To Boot or Not to Boot!

[Chilledoutfilly90]

I have always booted my boy when he's turned out as he has an ability to tread on himself.... But now he's on a new yard and the horses are starting to go out at night, he has been out over night for 2 weekends now (the first time in his life ) but when he last came in one of his legs was a bit puffy maybe just coincidence but maybe it was having boots on for a long period of time....
Shall I ditch the boots for the summer or get a different type?!?

 

[NaeNae87]

I don't like boots for turnout.
They interfere with a horses proprioception (the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement) which can make them even more prone to "clumsiness". They also trap heat in the lower leg. If it were me, I would just let my horse be a horse and leave the boots off.

The puffiness could be caused by leaving the boots on for too long... How often do you wash them?

 

[Chilledoutfilly90]

I thinking the puffy legs wasn't helped by the boots if it wasn't caused directly by them, they get washed and and when there needed depends on weather and amount of turnout he gets etc
I'll leave them off this weekend and see what happens....