safest overreach boots?westropp?

NeverSayNever

NeverSayNever

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im in the market for a new pair of OR boots for XC. Having heard a few stories of horses tripping on OR boots Im considering the Westropp petal ones this time. Does anyone have any thoughts?
 
I think there is as much chance of tripping with westropps as any other make. I think though most horses probably trip because the boot is too long/big. For xc I have a pair of these although they are not as long in reality as on the example pic. I like them because they are a snug fit with a 'lump' at the back which fits round the hoof so it doesn't rotate

http://www.rideaway.co.uk/mark-todd...utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=purenet_feed
 
I know a horse that did it's suspensory ligament due to the boot not giving in anyway when trodden on, I admit this is prob quite rare but it ended an intermediate horse's career :(
 
yes they are but a fair bit of force is required to tear off a petal. The problem I personally have with the petal type boots is that there is a chance that at the point of the back foot hitting the front heel the petals could be pointing upwards and allow the back hoof to get between the boot and the front heel so basically rendering the boot useless.

All over reach boots have advantages and disadvantages though ;)

There is also a new design (can't remember make) which acts like a second hardened skin over the heel which would supposebly be perfect but think some people said they rubbed as they were fixed in place?!?!
 
My old mare and I had a crashing fall once when she tripped, tried to right herself but stood on back of overreach boot and hit the deck - I broke and dislocated my shoulder and only thanks to sheer luck was my leg not crushed as I ended up
underneath her.
Since then I am pretty careful about overreach boots! My Arab is very clever with his feet so he only wears the xc and has the westropp ones - it's doesn't take that much force to pull a petal off in my experience?
My younster has a big overtrack and currently legs a bit like elastic bands at time - they go all over the place! - he wears trizone overreach for flat, hacking and sj and westropp for fast work and xc.
 
Would the very basic rubber ones with the velcro fastening, not be suitable. One of mine wears them all the time, due to having bar shoes and every now and then he will demonstrate that they do "let go" quite easily if he stands on them!
 
Professional choice do one that is similar to the Mark Todd ones. They protect the heel but stay off the ground so can't be trodden on. The rubber or petal ones sink onto the ground as the horse puts full weight on his foot and that is when they can be trodden on and trip the horse up.
 
I too use the Woof Kevlar ones. I have lost one on occasion, presumably because the horse stood on it and the velcro came open, but never had an o/r injury.

Only prob I ever had with them was a young horse who velcro'd her front feet together momentarily - very funny!
 
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I have used the same pair of Kieffer overreach boots for about 8 BE seasons and have never had any problems with tripping. Also use them on the gallops and for XC practice. They also wash really well in the machine:D Might invest in a new pair for this year:)
 
Sarah_Jane said:
I use these http://www.woofwear.com/for-horses/overreach-boots/kevlar-overreach-boot_black---small.html you can trim them down so they are as short as you want and whilst offering good protection if trodden on they will tear or give at velcro, saying this only damaged one in 10 years.
Click to expand...

PLEASE be careful with these, I had a pair, which I trimmed down so that they only just covered the bulb of the heel when standing, so well clear of the ground.....or so I thought.

The horse managed to stand on one while taking off for a big parallel xc (intermediate size), ......cue rotational fall, but luckily fast enough that I was thrown fairly clear, & " only" trodden on, as the horse got up. I have a nice scar on my arm!

I now use more shaped ones, without Kevlar type materials, that wrap under the bulb of the heel a bit ( & are fairly short). I did try the Westropp ones, but the horse hated the flapping noise of the petals
 
Isnt it Ian stark who says he will only use the westropp type ones?

Ive never used them as i personally cant stand the noise although I guess that isnt a good enough reason if they do what they say!

I simply use the normal rubber ones for xc although I do often think how much protection a light weight piece of rubber can offer from a shod hoof - not much im guessing!
 
i rarely use any sort of OR boots, used to use them on the odd horse that i knew over reached, but mainly back in the day of horrid pull on rubber things, have used the Velcro on mark todd style ones & some very thin neoprene ones, both of which served the purpose, but generally i can't stand them & only use them if I need to
 
westropp petal boots might be safer for you but not for all the other riders in the collecting ring as the sound will spook all of the other horses! hahaha :D
 
Lol I quite like the noise! Gets into quite a nice rhythm to ride to I find!
My petal ones don't touch the floor - and my arab has quite dinky feet!
It was the woof kevlar ones my mare was wearing when we had the fall mentionned earlier in the thread.
 
Just to throw in a vote for Professional Choice OR boots - had mine about a year now and they're doing brilliantly! :) They fit really close to the hoof/pastern and don't move at all.
 
I use westropp always. but it is true you have to be ready for other people to get annoyed at you as you spook their horses with the noise, which I find very theraputic:D:D:D
 
We use bog standard rubber velcro boots. Manage to destroy several pairs a winter....Last one was split clean in half on the gallops.
 
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