Renegade Vipers?

[Pippity]

After a lot of photos and videos and advice, it's looking like the Renegade Vipers are going to be the best-fitting hoof boot for my cob.

However... They look REALLY fiddly to adjust the cable tension, and I'm a bit concerned about all the velcro considering how muddy our hacking is.

Any input from people who've used them?

 

[GinaGeo]

Get the cable adjusted at first try on - you won’t need to mess about with it much. Do make sure you really tighten the little screws back up.

And hose them after each ride.

The Velcro can be a faff. But they’re brilliant boots.

 

[Pippity]

Get the cable adjusted at first try on - you won’t need to mess about with it much. Do make sure you really tighten the little screws back up.

And hose them after each ride.

The Velcro can be a faff. But they’re brilliant boots.

Is it worth buying the special tool, or will the allen key suffice?

 

[GinaGeo]

Is it worth buying the special tool, or will the allen key suffice?

I’ve always been fine with the Allen Key that come so with them ?

 

[HappyHollyDays]

To set mine up I use a pair of thin nosed mini pliers so I can grip the cable and move it easily. Once you tighten the two screws with the Allen key that’s it, you shouldn’t need to fiddle with them again. I also have a stubby screw driver for the screws on the captivator. The Velcro does get muddy in winter with bits that stick to it so I always wash them off with warm water and use one of those Velcro brushes to keep them clean. I also put a drop of oil into the front button so if water and grit does get in the little Allen key screws don’t seize up. Having tried Scoots and Cavallo Treks the Vipers are by far the best boots and I’m on my third set now.

 

[Caol Ila]

I use Renegades, and we have some serious mud. This is the "gallop" at the yard, which you need to use to ride out of the yard. It resembles the Somme.




I hose off the boots after every ride, and I've never had any bother with the velcro. That said, sticking the end of the strap through the keepers when your hands are cold kind of sucks, but all boots IME have fiddley bits somewhere. I haven't adjusted the cables on mine, though I think I need to on one of them. Might involve throwing it at OH, who is far more mechanically-minded, and telling him to fix it. Overall, I really like them. We have done many, many miles since I bought them in August/September, and the pony seems comfortable and happy with them.

 

[Indy]

I've been through some serious mud and have never lost a boot and apart from one malfunction which was my fault because I didn't make sure the little disc was screwed on properly they've been great. I don't find the velcro a problem, I sort of double the velcro back through the keeper so I can just pull the strap and it comes undone.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

As Indy says above - I also push the velcro through the band double so a sharp pull from the front releases it. To push it through I use the hoof pick to pull the band open. Fiddly at first but you soon get the hang of it and saves risk of finger getting stuck if horse moves suddenly - which mine does!

 

[Fransurrey]

I always like the look of them, but I don't think I'd get a good fit with all the feather. I would hire from the Saddlery Shop or Hoof Bootique to give them a proper try if your horse is feathered. You can't get a good feel for them just trying on or with fit kits, which are normally just shells.

 

[Pippity]

I always like the look of them, but I don't think I'd get a good fit with all the feather. I would hire from the Saddlery Shop or Hoof Bootique to give them a proper try if your horse is feathered. You can't get a good feel for them just trying on or with fit kits, which are normally just shells.

She's only feathered in winter, and I've had many long discussions, with videos and photos, with Hoof Boot Boutique!

 

[Reacher]

I have the renegade originals - I have had problems with the cables snapping. This has put me off them both from it being a pain to replace them point of view, but also from a safety point of view as they get tangled around the horse ‘s foot - not fun at a canter . Shame as they are the best fit hoof boot for my horse ‘s feet

 

[Morgan123]

We always use renegades for endurance, they fit like no others and are less fiddly than you'd think. They are fab in mud - e.g. stayed on for 80kms endurance at Euston park whihc I think involed six river crossings! Didn't budge, rub, nothing. They last years too. Expensive but worth every penny

 

[Inda]

I love my renegade vipers, I haven’t needed to fiddle with the tension bands. They are so easy to shove on and off

 

[stimpy]

Reviving this thread as I am in hoof boot hell currently and considering Vipers. I am an experienced hoof boot user but new pony has round upright feet and my usual go to boots (Scoot, Flex) are not working on her and it looks like Vipers are the next best option.

I have the renegade originals - I have had problems with the cables snapping. This has put me off them both from it being a pain to replace them point of view, but also from a safety point of view as they get tangled around the horse ‘s foot - not fun at a canter . Shame as they are the best fit hoof boot for my horse ‘s feet

I have to say that the cables really do put me off, I do a lot of catstrophising about boots coming off in a way that the cables do real damage. Does this really happen and where do the cables end up?

 

[Reacher]

Reviving this thread as I am in hoof boot hell currently and considering Vipers. I am an experienced hoof boot user but new pony has round upright feet and my usual go to boots (Scoot, Flex) are not working on her and it looks like Vipers are the next best option.



I have to say that the cables really do put me off, I do a lot of catstrophising about boots coming off in a way that the cables do real damage. Does this really happen and where do the cables end up?

I have had a couple of cables snap - (Renegade originals) one time was at a canter and the boot was flapping loose around his foot, he sort of bunny hopped to a standstill. The other time was at a walk - on quite a new pair of boots that only had light wear .

I don’t know if this is unusual- my first pair (which were 2nd hand when I bought them) lasted quite a while before the snapped cable at a canter incident.

The cable is held in place by a screw which is screwed down onto it - so is have though it is bound to get worn at that point so not surprising if it snaps.

They say snapped cables can happen if the cables are too tight but I think mine were fitted ok.

I too am in hoof boot hell as I don’t want to continue with renegades (annoying as have a quite new pair) -but can’t face the palaver of fit-kit hell trying to find another make that fit ok. (He is fine in cavallos treks but they aren’t so good for longer rides which we need to be doing to build up fitness).

 

[Caol Ila]

I've had to replace the cables on mine. Haven't snapped yet, but when they start fraying, I put on new ones.

I'm not wild about cantering in them, especially on less-than-perfect ground. Neither is the pony -- he's more reluctant to pick up canter and stay in it when he has them on. But he prefers wearing them over rocky ground. I've just changed his hoof balancer to Progressive Earth to see if that helps him become more rock crunching.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

It is unusual for the cables to snap but they will if they become frayed and like everything they have to be looked after and checked regularly. I have only ever broken one, it was old and the horse caught the heel of the front foot without the toe of the hind which is why I always use overreach boots in front.

Reacher have you tried Flex boots? I was really impressed with the simplicity and ease of fitting but worried that they would be a bit too soft and not hardwearing enough for DP.

 

[stimpy]

I have had a couple of cables snap - (Renegade originals) one time was at a canter and the boot was flapping loose around his foot, he sort of bunny hopped to a standstill. The other time was at a walk - on quite a new pair of boots that only had light wear .

When it was flapping round his foot was it held on by the pastern strap or by the cable? That's my nightmare, flapping boot held on by cable and thus cable digging into flesh

 

[stimpy]

Reacher have you tried Flex boots? I was really impressed with the simplicity and ease of fitting but worried that they would be a bit too soft and not hardwearing enough for DP.

I'm not Reacher but I am using Flex boots and I love them! I use them on the new pony's hinds where they work brilliantly, they just can't accommodate the steeper angle and extreme roundness of her front feet even after heat fitting. I get them on but they get sucked off in the deep clay we have here in Gloucestershire. I also used them to transition my other new horse, a Welsh x Warmblood mare, they fit her brilliantly all round and ironically she is now fully barefoot and rock crunching and has little need of them. They are soft, but I have found they have held up better than I expected. TBH I think the pattern and degree of wear has quite a lot to do with the horse's action, a friend of mine wore her gloves out at the toe regularly and when I was using gloves on 3 different horses I never wore any of them at the toe ever.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Stimpy the Renegades will come off in deep gloop as well but I love them for my WB pony. He has round feet, 125x120 in front and 125x115 behind and in 6 years Ive only had the cable break once. The boot sort of fell of his foot and he just stooped while I retrieved it. The wire didn’t dig into him him at all.

That’s interesting about the Flex boots, mine would wear them out easily. He has a very high arab head carriage and a foot imbalance which is why he is barefoot. The Renegades last me 18 months before he wears them out.

As an alternative to boots I’ve just had my Connie shod with Duplo composite shoes which flex with the foot. He has hock arthritis and I didn’t want him in steel any longer so tried no shoes but after 8 months it was apparent it wasn’t working for him. I’m very impressed with the Duplos and he seems so much more comfortable than he has been for a long time.

 

[Reacher]

It is unusual for the cables to snap but they will if they become frayed and like everything they have to be looked after and checked regularly. I have only ever broken one, it was old and the horse caught the heel of the front foot without the toe of the hind which is why I always use overreach boots in front.

Reacher have you tried Flex boots? I was really impressed with the simplicity and ease of fitting but worried that they would be a bit too soft and not hardwearing enough for DP.

I’ve not tried Flex boots though I’d like to, I asked hoof boutique about them and she didn’t recommend for his measurements. Though it might be worth hiring a pair to try.

 

[Reacher]

When it was flapping round his foot was it held on by the pastern strap or by the cable? That's my nightmare, flapping boot held on by cable and thus cable digging into flesh

Unfortunately I can’t remember sorry.

I think as horse stops immediately there isn’t too much time for it to dig into the flesh - for me it was more of a trip hazard issue.

Renegades are very popular with endurance people so snapped cables can’t be that frequent an issue?

Maybe search some of the USA forums for renegades /cable snapping?

 

[paddy555]

accidents can happen at any time with anything and everything has a risk but I wouldn't have considered cable snapping to be that risky. They do need checking for fraying but other than that I think you would be very unlucky.
I consider scoots to be far more of a risk, I have had accidents with them with far less useage than renegades. I won't use scoots any longer. I use vipers and feel pretty safe. They have done very very well in deep mud. No traction problems, a lot safer than shoes on slippery roads.
My worst footwear accident was 40 years ago with a set of shoes. A rock bigger than my fist got wedged in the shoe and I couldn't shift it. The horse had to stand on 3 legs for over an hour until help arrived to remove the shoe to get the rock out. Just a freak accident and I would see cables the same way.

I lost renegades several times in bogs one day when I tried to fit a new pair and struggled to get the tension right. The horse just walked out of them and they were lost (and found) in the bog. No damage to the horse. Once I got the tension right they stayed there forever. Hate threading the velcro through the loops with cold fingers but I do trust them once one.

 

[Landcruiser]

I used Vipers on my boy's hinds, for TREC. He's very close behind and my worry was he'd damage the pivot points on the insides by crashing them together, so I always put overreach boots over them. They stayed on over all sorts of terrain at all paces, I'm still on my original pair (horse is now semi retired), and I don't think I ever had to fiddle with the cables after the first adjustment. He did once kick one off on an overenthusiastic speed-scramble up a rocky track, I have no idea how because all the straps were still done up when I retreived it.

 

[flying_high]

accidents can happen at any time with anything and everything has a risk but I wouldn't have considered cable snapping to be that risky. They do need checking for fraying but other than that I think you would be very unlucky.
I consider scoots to be far more of a risk, I have had accidents with them with far less useage than renegades. I won't use scoots any longer. I use vipers and feel pretty safe.

What is dangerous about Scoots? I dont have a pair now, but used them with a previous horse. I lost the odd boot in mud, hated the mud straps, and they sometimes rubbed heels, but I didnt see anything particularly dangerous?

 

[paddy555]

What is dangerous about Scoots? I dont have a pair now, but used them with a previous horse. I lost the odd boot in mud, hated the mud straps, and they sometimes rubbed heels, but I didnt see anything particularly dangerous?

deep gouges drawing blood in the hollows of the pasterns. I had it happen on 2 different horses. One had been using the boots on the hinds for many weeks, a lot of mileage. No reason to be concerned or so I thought. Wondered why my hand was bloody after I had taken the boot off. Took a long time to heal. I know I am not the only one this has happened to and I simply don't trust them any longer.

I also find them impossible to use with mud straps. I just haven't got the time or inclination to faff around trying to fit them and without them they don't stay on in mud or bog. Always best to get bright coloured straps with scoots. That way at least you have some hope of finding them.

 

[flying_high]

deep gouges drawing blood in the hollows of the pasterns. I had it happen on 2 different horses. One had been using the boots on the hinds for many weeks, a lot of mileage. No reason to be concerned or so I thought. Wondered why my hand was bloody after I had taken the boot off. Took a long time to heal. I know I am not the only one this has happened to and I simply don't trust them any longer.

I also find them impossible to use with mud straps. I just haven't got the time or inclination to faff around trying to fit them and without them they don't stay on in mud or bog. Always best to get bright coloured straps with scoots. That way at least you have some hope of finding them.

Eek interesting. Hollows of the pasterns? Not heel bulbs? Is that the front of the pastern bone?

 

[paddy555]

Eek interesting. Hollows of the pasterns? Not heel bulbs? Is that the front of the pastern bone?

the back of the feet/legs (where they get mud fever) above the heel bulbs. The hard, top back moulded part marked the hollow well gouged in really

 

[bouncing_ball]

the back of the feet/legs (where they get mud fever) above the heel bulbs. The hard, top back moulded part marked the hollow well gouged in really

Ah yes that is where mine rubbed too. Above the heel bulbs where the back strap is.

I experimented with the two styles of gaiters, and with vet wrap there, and padded cuffs -

I also thought about heat stretching this part.

 

[Gloi]

When i use the mud straps on my Scoots I never remove them. I have cut the slider down a bit to give more room and put the hoof through the mud strap to put them on. Just have to make sure you don't trap one under the hoof but otherwise no problems. Fortunately I haven't had a problem with rubs.
A long time ago I had boa boots and they rubbed the front of the pastern quite badly and constantly snapped cables.