Sports medicine boots

[Porkie]

Are they any good and what exactly do they do?

My boy is 26 and suffers from concussion. He is barefoot and now sound most of the time and I hack in old macs which are brilliant. Just been looking around for something that may offer more support than brushing boots for general use such as schooling and hacking (he is in light work) - have read that these absorb some of the shock away from the hoof and tendon as well as supporting the fetlock etc. so might be quite good for him??

Thinking of the Professionals choice sports medicine boots, Kieffer sport boot or Roma pro tech by WB, that sort of thing.

Just generally want to give him the best chance of staying sound and staying in light work as he cannot cope with retirement of any sort!!

 

[spaniel]

Sorry but Im not convinced they will do any good. Whatever you put on the leg the concussion will still go into the foot. Its got to go somewhere!

 

[sally2008]

I have used the Professional Choice sports medicine boots and whilst they are lovely boots, very hardwearing and have lasted a lifetime, I echo what Spaniel said - I'm not convinced that anything you put around the leg is going to lessen concussion.

As long are your horses feet are properly balanced, with good frog contact and you take it easy on hard surfaces and listen to what he's telling you, I think that's probably about as much as you can do for him.

 

[mrdarcy]

I use the Pro Choice SMB Elites and love them as they provide lots of leg protection and support, but are breathable and well fitted so preventing grit getting between the boot and the leg (I compete in endurance so this is a big factor).

I have to echo the OPs though... they protect the legs from direct strikes and possibly also give tired tendons/ligaments some support but as to preventing concussion I can't see how any form of leg boot could do that. As your horse is barefoot he already has the best form of protection from concussion - his own hooves!

 

[Porkie]

I guess i should have also mentioned that he previously had a very serious knee injury and four operations to save his leg at the age of 23 which means he has lots of scar tissue around the knee which was completely exposed and ripped to shreds and where he had to have bits of bone shaved off etc. below the knee (vets diagnosed he'd never work again, but he came sound just weeks after and was determined to stay in work, bless him!!) so am always concerned about the weakness in that leg as he has been know to twist if and sometimes trips on it and thought something like a sports medicine boot may just give better all round support in terms of strength compared to a normal brushing boot to help prevent strain on tendons ligaments and around the fetlock which in turn assume will generally help the well being of his poor old knee by absorbing some of the strain away from it ?

Making him barefoot years ago has definitely solved most of the issue on concussion and the old mac boots I use for hacking have a hoof suspensory system in the sole which is recommended in cases of concussion so that has that covered, so am thinking more about general support to his lower leg ???

For that would they be more sufficient than brushing boots ?

Just want to offer the old boy as much support as poss to keep him as comfortable and happy as I can

 

[mrdarcy]

Ah well if that's the case I would definitely recommend SMBs... and I'd recommend original are the best so go for the proper Pro Choice ones. I've had the Kieffer ones and though they're okay I'm much more impressed with the quality of the Pro Choice ones - you get what you pay for I guess

 

[spaniel]

OK well I personaly wouldnt bother BUT there may be a case to say that SMB boots would offer a limited amount of support.

Given that his injury history is in the knee, short of bracing him up in a splint I cant see that you will be able to control or prevent flexing or twisting to that damaged area.

This is said in the nicest way but are you sure he is really up to being back in work?

 

[jenbleep]

i think they look good thats about it! spesh the green professional choice ones xx

 

[Porkie]

[ QUOTE ]
This is said in the nicest way but are you sure he is really up to being back in work?

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh Spaniel definitely !! Believe me I adore him and certainly wouldn't be working him if he wasn't up to it ! The vet who performed all his ops 3 years ago has been astounded by his soundness & said he is definitely up to doing the light work I do with him and only just two weeks ago had him checked again when he had his jabs done. We only do light schooling and hacking but when you see him move people can't believe he is 26 and certainly don't believe he has suffered such and bad injury. He loves doing canter poles and when we hack out with my friends younger horses who are between 5 -12 they can't keep up he's got a mega walk and trott where he really swings from the shoulders! I am very careful where I take him and what I do with him, and after every ride I use a cooling wash on his legs then a spray of arnica, aloe vera, witch hazel and msm amoung other stuff and he is on extraflex ha and cod liver oil supplements ......... (even though he is only in light work!!) He'd probably be fine without any of that stuff but I am parnoid he'll strain or pull something! Believe it or not he doesn't even had any signs of arthritis (& he's had x-rays and mri scans due to his knee to prove it!)

I know I'm probably over protective if anything but just want him to be happy and healthly and not feel any pain!

therefore am looking into medicine boots purely as a preventative measure to ensure he stays comfortable and to avoid any unnecessary strain on his little ole leggies!

 

[puddicat]

I looked at the SMB elite and they seem to claim that they protect the horse from injury rather than support the leg. I'm not sure whether their claim of absorbing 26% of hoof impact refers to a hoof hitting the boot or the hoof below the boot hitting the ground. My view is that the latter is simply rediculous but it's impossible to argue unless one knows exactly how they obtained their figure which curiously they don't say. Absorbing 26% of the energy of a hoof hitting the boot isn't particularly clever as the remaining 74% could still do a lot of damage.

The idea that any boots support the leg in a mechanical sense is also something that doesn't and hasn't stood up to scrutiny. The SMB advert talks about "eliminating fetlock hyperextension" as if it was undesirable - how laughable. Millions of years of natural selection have gone into adapting horse legs for what they do. You have got to be very brave or very stupid to suppose you can improve the way they work by tinkering around.

Using the Old Mac boots is reasonable I think. There is nothing special about them, they have a 2 part plastic rubber base which, because it is more compliant than hoof horn, will isolate concussion better than the bare hoof. I don't they are much more compliant so I don't think they will absorb much concussion but that is a guess.