Old Mac Boots or Boa Boots?

[SecretSquirrell379]

Cropis feet are terrible at the moment and have been getting progressivley worse over the last couple of months. She has had not great feet since I have had her but the warm/cold/wet/dry weather we have had has shot them to peices. She can hardly keep a shoe on and now I can't have her offside rear shoe put back on as there is not really any hoof to nail it too.

I have talked to my farrier obviously, and he doen't want to put any shoes back on her worst feet. He does not like glue shoes, he thinks that they are very expensive and do not last. I asked him about taking her shoes off next week (well the 3 she has left) and leaving her for a while until she gets some decent hoof growth and they get stronger. He thinks it is a good idea too.

I have now got her on 3 big scoops of Biotin a day and I have ordered some Linseed oil which will also help apparently.

The question obviously is what do I do about riding out. Her feet are not strong enough to cope with going out naked and need some protection. I am looking at Old Macs or Boa's does anyone have any experience of either of them, pro's & cons etc...

Thank you

 

[pootler]

I would strongly recommend this site as there are lots of barefoot enthusiasts who may be able to help you
http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/mem...mp;showforum=43
Although I am sure there will be people on here who can help you too!

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

Thank you, off to have a look now

 

[Natalie_H]

Old Macs all the way!! Have done 2 summers in then with my TB with rubbish feet & he gets on fantastically well in them.

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

Great, do you have him on other supplements too?

 

[clipclop]

I have used and recommend the Boa's.
However other recommend the Old Macs
Others recommend the Easy Boot Epics? (Think that is the correct name).

I do wonder if it is down to the shape of your horses foot that determines which kind of boot suits your horse?

I know that is no help to you what so ever, but, you may find a tack shop that would let you try them for fit?

They are pretty damn expensive items to buy if you find they don't suit your horse.

It might be a good idea to go on to the Enlightened Equitation forum and look in their forum on feet. There are a lot of people on there who do a lot of work in boots (Due to doing the barefoot thing) and are pretty knowledgable on the boot subject. I have a feeling that if you find someone in your area they would happily let you play with there's.

Hope that is mildly helpful.

 

[brightmount]

You've been pointed in the right direction. One of my horses is barefoot for remedial purposes, though in your case it could be said that a period without shoes is remedial too. I can thoroughly recommend Old Mac boots for riding and for leading the horse over stony ground to the field for example. To begin with you can expect some foot sensitivity. Boots are excellent for this transition phase.

Your farrier may just do a pasture trim. Equine Podiatrists do a High Performance Trim which together with a period of conditioning is aimed at bringing the horse to a level of full performance, and most who stick it out see an improvement in their horse's general movement, together with a number of benefits associated with well balanced healthy hooves.

Equine Podiatrists also recommend pads inside boots to start with. They use Sole Mates, which are high density foam pads that form to the profile of the sole and support the structures during the transition phase. You can improvise though with any high density foam material (e.e. floor mats) cut to size.

Even if you put the shoes back on later, going barefoot for a few months should be beneficial to your horse. Traditionally horses were given a barefoot holiday during the time they were out of work.

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

It is helpful thank you. I'm just about the go and look at the Enlightened Equitation Forum. As you say its an expensive mistake to make if I get it wrong

I used an Easy Boot on her on Thursday when I rode out and the metal clasps cut her just about her coronet

One of the problems is her feet as so short due to lack of growth so I don't want anything 'abrasive' like that. I did use it again on Friday when we walked to our lesson but stuffed it full of cotton wool so it would not rub or cut her again!! I think I had too much in it though as the metal wires snapped on the way back from the lesson and it ended up in the middle of the road

Q me jumping off and we had a walk home together!!

 

[Natalie_H]

I put him on farriers formula in June this year & my new farrier (who has also helped) says that they are pretty good now (never heard that said about him before!). He was shod a week ago & we actually got proper growth taken off, rather than the filings we normally get when his feet are trimmed. He had a horizontal crack on the coronet net band in June (when I started him on farriers formula) and it is now a couple of centimetres from the bottom of the hoof!

The key thing is that is appears to have improved the quality - but next summer will really tell.

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

Thanks, it does make sense to give her a break from shoes and nails in her hooves for a while. If they improve significantly then I may keep them off all together. I must confess to not knowing very much about the bear foot brigade but whatever is best for Crop is what I will do. Its great to have different points of view and perspectives.

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

Blimey that is good, maybe when I have finished the tub of Biotin I can try the Farriers formula if I am not seeing any improvement in her hoof growth. She would of been on it for a few months by the time I run out of this tub so I should see some results if I am going to get any (it did help last winter though so fingers crossed)

 

[Natalie_H]

My Mum's horse is on Biotin & it works for him, but didn't really do much for my horse, but my farrier says that different things work for different horses. I was sceptical as nothing seems to work on any of my horse's ailments, but this proved me wrong! If you do change, you need to give it a good 6 months to a year to really see the improvement.

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

Thats the problem finding one that works for your horse. I think I'll give her a scoop of every one and see what happens!!!

 

[JACQSZOO]

Have a look at the easy boot bears too - I have always been a fan of old macs but the new easy boot bears out perform them easily.

 

[Sags_Deer]

i use the boa boots and get on fine with them. I would also use a good foot supplement as biotin is not always enough for some horses, maybe try cornescreine one (spelt wrong), farriers formula or the equine america one. these generally have more in them than just the biotin so you get an all round supplement

 

[kirstyfk]

A horse at the summer camp I worked at during the summer used Old Mac boots, without then Willow would not have been able to be be used. And I would definately recommend them. They were also used on a horse who was severly foot sore, without thewmhe could hardly walk but he was trotting round his field with them on.

I used keratex on an old horse with bad feet and it helped a lot. It is also cheaper than farriers formula. Like sammyj said I would also use cornecresent.

 

[Doublethyme]

Old Mac G2's outperform every boot on the market at the moment. They are easy to put on and take off and the traction off road is second to none.

If you do got to the EE website to which you have been directed above, put a search in on boots and you will see that the G2's are the boot of preference for most people. Although as someone quite right pointed out above, it can be a case of different boots suiting different horses, but I have yet to read anyone who hasn't got on with the G2's.

 

[Tia]

I have Old Macs and they are brilliant! One of my boarders has Boas and she wishes she had bought Old Macs - she is totally fed up of the Boas breaking and losing the turny thing.

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

Thats excellent, thanks everyone. Old Macs it will be then. I had a quick look on EE last night but didn't get a chance to post anything up. I am going back over there in a bit to read a bit more. I will certainly have a search for the G2's.

I am not sure what to do about ther supplements. I don't want to jack the biotin in too quick before it can have a chance to work but don't want to waste my time if others experience of it is ok but not as good as others. Her feet did improve last year while she was on biotin but not sure if it was the biotin or the weather. ooohhhh i need a crystal ball!!

 

[JaneSteventon]

I find Boa's great used them for transition and in winter when their feet soften up in the mud. Have no experience of old mac's so can't compare though. To keep my horses feet in good nick I feed alfalfa nuts soaked, seaweed and linseed. One horses has always had good feet regardless, but the other had awfull feet but now my farrier says they are good as my mares and seaweed and alfalfa a great for horses feet.

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

I have started her on linseed oil tonight which apparently will help as well. Fingers crossed, its just a shame they take so long to grow and to see some improvment!

 

[freckles22uk]

Hi,
since you pm'ed me Ive been looking through your posts, i did think your mare looked i bit like "Funny" now I know why

(to everyone else, ou horses are half sisters)
ive got Old Macs, which I use on Funny as we went barefoot with her this year, and she was VERY footy, I found the Old Macs really good, and I bought them from someone in America, (Ebay) as it was cheaper than the UK, incuding the postage.

Jenny

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

Crikey Cropi does look like Funny

Be prepared for a mega email. I am going to send you over as much info as I can get tonight as well as lots of pics

I have got the farrier coming tomorrow to take Cropis shoes off and barefoot it is for us. I am going to get the Old Mac Boots for sure. I will have a look at Ebay

[whispers] I am so excited having found Cropis half sisters and brothers, I have a very silly grin on my face![slinks off to a corner to grin!]