To buy or not to buy hoof boots

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Smithybaby

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Hello all horsey people out there. I really could do with some advice please. I live in Saudi Arabia and I own an arab horse. The majority of time my horse walks on soft sand and he has good feet, so I don't bother with shoes. He's been barefoot all his life and he's 10 years old now.

Rules are a little strict in Saudi about women riding and hacking out, however we're going to give it a go. He's been on a few hacks before and he's been fine. However the older he gets the stiffer in the legs he gets. The terrain out side the stables is gravel, rocks and hard sand. I can't decide if I should get him some hoof boots to cushion his feet a bit or if I should leave him barefoot to toughen his feet up a bit more.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you for looking at my post.
 
I'd leave barefoot, the hoof has its own natural defence against concussion if properly developed, if he gets footsore then just build up gradually. Enjoy your hacking!
 
If you want to go on a 3hr hack once a week, get hoof boots. If you're prepared to start at eg 10min daily and build it up gradually, then continue to hack regularly, you should find his hoofs toughen up fairly soon and stay strong.
 
"Rules are a little strict in Saudi about women riding and hacking out"

Makes me want to spit... Then ride through the streets like Lady Godiva, stark naked except for a hip flask full of good port, shouting blasphemous obscenities just for the hell of it.

FWIW - I'd leave him barefoot too.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice!!! For now I will leave him barefoot and see what happens.

Ha, pennyturner your post did make me laugh! However if I do what you suggest I would probably be ripped of my horse and stoned to death! Saudi Arabia isn't a country to mess about with!
 
That is a jerk into your reality...

I do think that if you start slowly and build it up you will have plenty of time to decide if he needs shoes.....

However..... Is it more "normal" where you are to have shoes on horses? If so than personally I *may* shoe up from the start as you will already be going against convention to hack out at all, and small minded people may see a few lame steps as "evidence" that you are doing wrong. If shoeless is commonplace then I would leave well alone.

Another who wishes you happy hacking.
 
I might be tempted to have a pair on standby just in case.

When I first took the shoes off mine I combined riding in boots with some riding without to condition the feet.
 
Its handy to have some, you might only use them a few times but I'd you didn't have them you may not have been able to ride that day. I would look on eBay for second hand ones then you won't really lose if you want to sell them on.

I would also just get fronts.
 
Agreed its very handy to have some just for the fronts but ensure you have pads inside for extra padding.

What about introducing a new oil or herbal supplement to the diet to help legs and stiffness, such as linseed, turmeric, soya oil etc?
 
The one thing I would recommend is that if you go down the hoof boot road, get some that finish on the hoof, otherwise you could get some horrible rubs from sand between the pastern straps
 
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