Travelling horse without travel boots

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wiglet

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As title really. Do you always use boots or do you prefer not too?
Am taking my mare on an hours+ journey soon. She's a good traveller and for local travel I just use normal brushing boots and over reach boots. So, for this longer journey, do I stick to what I normally do or shall I use travel boots? Have to say, on the occasions I have used travel boots, she does seem more 'stompy' in the lorry/trailer.

Also, I normally travel her in a lorry but this time it will be a trailer with another horse (who she knows).

Am thinking it will be best to stick to my normal brushing boots and over reach boots but wanted other opinions.

What do you think?
 
Personal preference and whatever your horse is comfy in - though just be aware that if your horse gets injured in transit, and you need to claim on insurance, you may struggle to claim through insurers if said horse is not properly protected...just a thought.
 
Personal preference and what you feel happy with. I used to use bandages, and then moved to boots, but I didn't really like the boots as they tended to slip and my horse plainly didn't. I think most injuries are caused loading and unloading, so if your horse travels and loads well he may not need them.

I would use them if going to a competition, because it would be very frustrating for the horse to get a silly injury which meant it couldn't compete.
 
I've moved away from travel boots and use bandages and OR boors now. However the last few times I've travelled him he has gone naked with just OR boots but he doesn't have shoes on and travels alone. If he was with another I would bandage.
 
After lots of trial and error i travel mine without. He is funny with boots on behind anyway but he travels so much better with nothing on. That said he is a difficult loader so im always aware that he hasnt got boots on when he is being difficult, which is much less now he doesnt have boots on.
I also noticed he would be a lot hotter in boots, he is a warm horse to travel anyway but he would be foaming under travel boots.
The one time i travelled him with brushing boots on instead he cut himself above the boot, never done it before or since so i will leave him naked.
 
I don't use travel boots, horse can't keep her balance in them. So OR boots all round and that's it.
 
I cant understand why you would travel a horse without any protection on its legs, if a horse reacts badly having travel boots on get them used to them by putting them on for short periods in the stable, its a poor excuse saying my horse wont wear them, its just because they are not used to them and if they really wont tolerate the over the hock boots use bandages.

I have seen the worst ever leg injury due to traveling without protection and never want to witness it again, the horse was scarred for life never to be shown again all because of no travel boots, and it could have been prevented.
 
I've spoken to a lot of professional transporters that think travel boots cause problems and injuries in themselves. I know when I've imported horses with transport companies they say no boots or bandages at all.
If I am going to use leg protection I go for bandages, never travel boots.
 
It's my experiance they cause more problems than they solve and they make the legs hot which is not good either.
I travel mine with nothing on their legs unless its a long way in very cold weather , then I bandage .
I have had several horses who will not tolerate things on their leg to travel.
 
Pinkvboots said:
I cant understand why you would travel a horse without any protection on its legs, if a horse reacts badly having travel boots on get them used to them by putting them on for short periods in the stable, its a poor excuse saying my horse wont wear them, its just because they are not used to them and if they really wont tolerate the over the hock boots use bandages.

I have seen the worst ever leg injury due to traveling without protection and never want to witness it again, the horse was scarred for life never to be shown again all because of no travel boots, and it could have been prevented.
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I think you will find that most professional horse transporters will not tolerate leg coverings on horses as they cause more problems than they solve I have used bandages (my preferred protection) always with fybagee, boots which both me and my ponies hated no matter how many times we tried, thermatex wraps which I will use if their legs are wet and if needs must they can wear and naked we have had fewer accidents naked than any other way the boots tend to get trodden on and cause them to jiffle about resulting in kick injuries and treading on themselves. I have been lucky as we own a lorry and the ponies all load well and travel well in the lorry have plenty room and are unshod
 
Pinkvboots said:
I cant understand why you would travel a horse without any protection on its legs, if a horse reacts badly having travel boots on get them used to them by putting them on for short periods in the stable, its a poor excuse saying my horse wont wear them, its just because they are not used to them and if they really wont tolerate the over the hock boots use bandages.

I have seen the worst ever leg injury due to traveling without protection and never want to witness it again, the horse was scarred for life never to be shown again all because of no travel boots, and it could have been prevented.
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I used to think the same, my last horse always wore travel boots, in fact every time i rode she had boots on all round.
My current horse bucked round his stable when i first put fetlock boots on, would kick out if you brushed his back legs and would generally have a hissy fit when doing anything to his back legs.
He will now wear any boots behind including travel boots, will let me scrub his back legs with a plastic curry comb as hard as want and i can do anything with his back legs. I suggest you don’t assume that the reason people travel without boots is because they haven’t put the time in, many have. I spent along time getting him used to them as well as loading in them, even to the point i would put them on after loading but I would rather my horse load happily and travelled happily without than to stress him out with, it could do more harm than good. I have tried hock boots, he refused to move and nearly fell over, not something I want to peruse to be honest. I now jump him without fetlock boots as he is happier without and picks up better, he doesn’t wear boots when ridden unless I'm doing fast work, jumping or really intensive schooling. All personal choice based on my horse, not what people think I should do.
 
I injured my hand when my mare used to wear travel boots. She used to stress when she had them on as it meant that she would be going out, between leaving the yard and being secured in the box one hind had come loose iridescent though I had checked twice. She began thrashing and nearly falling over in the box and really struggled to walk out. When I managed to finally remove it she managed to kick my hand to dislodge it. Now mine travel in bandages and overreaches, Milton finds this less of a trigger for excitement as well
 
I used to travel with boots and bandages then I realised mine load and travel well and gave them up and do you know I have never had a problem. I think they are a lot safer without.
 
mine practically loads herself, and stands like a rock in the lorry/trailer, but I do tend to put all 4 travel boots on plus OR boots, but she lives in her OR boots so I just don't take them off for travel :)
I've never had a problem, my travel boots don't slip and my horse is used to them so doesn't fidget or panic, her legs don't overheat and I feel better when she's wearing them so I see no harm in putting them on. :)
 
I've recently started travelling mine without travel boots in the hotter weather. He's a fell with lots of feather and after a relatively short trip where his legs were foaming with sweat under the boots I decided to try him without. Much cooler for him, i was reluctant to go with no leg protection at first but he travels on his own, stands quite still and is unshod so given how hot he gets I decided to go without.
 
Don't use them. Caused more problems than good on my first horse, who wouldn't tolerate them on his hinds, and the fronts just used to slip down.

If I had a horse that was Mr or Mrs Piggy to load, I would probably consider putting some normal brushing boots or similar on in case they decided to prat around and run into the ramp, but that would be about it!
 
It really depends on the trailer/lorry partition. If it's incomplete and there's another horse on, travel with. If not, my preference is always without and my lot travel best with nothing on
 
When we bought Kal, his previous owner had bandaged and fibergee'd him all round and he loaded and travelled beautifully for the 3 hour plus journey. Similarly, when we had to travel him to the vets when he was kicked/his hock was punctured, we left travel boots/bandages off and he was fine (30 minute journey). That said, we travel him to competition in travel boots (usually a good hour) but he's a sport horse with no feather and a really fine coat. I use the travel boots because I( have them and they don't slip and he tolerates them well . . . if I had a horse with lots of feather or who didn't like them, I would either use something else (brushing and OR boots) or travel with nothing - depending on the horse. Obviously, one that doesn't load nicely and/or doesn't stand nicely on the lorry while travelling needs protection.

Common sense really.

P
 
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