To boot or not to boot??

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Sandylou

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With the ground being as hard as it is at the moment, do any of you use any kind of boots for support (tendon/fetlock/suspensory ligament/etc) while hacking? If so, which do you use and why? :)
 
naaaah...ive got nice barefeet with natural shock adsorbtion :)

However, if I were in shoes, I would question whether the hard ground is any different to hacking on roads?? What do you where whilst hacking on roads?? Would you trot/canter on a road? If not/so then I would prob just do the same on the very hard ground :)
 
My horse doesn't go out under saddle without being booted all around! Usually tendon and fetlock boots, in case he is clumsy or has a spook. However, if my boots are in the wash or I am feeling extra enthusiastic I will use bandages. It only takes a minute, and if he hurt himself I would be kicking myself if I didn't boot up!
 
The only boots that provide any support are sports medicine type boots, but no - I don't use them. I do bandage for flatwork and boot for hacking and jumping, but that's to protect from knocks.
 
No I don't use boots or bandages. I refrain from cantering on really hard surfaces but my horse doesn't brush or anything & we don't jump high enough to warrant tendon boots so not any real need for us.

I am of the thinking that boots can cause more harm than good due to increase heat in the tendons which can in some cases lead to weakness so unless I had a horse that was very likely to strike himself and cause serious injury I wouldn't be using boots
 
Wheels said:
I am of the thinking that boots can cause more harm than good due to increase heat in the tendons which can in some cases lead to weakness so unless I had a horse that was very likely to strike himself and cause serious injury I wouldn't be using boots
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^^^^This. I train my youngsters to learn where their feet are and how to balance. They do lots of slow strengthening work hacking and my feeling is that they are better without them.
I would use them for XC or if doing advanced dressage movements, but as we don't at present, its not an issue.
Exceptions were, for a powerful, WB mare who was short coupled. She would wear over reach boots if we were doing fast work, and a for a horse that has been known to stumble, she wears knee boots on the roads if its slippery or she's likely to get tired.
Otherwise, for horses with good conformation and a straight action, I don't use boots.
Like with any piece of kit, if used for a specific reason, various boots are useful. Although I do struggle to understand the rationale of wide barrelled, short legged cobs with oodles of feather needing brushing boots.
 
Mixed views then!!
The ground is so hard where I am and I don't have a menage as yet. I know walking is good exercise but it would take hours to do our local rides at walk so trotting and the occassional canter are needed. He's a young stocky horse but I do worry about his legs.
 
If im hacking i either boot or bandage alround. The one time i didnt boot up our hacking buddy spooked and reversed into her which resulted in a cut leg which had to be bandaged for weeks!! Jumping she goes bare and flatwork - front boots or bandages.
 
I boot all round every ride with front and back brushing boots and over reach boots, and she is always turned out in overreach boots as she is a numpty in a field :-D
 
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