To boot or not to boot?

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spacefaer

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I have watched the various changes in design of boots for horses. Air cooled, supportive etc.

Obviously, the best way to keep legs cool would be no boots at all!

How many of you would ride or compete without boots?

Have boots become a habit, like the unquestioning ubiquitous use of running martingales and flash nosebands?
 
Jumping and lunging gets some protection but as I rarely do those things, they rarely wear boots! Moving my ponies home makes you 'unfollow' what everyone else on livery is doing quiet quickly and I definitely find myself riding with less and less gadgets and tack and its wonderful, lol!
 
I don't jump. But when I ride I never boot.

If I *did* jump, I would potentially boot for XC, or hunting - for injuries from the jumps.

I would potentially boot for fast work in woodland for the same reason - in case anything catches their legs like branches.. or dogs....
 
I boot all round plus pastern wraps for all work. She moves close behind where she still isn't strong in her bum so until I don't hear her knocking her legs regularly she'll be booted. Anything that doesn't I normally only boot to lunge and in front to jump.
 
Only ever wore brushing boots for xc...schooling etc, i believe if you warm up/cool down properly, there shouldn't be a need for boots..high/top level xc and show jumping maybe...
 
Henry gets boots for everything at the moment because he is a clumsy and unbalanced elephant, and I'm worried he'd step on himself (and with feet that big he could probably do some damage!) But once he's stronger and more balanced will probably only boot for jumping/fast work, or if I'm planning on doing a lot of lateral work. That's how I used to boot Rosie, and never had a problem. I'd always boot for XC, including overreach boots, after R gave herself a nasty overreach injury one of the few times she didn't wear them...
 
I only boot where there is a requirement to boot. I think you are right OP - boots, or wraps, have become a fashion accessory with people not always questioning, or even understanding, why they boot.

Obviously if there is a conformation fault that makes the horse more prone to injuring itself - then boot. I do boot for higher levels XC - again for protection. And I use brushing boots if lunging a live wire. We've only SJ'd to 1.40 and also do not boot unless also for a confirmation issue. (Only one has gone as high as 1.40 - being BS ponies most stick at the 1/ 1.10.) We did put wraps on the ISH when teaching lateral work - but not for long.

Oh.. and I did have a pony come to us used to using pinch boots, so I have used them, but again not for long.

But I do use a running martingale or breastplate - gives the rider something to grab in an emergency!
 
I always always always hack and hunt with knee boots. It simply isn't worth the risk of broken knees to go on tarmac without.

Other than that I don't bother much. I have a full set of brushing boots and over reach boots for xc but do most of my schooling bare legged. If she was shod I would boot up more though.
 
spacefaer said:
I have watched the various changes in design of boots for horses. Air cooled, supportive etc.

Obviously, the best way to keep legs cool would be no boots at all!

How many of you would ride or compete without boots?

Have boots become a habit, like the unquestioning ubiquitous use of running martingales and flash nosebands?
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I'm not a lover of boots. I did Working Hunters to HOYS standard with my TB mare, and she never wore boots. XC is a different thing though, and now my event mare is competing at the higher levels (1-15cm), I feel I should boot. However, I have now come across a problem which a lot of people may miss.... My mare is very tight in front over a fence, and at her last OI course last year, she came back with swellings to the superficial flexors due to the top of the boot pinching up against the knee joint. I'm sure she's not the only one, and if you see adverts for these super cooled boots, you will see how high up the leg they come. I've now gone back to cut away porter boots, and bandages, which look very bulky, but don't compromise the tendons.
 
I don't boot for working in the school, as Alf is perfectly capable of keeping his legs under control.

I boot for hacking because, well, this...
18119402_10155705311450730_8731751894940770019_n.jpg
 
Kat said:
I always always always hack and hunt with knee boots. It simply isn't worth the risk of broken knees to go on tarmac without.
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I always use knee boots too having nursed a horse post broken knees after he tripped and slid on the road exposing the bones on both knees.

I don't ride in any other sort of boots but do have rear sports boots for travelling because my mare needs a bit of extra support post injury.

I think on the whole boots are used for fashion or because everyone does not because of a the specific need of the horse.
 
I was spurred into wondering this as I have a horse I am contemplating eventing. I don't have any boots that would fit him as all my competition horses have been max 16.2hh and he is taller than this. He has hunted for the last 3 seasons without a mark on him, so he is obviously careful, he moves straight, doesn't catch himself, and would only be starting over smaller courses (BE100). Why would I boot him?
 
Auslander said:
I boot for hacking because, well, this...
18119402_10155705311450730_8731751894940770019_n.jpg
Click to expand...

and wouldn't that have been a right PITA if he had shredded his leg instead of his boot. :rolleyes:

Each to their own, innit. I boot Kira in front for everything as she moves a little close so we have brushing boots and OR boots to school. I'd rather spend 2 mins putting them on than have to give her a lay off for striking herself.

Both are booted all round for hacking, they have hi vis/reflective straps on the boots so dual purpose :wink3: I'd be putting on hi vis anyway.... I often ride and lead so it just gives a bit of peace of mind in case they get too close to each other.

and princess Millie is booted all round in the school. God knows she's had enough time off through injuries, I'm not risking another spell on the injury couch for a silly knock. She's learning new things all the time and is fairly expressive with her legs so I'd rather protect her all round just in case. Judging by the state of her boots it's been worth it!

Yes, in theory horses should cope without boots, but the stuff we do with them is so far removed from their natural state I don't think it's a sign of weakness to provide protection when required.
 
milliepops said:
and wouldn't that have been a right PITA if he had shredded his leg instead of his boot. :rolleyes:

Each to their own. I boot Kira in front for everything as she moves a little close so we have brushing boots and OR boots to school. I'd rather spend 2 mins putting them on than have to give her a lay off for striking herself.

Both are booted all round for hacking, they have hi vis/reflective straps on the boots so dual purpose :wink3: I'd be putting on hi vis anyway.... I often ride and lead so it just gives a bit of peace of mind in case they get too close to each other.

and princess Millie is booted all round in the school. God knows she's had enough time off through injuries, I'm not risking another spell on the injury couch for a silly knock. She's learning new things all the time and is fairly expressive with her legs so I'd rather protect her all round just in case. Judging by the state of her boots it's been worth it!

Yes, in theory horses should cope without boots, but the stuff we do with them is so far removed from their natural state I don't think it's a sign of weakness to provide protection when required.
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Mine are also booted for pretty much everything. Hooligan has been known to clobber his own legs with his other legs when spooking. He actually tore into his opposite leg so badly in the winter doing this (in the field) that he needed staples.

The Diva has a huge trot and canter so is booted for schooling and hacking.
 
No, never boot really. I believe its usually unnessessary and ever since I red a report on how they heat the tendon and can cause more damage than good, it put me off even more.
I do put over reach boots on them if going for a gallop, XC or SJ as they're both fully shod. When I compete my 14.1 at 90cm/100cm I sometimes put XC boots on his front (they're the special ones to keep the legs cool) just incase he catches his tendon as the jumps are pretty big compared to him.
Each to their own but it does make me wonder is that why theres so many tendon injuries about, years ago nothing was booted.
 
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I always use boots on my TB when she is ridden. She can be very flighty and we also live near a lot of road hacking - it just really isn't worth going without.
 
I only boot for xc .
But then I only buy straight movers I hate legs getting hot I don't boot for traveling either .
 
milliepops said:
and wouldn't that have been a right PITA if he had shredded his leg instead of his boot. :rolleyes:

Each to their own, innit. I boot Kira in front for everything as she moves a little close so we have brushing boots and OR boots to school. I'd rather spend 2 mins putting them on than have to give her a lay off for striking herself.

Both are booted all round for hacking, they have hi vis/reflective straps on the boots so dual purpose :wink3: I'd be putting on hi vis anyway.... I often ride and lead so it just gives a bit of peace of mind in case they get too close to each other.

and princess Millie is booted all round in the school. God knows she's had enough time off through injuries, I'm not risking another spell on the injury couch for a silly knock. She's learning new things all the time and is fairly expressive with her legs so I'd rather protect her all round just in case. Judging by the state of her boots it's been worth it!

Yes, in theory horses should cope without boots, but the stuff we do with them is so far removed from their natural state I don't think it's a sign of weakness to provide protection when required.
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Indeed! He moves very straight, and he's got room to drive a bus between his legs, so shouldn't need protecting. However, when he starts dicking about out hacking, he needs all the help he can get!

Totally agree re the "sign of weakness" thing - it's just silly not to look after their legs, especially the precious ones!
 
It depends on the horse I think. On our yard there are quite a few that need boots or bandages for any work they do.
With the horse I care for, I bandage the legs for lunging and use tendon boots for jumping, otherwise he needs no additional leg protection. :)
 
Only do when we jump or recently when we are in the school because he's had a couple tantrums and kicked the fence on two occasions, so just to be on the safe side! but I don't when hacking
 
Always depends on our horses, my old boy is very close behind and rather flighty so we used to boot up even for dressage, we used flex ones and certainly for jumping, we don't worry now he's old and ploddy and just hacks. My main ride now is much more leg in each corner type so I only boot for jumping. Over the years we have always assessed if they needed boots, all wore them at least for jumping.
 
Antw23uk said:
Jumping and lunging gets some protection but as I rarely do those things, they rarely wear boots! Moving my ponies home makes you 'unfollow' what everyone else on livery is doing quiet quickly and I definitely find myself riding with less and less gadgets and tack and its wonderful, lol!
Click to expand...

This! This is very true. My retired horse never ever wore boots of any sort in all the time I owned him.
Daughters horse dislikes hinds of any sort (they send his back legs a bit wild 😂) and wears fronts for xc only.
New loan horse I do boot all round as he has spindly little legs and his owner I know would cringe if I didn't!! Not that she sees him or would ask but I know her preferences and try to stick with them.
 
I read a really interesting blog post by Peter De Cosemo who laid out very logical reasons in my eyes to boot for dressage - we do a lot of lateral work and the propensity for the odd bash while crossing legs reduces enthusiasm to do so in the future. However I am not religious about it.
 
If a horse is knocking into himself, then obviously we will boot or bandage until he strengthens up and stops doing it. If he keeps doing it, we sell him. Haven't had to put anything on a horses legs for years, but just went and bought a rather flamboyant young horse, so we will see what is needed as we go along. She hasn't knocked herself yet, but has only had a few sessions.
 
For schooling and hacking I boot/bandage as required for the particular horse, but most get overreach boots. For sj always hind fetlock boots (minimalist and lightweight), and sometimes tendon boots dependant on horse jumping style. For xc boots all round, because it's just so easy for them to clobber a leg.

The potential for progressive heat degradation of the tendons does worry me, which is why I use boots fairly sparingly, and get the most breathable lightweight styles I can.
 
I wouldn't dream of putting my boy out or working him with out boots - he is a little bit close behind and wears his left boots more than the right ones = he is 20 and has great legs, so I know protecting them does work. I travel him in his work boots (mainly because he is tricky to load)
 
Bill wears brushing boots in front for hacking unless out with another horse when he wears hinds as well. But if legs are muddy then he doesn't wear any.
He wears them for flatwork.

For showjumping he wears no boots.

For xc boots all round and potentially over reach boots depending on ground :)
 
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