To shoe or not to shoe

[RHM]

As a bit of background, mare was shod in front before I got her, went barefoot start of winter (Nov) and was absolutely fine. Mainly school work and hacking twice a week due to daylight.
We have now moved yards and have great hacking but quite a bit of roadwork and stoney paths to navigate. Now the weather is improving we are going for 2 hour hacks at least 4 times a week.
So my dilemma - she is becoming a little bit footsore. I think it may be a bit too much work on these surfaces too soon. But being selfish we are both fit and wanting to get out and about!
Re diet, she is not on summer turnout yet so in a dry lot for 5 hours a day with hay. Fed baileys ease and exel and point blank refuses to eat any of the “healthy” recommended balancers.
So in this circumstance would you put shoes back on and crack on or would you boot for hacking and hope that he feet become more conditioned over time?
Farrier is booked for Friday this week to discuss also ?

 

[PapaverFollis]

Boot to hack no question for me. Although previously I have shod in similar circumstances because I couldn't get boots I was happy with. But if you can boot, I would boot.

 

[sherry90]

Try boots first (they cost as much as 3-4 shoe cycles) and if you don’t agree with them after that time, shoe.

 

[Tarragon]

Definitely boots. This way, you are still working towards hardening off the hoof, as you only use the boots when you are riding, and if you put pads in the boot you gain the protection of a shoe but also exercise the frog at the same time. It won't be long before you can opt to ride in boots only on the harder and longer rides, and then drop it all together

 

[RHM]

Thanks so much for your thoughts guys! Is there any particular boots you would recommend? Must be suitable for fast work as we both often feel the need for speed!

 

[PapaverFollis]

There are a couple of places that sell boots and will advise on the best ones to try.

I can't remember who usually gets recommended though. Is it Hoof Boutique and The Saddlery Shop? Or someone else?

I use Scoot boots all round on both mine and they work really well. We have yet to feel the need for speed though.

 

[tallyho!]

Thanks so much for your thoughts guys! Is there any particular boots you would recommend? Must be suitable for fast work as we both often feel the need for speed!

Have fun shopping! There are so many now even I go a bit goggle-eyed.

I second PF and go to a reputable store and ask your trimmer to measure up.

 

[RHM]

Thanks guys. After a brief google there is a overwhelming selection! ?‍ Will ask my farrier if there are any he has used in the past. He has mentioned them to me when we first went barefoot so might have some useful input in which ones to avoid etc

 

[Red-1]

Good luck! I tried urban horse and The Saddlery Shop and neither could get me boots that fitted. I ended up with the largest size 6 Cavallo Simples, as the nearest thing, but they rub his pastern at the back so we are barefoot still. I also tried Scoots and Renegades. The Scoots in a fit kit and the Renegades as a one off purchase.

Th fit kits are good in that you can try a few sizes, but it was actually cheaper to buy the boot and try on using a towel on the floor and cling film on him. That way the boot stayed perfect and the only charge was the postage.

 

[RHM]

Good luck! I tried urban horse and The Saddlery Shop and neither could get me boots that fitted. I ended up with the largest size 6 Cavallo Simples, as the nearest thing, but they rub his pastern at the back so we are barefoot still. I also tried Scoots and Renegades. The Scoots in a fit kit and the Renegades as a one off purchase.

Th fit kits are good in that you can try a few sizes, but it was actually cheaper to buy the boot and try on using a towel on the floor and cling film on him. That way the boot stayed perfect and the only charge was the postage.

Thanks for the tips! Sounds like this could be more difficult than I anticipated!
I am not opposed to putting shoes back on if needed but her way of going is so much better since being barefoot.

 

[Gloi]

I'd advise buying second hand until you get the ones you are happy with. You should be able to resell for the same price so it isn't an expensive experiment. I currently use scoot boots all round with mud straps on the front and find them good at all speeds. Fit for boots depends on hoof shape which the shops mentioned will help with or take side on and sole pics with measurements and post here and you will get good help.
I've used boots now for 20 years and probably the only time I'd shoe now would be if I was competing in some discipline that needed studs.

 

[PoniesRock]

Personally I’m not a boot fan. They just don’t seem to be good enough for the job! The ones with Velcro get the mud stuck in them and then fall off. Ride through a river/stream over the boot height and they get water in them which then creates rubbing issues. Personally I’d just stick a set of front shoes on.

 

[cauda equina]

Good luck! I tried urban horse and The Saddlery Shop and neither could get me boots that fitted. I ended up with the largest size 6 Cavallo Simples, as the nearest thing, but they rub his pastern at the back so we are barefoot still. I also tried Scoots and Renegades. The Scoots in a fit kit and the Renegades as a one off purchase.

Th fit kits are good in that you can try a few sizes, but it was actually cheaper to buy the boot and try on using a towel on the floor and cling film on him. That way the boot stayed perfect and the only charge was the postage.

The Cavallo pastern wraps worked well for me, then pop socks once he had toughened up a bit

 

[Tarragon]

I have the Easyboot Glove on my ponies, though hardly need them now. They have been very good for me and never rubbed.
Yes, they have come off occasionally, but to me the advantages of having barefoot ponies (their health and my pocket!) out-weigh the disadvantages.
Considering I bought my first pair about 5 years ago, at the eye watering cost of £70 each, and they are still going strong, it was quite an investment.

 

[ihatework]

Personally I’d just pop front shoes on for the summer, my overall experience with boots is they end up a faff and have a tendency to rub. Shoes can always come back off for the winter if workload reduces.

Ultimately we have horses to enjoy!

 

[sherry90]

I use Scoots. I did have some issues with twisting so was close to sacking them off and shoeing but I then got some ‘shims’ as a last ditch attempt which seems to be working. I am not averse to popping shoes on though if they do begin to twist again.
FYI mine twisted not during the faster work but after I’d been through mud at a faster pace then when trotting on the road (think there was slight slippyness from the mud/wet in the boots that did it)

 

[vmac66]

I use scoot boots all round. No problems twisting and definitely save on shoeing costs, depending on how much work you do on hard surfaces. Mine are coming up to 2 years now.

 

[ester]

We did a similar move to stonier hacking and I booted in front (gloves) for longer rides and left him bare for shorter/less stony options. His hooves did improve as a result of the terrain then we were bare all the time.

 

[Red-1]

The Cavallo pastern wraps worked well for me, then pop socks once he had toughened up a bit

He only just fits in, no room for socks!

Happily, with persistence, he is managing longer hacks now.

 

[Zuzan]

................. but her way of going is so much better since being barefoot.

This to me is a really important consideration and not to be lightly dismissed.

FWIW in the past I have used Easyboot Gloves (don't need anything at all at moment) and for dealing with fast work and fording burns etc the addition of athletic tape makes these boots really secure .. no slipping or twisting and the Gloves have always been some of the best boots to avoid pastern rubs etc.. I may well be out of date here as our boots date back a good few years now circa 2010 !!! ..

Video of using Athletic Tape with Gloves

 

[zandp]

There are instructions on the hoof boutique website about how to draw a template of the feet and then you can send it to them and they'll advise what make suits as different makes are different shapes.

 

[Kat]

I would avoid shoes if at all possible, the benefits to soundness are so great it is worth a bit of faff.

I used boots for all hacking when first transitioning but now only for longer hacks, stony hacks, if we have done a bit more hacking than usual or if the weather has affected her feet.

I have Cavallo Simples, with EPS pads in (these help improve the frog as well as helping the fit of the boots). I have been using them for 8 and a half years and I am on my third pair but in the beginning I used them on all four feet. So although they are expensive you easily recover your money by saving on shoes.

I have never had one come off while riding. I once had one come off while the horse was turned out in them but she was hooning about bucking and it was the first time the husband put them on unsupervised.

They look a bit clumpy and can slip a bit on wet grass/mud but they are brilliant on roads and stones/rocks/gravel.

I don't look after mine at all, if they get absolutely plastered in mud I hose them off but generally I don't clean them. The velcro lasted as long as the soles, the last few weeks before I replaced them the outer straps lost a bit of stick but they stay on without those straps and the sole was almost worn out anyway.

I can't recommend them highly enough, I have been through deep water and mud in them as well as scrambling up rocky paths.

 

[Melody Grey]

Good luck! I tried urban horse and The Saddlery Shop and neither could get me boots that fitted. I ended up with the largest size 6 Cavallo Simples, as the nearest thing, but they rub his pastern at the back so we are barefoot still. I also tried Scoots and Renegades. The Scoots in a fit kit and the Renegades as a one off purchase.

Th fit kits are good in that you can try a few sizes, but it was actually cheaper to buy the boot and try on using a towel on the floor and cling film on him. That way the boot stayed perfect and the only charge was the postage.

The cling film is a great tip- I usually use nappy bags, but I can imagine cling film would be even better

 

[Melody Grey]

I tend to draw round feet on the back of wallpaper offcuts, much easier than trying to photograph with a measure and strong enough to withstand a bit of movement on the floor.

 

[tallyho!]

Personally I’m not a boot fan. They just don’t seem to be good enough for the job! The ones with Velcro get the mud stuck in them and then fall off. Ride through a river/stream over the boot height and they get water in them which then creates rubbing issues. Personally I’d just stick a set of front shoes on.

You haven’t tried enough boots..

 

[tallyho!]

The thing is with boots... once the sole and hoof toughen up (which only takes a short amount of time) you don’t even need them so buy the boots... over the summer you can go through 3/4 shoeing cycles which is not cheap these days and you can’t take them off in between rides for foot conditioning and they are always getting weaker. At least with boots you can take them off and the foot is getting stronger so you may use boots to begin with but I bet by July or Aug you won’t even need them... I boot in spring but by HT season we’re flying with nothing on at all while everyone’s worrying about dry hooves and losing shoes.

 

[RHM]

This to me is a really important consideration and not to be lightly dismissed.

FWIW in the past I have used Easyboot Gloves (don't need anything at all at moment) and for dealing with fast work and fording burns etc the addition of athletic tape makes these boots really secure .. no slipping or twisting and the Gloves have always been some of the best boots to avoid pastern rubs etc.. I may well be out of date here as our boots date back a good few years now circa 2010 !!! ..

Video of using Athletic Tape with Gloves

Thanks for that! She used to trip in front shoes, tried a different farrier and he stopped her tripping almost immediately but he suggested she would be good barefoot and we haven’t looked back until now. Annoyingly since the move it’s too far out of this farriers area so would be loathe to try someone new just for the tripping to start again.

 

[GoldenWillow]

My cob was unshod until he was 8 when the track to our field and all other nearby tracks had new hardcore put on them, which was the nastiest, sharpest hardcore I've ever known. After persevering for a couple of months I put front shoes on him. Due my health and then covid we stopped hacking last Spring and I took them off, now I'm using a mix of boots if we're doing a lot on the tracks and nothing if other hacking and am finding he's coping fine.

As otherwise she's doing better unshod I would be tempted to try boots rather than shoe as a first option.

 

[Gloi]

My cob was unshod until he was 8 when the track to our field and all other nearby tracks had new hardcore put on them, which was the nastiest, sharpest hardcore I've ever known. After persevering for a couple of months I put front shoes on him. Due my health and then covid we stopped hacking last Spring and I took them off, now I'm using a mix of boots if we're doing a lot on the tracks and nothing if other hacking and am finding he's coping fine.

As otherwise she's doing better unshod I would be tempted to try boots rather than shoe as a first option.

.
My old pony found the nasty hardcore tracks uncomfortable in shoes because the frogs and soles suffered from sharp stones but in boots the soles were covered and so he didn't feel them . Also once the shoes were off his feet toughened up too

 

[Melody Grey]

.
My old pony found the nasty hardcore tracks uncomfortable in shoes because the frogs and soles suffered from sharp stones but in boots the soles were covered and so he didn't feel them . Also once the shoes were off his feet toughened up too

My horse was like this, still tender on stony tracks even shod all round with pads. We went back to hoof boots all round and he’s so much better.