The use of boots, bandages etc, needed or fashion statement ?

welshcobabe

welshcobabe

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I can see why you would use over reach boots, travel boots, knee boots etc. But having just looked after my friends livery yard for a week I was amazed at the array of boots, bandages etc that the liveries used for hacking out. It got me thinking are they nessary or just a fashion statement as some of the liveries had really expensive leather brushing boots etc and some where only hacking a mile round the block, yet friends of mine that do endurance etc thier horses never wear boots or bandages as its thought they get dirt underneath and cause more problems than they are worth what are your thoughts ?
 
Depends on the horse and it's conformation and and health history really doesn't it.

My old chap had the top notch Clarendon hunt boots on behind, because he was close beind and he did brush, he managed to ware the bottoms of out of them over three years and they're supposed to be indestructable. Thing is when he was moving it was hard to spot.

New chap always has bandages on because he's a baby and just learning and does tend to whack into one leg every now and then.
 
I did endurance for 10 years and always booted my horses in front, never had a rub or even a slipped boot, even doing 100 miles on heavy moorland.

I think sometimes it is a fashion statement with regards to colour etc, but I honestly believe you can never be too careful. It only takes a horse to trip and it could put a foot through a tendon. I may be paranoid but having seen it, I just wouldn't want to take the risk.

Whether you need really expensive top notch boots, who knows, but if they can afford them and they fit etc. I would have no problem with someone using them as a fashion statement.

I personally won't ride a horse in my care without front boots (not knee or over reach though) on. But that is just me. Each horse and rider is different.
 
My new horsey wears his overreach boots all the time, he has low heals at the front and his shoes extend a little way beyond his heal to support them so I really don't want him stepping on the shoe and yanking it off. He wears brushing boots all round which he probably doesn't need but they are cheap-ish ones and only take seconds to put on and I think 'better safe than sorry' you just never know when they might slip, trip, spook etc.
 
I think sometimes they can be a fashion statement to make your horse all colour coordianted. However i do use brushing boots when hacking, as he can sometimes brush behind. and when he is in one of his silly moods we can have legs flying all over the place... so its just a precaution lol
As alibabe said, i cant see my horse brushing when walking behing him, but i can hear them scraping togerther when riding!


and he does have OR boots on too. when he was vetted the vet said it looked like he had scars from possible OR'ing so ive always put them on. Better safe then sorry

Now my farrier has reccomended them for TO as he was losing his shoes as hes a bit of a looney in the field and spends most the day charging round!
 
One of my TBs needed professional sports boots on front following fracturing her fetlock. My other TB and WB worn them for faster work and jumping. General hacking and dressage they did not but we were not doing anything major.

My hairies do not wear them - they don't jump that high, have sturdy legs and with all the feather they have natural protection for thorns etc. There is also the problem of getting all that hair under boots.

All depends on the horse, but most horses probably do not need them for a gentle hack out.

My personal opinion is that legs are better left unsupported etc unless they need it, and to date apart from an injury all mine have never been lame or had weakness in the legs - but maybe I am just lucky.
 
When his feathers are long we don't use boots generally as there is soo much hair that he doesn't really get rubs/bumps. Now we have taken it all off he gets sports boots for general work, brushing behind and if jumping over reach boots as he can forget he has legs some times!
He doesn't wear anything in the field, despite it being stoney as I do believe that if he wears support all the time then his legs will just be weaker without them.
 
If I'm hunter trialling or showjumping I put boots on Castle, sometimes I use boots when I'm cross-country schooling but not always. When I hack him out I don't bother with boots or bandages as he's sensible, and when I lunge him I put bandages on, and depending on what I'm doing for flatwork I'll put bandages on him too. Whether Ali is being ridden or lunged, I always put boots or bandages on him, no matter what he's doing as he isn't exactly a sensible type! For hacking I use boots or bandages on him as well.
 
I've got two horses neither of which wear boots or bandages except for travelling. One is 15 (owned her for 12 years) and has very clean legs except for one splint (kicked) and the other is 4 and had two splints when i bought him, he was unbacked so would have got them in the field (he was kept in a herd). Neither brush or over reach etc so i don't feel the need to use boots and it's never caused me a prob
 
Boots, bandages, etc. are pretty useful for protection but they can't support anything.

Too tight is worse than nothing.


All advice from my vet.
 
Mine always, always wear at least brushing boots on all four legs when XCing, but that's about as far as I go. Neither of mine brush so don't wear boots for anything else, apart from that one of them has egg bar shoes in front so to stop him ripping them off (he's a big mover) he has over-reach boots on whenever he's outside the stable. TBH sometimes it really is just a fashion statement, but in some cases horses really do need them! I would always think very carefully about booting up for hunting or something similar, as then the risk of getting dirt and rubs under the boots is far greater.
 
Its very interesting to hear all your views, my two are a sturdy welsh D and a Fresian both have high knee action both touch wood have clean legs. My Fresian is young and can sometimes over reach so he has over reach boots on when hacking.

It was just having seen all these boots and bandages at the livery yard and not been one for putting boots etc on mine I got to thinking was it an advantage and were my horses missing out as I do 4 hour hacks over the pennine trail but they seem to be doing fine without. Thanks for all your comments.
 
Murphy has over reach boots because he over reaches. He wears brushing boots when lunging/schooling because he brushes and he has tendon boots for jumping because he sometimes knocks his fronts with his backs.

I dont have anything against the use of boots and bandages.
 
I have young warmbloods and sport horses and they are booted or bandaged up all round everytime I work them and they even have overreach boots on for lunging. I am very paranoid about legs, especially when you have a big muscly youngster with spindly legs that doens't quite know what to do with them yet! I think it depends on what type of horse you have and what work they do. On older horses I don't tend to bother too much it's just the young or expensive ones that I get the OCD with boots!!!
For xc and hunting I have sabre eventing boots because they don't hold water and slip down and are near impossible to pull off. For sj I have ordinary eskadron tendon and fetlock boots and some JHL ones for finals or big shows. These are really quick and easy to put on and take off and the horses hardly know they have them on. For dressage I like to bandage up if I can be bothered but I am on the look-out for some quick wrap sports boots for everyday schooling. For hacking and general work I use clarendon hunter/competition boots as they offer really good allround protection and are comfy for the horse.
I use ordinary woof wear boots or NEW boots for turnout on a few horses but not many of my horses get turned out in boots.
 
My horse wears brushing boots or bandages all round and over reach boots. We do lots of lateral work when schooling so they are really just a precaution. She can have major paddies at times and throw her legs about, its not worth risking injury.
 
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