To those who dont boot

Never seen a boot cracked like that! Must have been quite some whack!

Well I guess its a bit different as we're polo - but for that we bandage, tendon boots, over-reach boots and skids boots behind too. For exercise we either bandage front or they wear brushing boots... I'd never take them out with something in front.
 
I only boot up if I am turning an idiot out for the first time in a while and my grey TB wears over reach boots to jump in as he is a devil for pulling shoes and his tendons wont hold too much strain on a pull/carry on minus shoe.

For everyday schooling, hacking etc then no I don't boot.

My theory behind boots - especially front boots - is that if the horse is going to do damage to itself then all the boot does is lessen the blow and prevent cuts and scrapes.
 
I'd always boot for hunting and consider booting for jumping. But for flatwork I avoid booting as often as possible. There's lots of evidence to show that overheating leads to tendon damage. Nothing keeps a leg cooler than having nothing on it but hair!
 
I can see the dangers for booting for hunting (i dont hunt) but i do boot for everything.
I try and buy boots that are supposed to keep legs cool where possilble.

I've seen people jump big tracks without boots which does suprise me but like you said personal choice.

I've had one do worse than that to a boot when she just tripped walking along so i always boot too. Horse was still a bit sore anyway but so lucky she was wearing a boot as her tendon would have been cut to pieces let alone hot!
 
BarmyC said:
I like the fact that her legs are protected from blackthorns in the joints as that is a very common and big vet bill faced by my pack.
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Me too but I'd rather pay a vet bill than break my own neck. There are days when I am still picking out thorns from his legs a week later :( Never from anywhere that a leg boot would help though.
 
i used to and her boots were always showing brush marks and filthy, i forgot a couple of times and noticed that her legs were always clean and there were no signs of her having knocked herself:confused:( she's grey so it really does show up.) now i don't bother , she's barefoot and we don't jump and have had no leg injuries for the last 2 years.
 
cptrayes said:
Me too but I'd rather pay a vet bill than break my own neck. There are days when I am still picking out thorns from his legs a week later :( Never from anywhere that a leg boot would help though.
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I totally understand. My neck would mean more to me too.

Madam has the combi sports boots with built in overreach. They cover all of her leg from knee down and she is good over a fence and knees are by her nose but if we were to do a mega hedge day (not likely just yet) she would have knee boots too.

We have been lucky so far in that we have only picked up one thorn so far.

Out of interest how did you manage to get a branch stuck. Sounds like quite a feat.
 
I rarely boot on the lower leg - I never, ever go on roads or similar without knee boots as my mare has been known to stumble.
My mare is barefoot, doesn't brush and I don't jump. If I was to jump anything other than tiny cross poles I would have some sort of brushing boots on but otherwise don't see the point in booting unless the horse brushes or similar.
 
BarmyC said:
Out of interest how did you manage to get a branch stuck. Sounds like quite a feat.
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I jump some very big hedges on my boy - over 6 foot on occasion - and he doesn't always bother to clear them clean if they aren't thick at the top. He brushed through the top of one one day and the twig/branch happened to be at a perfect angle to shoot straight down his boot. It snapped and let go just before he fell. Scared me to death. The boots came off that evening and have never been back on.

Most seasoned hunting folk I know don't use boots for exactly that reason.


ps If you look at your own avatar you can see how easy it would be to catch a boot on a twig if it was growing at the right angle.
 
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More scaremongering - I have owned my boy for 13 years and he has never worn boots. He has SJ, Dressaged, Evented, hacked, schooled and turned out with many different herds - all with no injuries
 
One of the minority. Have never booted - used to hunt a lot - big stone wall country - but never found it necessary. And boots would be too dangerous for hunting anyway IMO and as cptrayes says. Bandaging for polo, but otherwise, no!
 
I don't boot. My main discipline is endurance and it is very challenging to find any boot that won't overheat/rub over 160km.

My competition mare is very neat and nimble. I suppose it depends on the horse to some extent - if I had a big clumsy beast I may feel differently.

Like everything to do with horses, the only hard and fast rule is that there are no hard and fast rules.
 
Arabelle said:
I don't boot. My main discipline is endurance and it is very challenging to find any boot that won't overheat/rub over 160km.

My competition mare is very neat and nimble. I suppose it depends on the horse to some extent - if I had a big clumsy beast I may feel differently.

Like everything to do with horses, the only hard and fast rule is that there are no hard and fast rules.
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^Wot she said.

H used to brush slightly so I would put fetlock boots in front which would just protect the bit he brushed on. I haven't booted him since he has been semi retired and unshod.

Spud just cannot tolerate boots on his skin at all. We finally gave up after even the expensive fleecy NEW boots made his pink skin get that inflamed that his legs were red raw after just 40km and he was lamed out. I would maybe stick boots on him for a short period of time if he were jumping big fences but he doesn't so we don't.
 
badgermyers said:
I know its a personal choice. I always boot as seen too many injuries caused when they are not used. Im glad I used them today while jumping my mare. She struck her front from behind while jumping. Imagine the damage she could have done without boots on!

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what do you think about equilibrium training wraps???
 
Maybe I see more problems because I showjump normally over 1.10 (when I dont have babies to bring on). So maybe its jumping bigger fences that causes the issues? Non jumping disaplines seem to not want to boot. To be fair I dont think I would boot for endurance, maybe front brushing boots if needed. I dont think about other disaplines much I seem to relate everything to showjumping! Hunting seems a mix! Ive never seen anyone not boot for BE
 
I wouldnt use the wraps myself as I dont want to buy different boots for flat and jump. Thats just me though. In my opinion the wraps dont offer the protection from a strike and I am sure if my mare had wraps on yesterday she wouldnt be able to come out and work today.
 
Badgermyers... How old are those boots btw? I was just wondering as this morning I picked up a frosty bucket and the plastic handle broke! Plastic does go brittle after a while so maybe it was just a little knock but seeing as it was against brittle plastic it could have looked worse... Just a thought that's all!
 
I boot for proper jumping and XC, just to be on the safe side.

Don't boot for flatwork or hacking - I don't need to as my horse isn't shod and moves cleanly. I wouldn't boot for hunting either.
 
I ALWAYS have at least bandages all around and during normal exercise they have exercise wraps on top and when playing Polocrosse I have tendon boots all around (don't put anything on top to hack). I've smashed sooooo many tendon boots I'd never play without them and it amazes me how many people play in just bandages, if the horse gets a big knock its going to do some damage :(
 
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badgermyers you've inspired me to dig out my hard shell tendon boots for jumping today! Eek that's a nasty knock and Louie hardly has much flesh or hair for protection.
 
I have some boots somewhere, but I don't really use them...
BUT my mare is older and arthritic. She's perfectly capable of a good canter on a hack, but we aren't doing any jumping or high risk activities, and she isn't shod either. If things were different and we were jumping/ doing XC etc, then I would put boots on her.
 
Mine don't have shoes so I doubt they would do such damage so easily.
However after my mares road traffic accident I will always boot up for hacking.... Nearly all the injuries would have been prevented by a set of support boots, over reach and knee boots....
 
wow they certainly have saved your horse from a very nasty injury indeed!!!

Autumn brushes so wears lightweight woof boots for general excercise and the hard shell tendon ones for sj. I know theres all sorts of risks/benefits in using boots but given the pros and cons and what work she does etc its far better for her to have them on for excercise.

That said they are the first thing to come off when Ive finished riding and in summer or if she has worked particularly hard she will have her legs hosed.

Interestingly enough heres Lucinda Green eventing without boots - I would very much like to hear her reasoning and why she chooses to do that

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph...09938109.78514.119376394747499&type=3&theater
 
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Gosh that must have been some knock! I hope your horse is alright! I generally tend to boot for jumping, but this has definitely reminded me to make sure I do!
 
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