travel boots- do you or dont you??

T

trickivicki

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 September 2010
Messages
1,043
Visit site
after watching the rather interesting C5 documentary about moving the racers around the world, i noticed they all only had basic front travel boots on.

Mr P finds his travel boots a bit of a drama, and has a deep hatred of the evil things!!

Does anyone travel their fully shod horses without? (he travels quietly etc)

Interested to hear other peoples experiences

V x
 
Horses often seem to find them uncomfortable. I've got some quilted leg wraps that aren't shaped, bu kind of extend above the hock and those are brilliant, much prefer them to the shaped ones.
 
I dont travel with boots on either. I discovered my mare had a dislike to back boots after I bought her and I made her wear them a few times but she was better with them off because with them she would kick at the lorry/trailer. I then travelled with front ones only and then thought whats the point. She has never injured herself and is happier without them - it just makes keeping those legs white on show days a pain in the bum!
 
I have these tiny fleece boots designed for little ponies on my lad. They come just under the knee and he won't wear anything else and they're better than nothing.
 
Orionstar said:
I dont travel with boots on either. I discovered my mare had a dislike to back boots after I bought her and I made her wear them a few times but she was better with them off because with them she would kick at the lorry/trailer. I then travelled with front ones only and then thought whats the point. She has never injured herself and is happier without them - it just makes keeping those legs white on show days a pain in the bum!
Click to expand...

I may bite the bullet, see if he is happier

(and- no white bits, note even on his face :) )
 
Not any more, had a bit of an accident... I had mark todd ones and he accidentally stepped on one going around a corner and fell in the trailer.

We've now taken the whole partition out and he travels with nothing on whatsoever. I think this is safest.
 
Kokopelli said:
I have these tiny fleece boots designed for little ponies on my lad. They come just under the knee and he won't wear anything else and they're better than nothing.
Click to expand...

P is a similar build to your lad- originally we had full 'proper' travel boots and then we downgraded to some shetland pony (yes SHETLAND!!) leg wrap things but he still gets enraged by them
 
tallyho! said:
We've now taken the whole partition out and he travels with nothing on whatsoever. I think this is safest.
Click to expand...

Sorry but I was always told that horses are safer travelled in a smaller area, thus taking partitions out is actually more dangerous?

Mine are quiet travellers, they both wear boots and tail guards and I use leg bandages for longer journeys, such as a 14 hour 2 day journey to the top of Scotland :D
 
Mine is unshod and wears nothing. If he had shoes on I might consider brushing boots but probably not. I'm a mean mummy. He doesn't wear boots for ridden work either!
 
Nope i dont travel mine in travel boots tho if in taking him to a competition i put his exercise boots on he just dances about in travel boots and hes still discovering that going out is fun
 
I always travel with boots all around, but I am lucky as my boy doesn't seem to mind them on, apart from they first get put on!! I used to use shaped gamgee pads with bandages, which may be more suitable for you, but I just found them too fiddly and time concuming to roll up to put back on again!
 
I'v got an exracer and he'd freak if I put travel boots within a metre of him as not used to them. Travel both of mine in Thermatex leg wraps.
 
I'm taking my mare to horsepital Tuesday and have borrowed some travel boots. She seems fine with them on and has been known to bash about in the box. I am abit worried about using them as I have heard quite a few horror stories :(
 
LaurenM said:
I'm taking my mare to horsepital Tuesday and have borrowed some travel boots. She seems fine with them on and has been known to bash about in the box. I am abit worried about using them as I have heard quite a few horror stories :(
Click to expand...

oh god- hello fellow extreme worrier! stay away from me, I will only make worries worse- I am the most irrational person in the world!!!!

(on a lighter side, if something does go wrong she will be going to the right place!!)
 
Having carted/accompanied a number of Fuzzys about from USA to into europe & also the Channel Islands as well as just UK travel, I have a preference for the naked comfort.
Usual attire for most of mine & ones I've travelled has been a headcollar with poll guard, 2 lead ropes & nowt else (apart from hunting, when a small lw sheet has been lobbed on over the saddle for protection, or a lw fleece rug if very chilly day)
Temp changes can make horses uncomfortable - even just for those leaving for horse shows in chilly early mornings & arriving 2 hrs later in warm sunshine, let alone travelling them during day & overnight via ferries or on flights.

TBH, the only time I've sheeted, bandaged & leg wrapped was for my daughters section A for a PC rally (quite a number of yrs ago now) - when she'd made such an effort in cleaning the dirty little stinker & wanted to show the DC. All 5 miles later, said pony appeared out of the big box like a frog on steriods - I never repeated that wrapping up again :D
 
Personally, I have only had bad experiences with full traditional travel boots.

I use cross country boots and over reach boots on all four and this seems to work well even for the tricky traveller!

Having worked alot with non loaders or difficult travellers, I have found the long traditional boots to have caused more problems than otherwise. I like to protect our horses legs but do this with cross country boots all round.

Good luck.
 
I would never, ever travel without boots. Ellie has a set of quilted, non shaped boots, and for long journeys, I have been known to bandage underneath the boots as well. She also wears over reach boots too.
 
Have to confess I don't use travel boots except for long journeys, my boy travels on his own without the partition, I have a new trailer (less than 6 months old) and I travel slowly. If he was travelling with another horse then I would put boots on him
 
snowcrew said:
Personally, I have only had bad experiences with full traditional travel boots.

I use cross country boots and over reach boots on all four and this seems to work well even for the tricky traveller!

Having worked alot with non loaders or difficult travellers, I have found the long traditional boots to have caused more problems than otherwise. I like to protect our horses legs but do this with cross country boots all round.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

do you leave the rear O/R boots on when you get there?? i really struggle undoing o/r boots (dont ask!! my spakky handedness amazes everyone) and dont think I would be able to do it while he was having a wriggle on an outing (i'm only worried about protecting his coronet band really)
 
Trickivicki - I'm sure my friend's gelding went down in the lorry and pulled a shoe off due to the travel boots slipping :(

Eek might just use the leg wraps or brushing boots and over reach boots. Previously Ive travelled my gelding 'bootless'. Wish somethings were more black and white!
 
My two always wear boots. I had the misfortune of being in an accident where the trailer my horse was travelling in ended up on its side. Both my horse and my friends horse had full travel boots on and were lucky enough to walk out in one piece. The boots cushioned their legs and they only suffered cuts on their upper legs and body. Previously my friend sometimes used boots and sometimes didnt, but after that she always uses them too.
 
I think I am going to invest in some decent medicine style boots (was intending on it since our dressage got a bit hard core, with our deep arena I think some extra support would be useful) which he will have on whenever he is ridden so they are no different when he is going travelling

Im to much of a wimp for complete nudey legs and to spakky handed to bandage!
 
Mares and foals travel naked with no partition but the 3 and 4 year olds wear travel boots and have the partition. I found trying to take bandages off of 'high' 3 and 4 year olds down right dangerous when you got to the sales, much easier with the boots and never had any trouble with them.
 
trickivicki said:
I think I am going to invest in some decent medicine style boots (was intending on it since our dressage got a bit hard core, with our deep arena I think some extra support would be useful) which he will have on whenever he is ridden so they are no different when he is going travelling

Im to much of a wimp for complete nudey legs and to spakky handed to bandage!
Click to expand...

No such thing as a 'wimp for travelling unbooted'. I have had several exracers and other assorted horses and would much prefer them to be protected for the journey than not. Always best to get them used to boots or bandages before you decide to travel in them. I never work a horse without brushing boots - just not work the risk that they will strike into themselves. Horses do get used to wearing boots if acclimatised slowly and kindly
 
boots if just travelling, bandages and gamgee if at shows (keeps them clean, can warm up in them etc)

wouldnt travel without, as with everything else we do to them, they learn to accept it!

dont travel with rugs or anything though
 
xloopylozzax said:
boots if just travelling, bandages and gamgee if at shows (keeps them clean, can warm up in them etc)

wouldnt travel without, as with everything else we do to them, they learn to accept it!

dont travel with rugs or anything though
Click to expand...

Well, not as this time of the year, but presumably you put on rugs when it's chilly/freezing?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top