowledgeable Barefoot Taliban will be along shortly to offer advice. I'm only a novice.

It is my understanding that the foot will respond to the stimulation provided by work/movement. So if she needs to grow more hoof she will do it. I think it is unlikely that you will wear her hooves away but until the growth starts in earnest just increase her movement a little at a time.

HTH
 
unicorndreams said:
but I'm still not seeing much growth in those hind feet yet and the digital cushion doesn't seem to be much improved (those hind feet have a lot of improving to do!) How much can I expect in such a short time? Will it be the wearing of the bars and heels that will stimulate growth or will I have a fine balancing act of work and rest to improve them?
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I believe the best way of improving the back of the foot is using thick pads in suitable boots with lots and lots of exercise. I haven't really found the balancing act of work and rest helps. They need the stimulation of work to improve. You've obviously got any fungal infection sorted.
From your description of your hinds I am getting the impression of feet with little vertical height. If that is the case it may be possible with your gloves to use 12mm pads. If your feet are relativey low that size pad shouldn't raise them too much out of the boots. Also there will be more padding material at ground level and it may just fill the gaps sufficiently to enable you to stop them twisting. (obviously if you do this do a lot of walking first to make sure the boots stay firmly put before you canter etc)

You could also check the actual size of your hinds ie are they too big.
Put them on, leave the gaiter unfastened. Put on hand on each side and try and twist them around the hoof. You shouldn't be able to twist them at all if they are the correct size.
 
Renegade hoofboots and all you problems solved!! Hoof bootique rents them out for two weeks to try. Measure the hoofs 3 weeks after the last trim and have then fitted by the trimmer. I do everything in my boots from galloping downhill on grass and going trough deep mud al perfect!! Good luck
 
Kikke said:
Renegade hoofboots and all you problems solved!! Hoof bootique rents them out for two weeks to try. Measure the hoofs 3 weeks after the last trim and have then fitted by the trimmer. I do everything in my boots from galloping downhill on grass and going trough deep mud al perfect!! Good luck
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not a bad boot but more expensive than gloves plus I got half the wear out of my renegades that I do out of the gloves which made them a really expensive boot.
 
paddy555 said:
not a bad boot but more expensive than gloves plus I got half the wear out of my renegades that I do out of the gloves which made them a really expensive boot.
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Yes much more expensive but you get what you pay for.......! And no problems, movement rubbing etc is worth paying for.
Plus if you look at them carefully they are the only boots on the market that work as the hoof works even their sole is as a horse sole. I don't think nature makes mistakes so can't think of a better reason to pay a little more. :)
 
My TB Is going very happily in Old Macs , I was not at all sure when I saw them but my trimmer assured they where the best option for him .
I have them sussed now a bit of vet wrap on the inner strap and I put old pop socks over his feet first no rubbing at all.
 
Thanks folks, some food for thought there :-) Yes her hind feet are pretty flat, they are worse this year than previously which is either all the lush grass this year due to wonky weather or just that they've got progressively worse in a typically TB way. I tried the hoof boots with 6mm pads last night which didn't seem to help but did allow me to see the outline of her hoof on the pad which made me think that its her hoof shape itself - I used a screw driver to lever the side of the boot away from the hoof so I can see how tight it fits I can see the toe is in the front of the boot, the heel is in the back, the widest part of the hoof touches the side (all good so far!!) but there's a 3-5mm gap in front of the widest part of her hoof on the outside wall - kinda hard to describe but her hoof is obviously not a perfect oval and looks a little squished on one side! I love the look of the renegades but maybe before splashing out on those I'll try something like Old Macs. What about Cavallo's too, they seem to come up cheap second hand or new? I was a bit worried they might look a bit 'clumpy' on my mare's very dainty legs!
 
Kikke said:
Yes much more expensive but you get what you pay for.......! And no problems, movement rubbing etc is worth paying for.
Plus if you look at them carefully they are the only boots on the market that work as the hoof works even their sole is as a horse sole. I don't think nature makes mistakes so can't think of a better reason to pay a little more. :)
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different boots fit different horses. I have never had movement or rubbing in gloves. I didn't either in renegades. However I sold my renegades and used the money to buy more gloves. I used both on my horse and listened to his reaction. He like the gloves more than the renegades.

OP
putting old macs, cavallo boots on your hind feet will be clumpy and there is also the question of the breakover with those boots. Can you ask your trimmer to look at your gloves and see if they can improve them for you? They may be able to.
 
Thanks Paddy, will do - he's not due for another month yet so I'll do most of my riding in the field/school with only occasional short hacks until he's due. I knew her feet would change a lot but wow how fast that change is - from boots that fit week 1 to being too big by week 3! Ditto with front feet so now I have two sets of barely used hoof boots to sell - Ebay here I come!
 
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