SHOES VS HOOF BOOTS

[Eventing1998]

Hi, looking for some advice from people who have used both/ or gone from one to another please

Shoes or hoof boots?

I've got a rising 6 year old always had him barefoot but our hacking routes have had to change meaning he is doing more road work, around 30% road 70% grass on a hack. I hack him twice a week, he is a little footy on the road, so I can't really carry on how I am as don't want to make him sore.

So do I put fronts on (£65) or use hoof boots? (around £150 a pair..)

He is fine on soft surfaces, jumping, schooling xc etc. So only needed for hacking twice a week.

I would prefer to try keep him barefoot, but from peoples experiences how long do hoof boots last or a rough idea if using twice a week, around an hours hack at a time. He goes 6 weeks per trim at the moment if that helps? or is it better to put fronts on.

Thank you!

 

[j1ffy]

I've had my horses barefoot for over a decade now and am of the view that no horse should struggle with roadwork - in fact smooth tarmac is fantastic for conditioning and trimming hooves (my horses are only seen by my hoof guy every three months and rarely need a lot of work with the marority of our regular hacking on the roads). I'd look at diet and environment with the aim of strengthening his hooves rather than shoeing or booting.

I do own some boots which I plan to use on some stoney hacks but haven't yet done so as my youngster seems to be coping ok so far!

 

[Zoeypxo]

I would get some second hand hoof boots and give it a go, or you could try hoof armour?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I use hoof armour it's great when it's dry and stony and might just be all you need.

 

[Arzada]

If you boot 2 hours pw your horse will benefit from being shoeless for 166 hours pw.

As you are considering the cost: Cost per year Shoes 8 x £65 = £520. Boots £150 and they will most likely last significantly longer than one year. At 2 hours pw I would expect them to last pretty much forever. Especially as your horse may not need them forever. Perhaps just in winter when feet are softer.

 

[ycbm]

To be honest if he can't cope with smooth tarmac I think you could do with finding out why before you go for shoes.

Was he footy on the road from the start or only since you increased the amount?

If you can go back a bit and build him up more slowly, perhaps with boots on the way out and take them off on the way home, he might be able to cope fine.

If he was footy from the start can you look at his diet and the trim?
.

 

[P.forpony]

I took shoes off my tb a year ago and it's definitely been a process!
Boots are the only reason barefoot has even been remotely viable for him.
He was basically crippled when shoes came off. He had to have hinds off 6 weeks before fronts because he was too sore to do them all at once, amd when the fronts came off he needed bute for a week...in the field...
He now hunts barefoot
But we use boots to prevent excessive wear from roadwork as our hacking is rubbish.
Scoot boots suit him really well, have paid for themselves at least 4 times over shoes, and look like they will last at least another year if not 2.

If your considering it, it's definitely worth seeing if there's a boot fitter in your area. Saved me a lot of time and hassle in returns etc.

 

[paddy555]

Hi, looking for some advice from people who have used both/ or gone from one to another please

Shoes or hoof boots?

I've got a rising 6 year old always had him barefoot but our hacking routes have had to change meaning he is doing more road work, around 30% road 70% grass on a hack. I hack him twice a week, he is a little footy on the road, so I can't really carry on how I am as don't want to make him sore.

So do I put fronts on (£65) or use hoof boots? (around £150 a pair..)

He is fine on soft surfaces, jumping, schooling xc etc. So only needed for hacking twice a week.

I would prefer to try keep him barefoot, but from peoples experiences how long do hoof boots last or a rough idea if using twice a week, around an hours hack at a time. He goes 6 weeks per trim at the moment if that helps? or is it better to put fronts on.

Thank you!

does your question really all come down to money?

hoof boots can last any amount of time depending on the horse, how much he wears them and the ground you are riding over. If 1 sets of fronts are £130 and boots £150 (about the same price) then will front boots outlast 12 weeks of shoes then more than likely yes, probably they will outlast 2 or 4 pairs of shoes. but of course he will still need trimming.

the question for me would be the quality of the feet. That is priceless.

 

[Eventing1998]

To be honest if he can't cope with smooth tarmac I think you could do with finding out why before you go for shoes.

Was he footy on the road from the start or only since you increased the amount?

If you can go back a bit and build him up more slowly, perhaps with boots on the way out and take them off on the way home, he might be able to cope fine.

If he was footy from the start can you look at his diet and the trim?
.

He was worse when I first got him, but he had been in a field for the first 3 years of his life with his breeder! I put him on supplements and slowly increased the time he was on hard ground for, and they have defiantly improved lots since then - much stronger, however the driveway I have to use to get from the yard to the hacks is a stoney, gravely driveway rather than smooth tarmac - I think the stones are affecting him so when he gets to the smooth tarmac he's abit footy..fine and fresh when we get on the grass verge, so your suggestion of the boots on the way out etc would probably work very well for this issue.

 

[ycbm]

Yes that would be a tough surface.

I have a pair of renegades that I have done 100+ hours of roadwork or on hard sand and there is still wear left in them. They are on their second fixing strap, but they are supplied with 2.
.

 

[Eventing1998]

does your question really all come down to money?

hoof boots can last any amount of time depending on the horse, how much he wears them and the ground you are riding over. If 1 sets of fronts are £130 and boots £150 (about the same price) then will front boots outlast 12 weeks of shoes then more than likely yes, probably they will outlast 2 or 4 pairs of shoes. but of course he will still need trimming.

the question for me would be the quality of the feet. That is priceless.

Decision isn't down to money but it is one factor, especially with the rising costs of just living at the moment, but also the pros and cons of each and what would be best in this situation, if one option is more expensive - that would be shoeing, does this outweigh the pros of the hoof boots, I've always had barefoot horses with great feet, so just looking into options

 

[Eventing1998]

I've had my horses barefoot for over a decade now and am of the view that no horse should struggle with roadwork - in fact smooth tarmac is fantastic for conditioning and trimming hooves (my horses are only seen by my hoof guy every three months and rarely need a lot of work with the marority of our regular hacking on the roads). I'd look at diet and environment with the aim of strengthening his hooves rather than shoeing or booting.

I do own some boots which I plan to use on some stoney hacks but haven't yet done so as my youngster seems to be coping ok so far!

Thanks, he's on a hoof supplement and since being ridden away the last 2 years have introduced hard ground slowly etc to strengthen them, as he spent 3 years in a field with his breeder prior to buying him, they are much stronger now as the last 2 years hacking I havn't had this issue, however I have an unavoidable stoney/gravel track now to get off the yard which isn't ideal and more road work, so maybe a case of needing to harden them up more, just don't want him to be uncomfortable though.

 

[Eventing1998]

I use hoof armour it's great when it's dry and stony and might just be all you need.

Thanks I hadn't heard of that

 

[Eventing1998]

If you boot 2 hours pw your horse will benefit from being shoeless for 166 hours pw.

As you are considering the cost: Cost per year Shoes 8 x £65 = £520. Boots £150 and they will most likely last significantly longer than one year. At 2 hours pw I would expect them to last pretty much forever. Especially as your horse may not need them forever. Perhaps just in winter when feet are softer.

Yes think i will give the hoof boots a try, just wanted to know any cons if there are any, but they sound what i need in this situation, yes as you've said the wet ground isn't helping so feet are probably softer than usual and he's feeling it.

 

[Eventing1998]

I took shoes off my tb a year ago and it's definitely been a process!
Boots are the only reason barefoot has even been remotely viable for him.
He was basically crippled when shoes came off. He had to have hinds off 6 weeks before fronts because he was too sore to do them all at once, amd when the fronts came off he needed bute for a week...in the field...
He now hunts barefoot
But we use boots to prevent excessive wear from roadwork as our hacking is rubbish.
Scoot boots suit him really well, have paid for themselves at least 4 times over shoes, and look like they will last at least another year if not 2.

If your considering it, it's definitely worth seeing if there's a boot fitter in your area. Saved me a lot of time and hassle in returns etc.

thank you - the fitting was something I wasn't sure about, so a boot fitter sounds ideal!

 

[Eventing1998]

Yes that would be a tough surface.

I have a pair of renegades that I have done 100+ hours of roadwork or on hard sand and there is still wear left in them. They are on their second fixing strap, but they are supplied with 2.
.

thank you, will have a look at those - I don't think the wet ground is helping at the moment in the fields

 

[ycbm]

thank you, will have a look at those - I don't think the wet ground is helping at the moment in the fields

The wet ground won't help at all. Let me know if her feet are 135x135 or 140x135 because I have both those available 2nd hand in Renegades at the moment, which are my favourite boots. I also have some Cavallo size 3 which are great starter boots but can rub thinner skinned horses.
.

 

[SEL]

I've got squidgy hooves all round right now and my lifelong barefoot mare is a bit short striding on tarmac.

Cost wise I think boots out perform shoes but my biggest problem is fit (maybe I have horses with odd shape feet??), rubbing and being sucked off in mud. I was about to give my gelding a break from shoes but after hauling a scoot boot from a bog I changed my mind.

 

[tda]

As other have said, smooth tarmac is the easiest surface for most newly barefoot horses, so you might need to look closer into his management.
I've used scoot boots and haven't worn a pair out yet

 

[splashgirl45]

Is he being trimmed too much? That might be part of the problem , I’m no expert but for shod horses I did every 6 weeks and for unshod 10 to 12 weeks with a rasp round myself if the feet needed it… because my yard was all gravel I ended up putting shoes back on as my horse was too sore, if the modern boots had been around I would have tried them first but it was many years ago and that wasn’t an option

 

[Eventing1998]

Is he being trimmed too much? That might be part of the problem , I’m no expert but for shod horses I did every 6 weeks and for unshod 10 to 12 weeks with a rasp round myself if the feet needed it… because my yard was all gravel I ended up putting shoes back on as my horse was too sore, if the modern boots had been around I would have tried them first but it was many years ago and that wasn’t an option

Yes I think I am going to try those first and see how we get on as he is only like it hacking on the rougher surfaces.. Yes my previous horses used to go 10-12 weeks but unfortunately this one hasn't got the best hoof conformation and they tend to grow and spray on the outsides so my farrier comes every 5-6weeks to keep the flares down, although tries not to take off too much toe at the same time, but this probably doesn't help the footyness either.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I tried several hoof boot brands, flex were the best but as soon as I started cantering in open spaces they would fly off or come off her hoof but the strap would stay on so it was flapping around her fetlock. Our hacking goes from stony ground, to fields, to open ground.

I think the main issue I had was fit, none fitted perfectly even if I did try the fit kits. I also found the flex extremely slippy on wet grass (mud was awful)

At my witts end, I ended up having her shod in front summer last year, only annoying thing is when she looses a shoe but I don’t miss the stress of putting the boots on for every ride and stressing if they were done up tight/loose enough.

I know barefoot is so much better for them without a doubt, might take them off in a month and see how she goes.

Cost wise, barefoot £50 a trim when I was using a podiatrist £200 for Flex boots. If I’m honest she’s lost quite a few shoes this summer so £60 for fronts plus £20 for replacing one.. barefoot is cheaper!

 

[nikkimariet]

The older fashioned hoof boots can take a real beating. I love the equine fusion ultra jogging shoe. Ugly as sin but stay put and allowed my exracer who’d suffered chronic lami to hack on roads for 3+ hours without blinking. I’m all for barefoot if you can.

 

[cauda equina]

My barefoot horses are less comfortable atm, as ycbm says the constant wet ground can't be helping
Mine are usually fine without boots but I've gone back to using them in the last week
I would definitely try boots before shoeing or even wait and see how yours is once/if everything dries up - forecast for next week is cold and dry

 

[Landcruiser]

Just thinking about the stony track - is it possible for you to lead in hand along it and remount once you are on the smooth? They find it much easier without our added weight on them. Easy for me to say, riding a 14.2 - but maybe a pile of breezeblocks or even a handy fence might help at the end of the drive? All mine have very soft hooves at the moment after this horrendous rain, it might just be that?
Regarding boots, I have boots which are ten years old which are still fine (occasional use). Of the ones I've used Cavallo are rugged and last for ever, but they are rather clumpy. Equine fusion joggers are lighter and also last for ever. Renegades are fantastic but £££. Scoots rubbed and also fell off.

 

[cauda equina]

And I've had Cavallos that wore out, and Scoots that don't rub (but do fall off)
Boots are such an individual thing, I think it's largely a matter of trial and error as even boots that 'should' fit sometimes don't

 

[FitzyFitz]

If it's just for occasional use, boots are a great option if you can get some that fit. For a couple hours per week i'd probably opt for one of the more all encompassing styles like Old Mac or Cavallo as they are more forgiving in fit. Unless your lanes are gritty tarmac is usually fine for barefoot horses, although all mine are a tad tender at the moment because of the wet ground.

 

[Widgeon]

the driveway I have to use to get from the yard to the hacks is a stoney, gravely driveway rather than smooth tarmac - I think the stones are affecting him so when he gets to the smooth tarmac he's abit footy.

When I took back shoes off my cob I had exactly the same situation (nasty rubbly drive to tackle before getting to tarmac / grass) so I bought some boots (Scoots because that's what fitted him). I used them every time I rode for about six months, after which I found he didn't seem to need them anymore and could manage the drive without struggling so long as I walked beside him rather than rode. I did that for a while - scrambled on off the verge at the end of the drive - then after another few months I could ride down the drive and he was comfortable. I haven't used them since then. So you might find you only need them as a temporary measure.

 

[paddy555]

around 30% road 70% grass on a hack.

top of the list on boots is traction on wet slippery grass. Essential you stay upright.

best boots I have found for this are vipers, renegade classics and scoots

gloves wear very well on hard surfaces/tarmac/stony tracks but less good on slippery grass

vipers wear a lot better than renegade classics.

I ride in bog and find gloves and vipers stay on.

I find scoots came off far too easily in mud unless you used mud straps and, quite frankly, I found those impossible to put on. Coloured straps are a must so you can find them again.

for thin soled horses renegades (vipers and classics) and gloves have the thickest soles for horses that need more protection over stone.

scoots and flex have thinner (more flexible) soles

good breakover is important in the boot.

old macs, cavallos are non starters for me.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

He was worse when I first got him, but he had been in a field for the first 3 years of his life with his breeder! I put him on supplements and slowly increased the time he was on hard ground for, and they have defiantly improved lots since then - much stronger, however the driveway I have to use to get from the yard to the hacks is a stoney, gravely driveway rather than smooth tarmac - I think the stones are affecting him so when he gets to the smooth tarmac he's abit footy..fine and fresh when we get on the grass verge, so your suggestion of the boots on the way out etc would probably work very well for this issue.

Mine was a bit similar on stony ground and our way out is stony so I just led him on that and his fine, most can cope with stony without a rider so it does away with using boots or shoeing, I know it might not suit everyone but my horse is barely 15h and stands stock still to mount so works for me.

I find it's only when the ground is really dry so in winter his not half as bad and we only have small areas of stony track.