Travelling horses with no boots or bandages.

I normally do, I would be worried something would happen if I didn't!

But in the hot weather, for shoet journeys then I wouldn't use big boots and get the horses legs hot no.
 
Mostly one owner I ride for doesnt use boots, and for 6 years we have been fine. However, we have had two instances of minor injury. One time her gelding skinned all his leg when he wasnt wearing them, but having said that, another time he was wearing boots, he ripped them off and still scraped himself.

I agree with various previous comments regarding brushing boots and overreach boots are a good idea, if travel boots upsetting for horse.

I think driving well. and with a good traveller the risk is low, and no boots is fine, however, a horse thats easily upset should have some very sturdy boots if possible.
 
Gosh, it's interesting to see how many people don't put anything on! I do boot up, always have. All of my horses have travelled well in them, none have ever sweated up. The only time anything untoward happened was when we got our lorry, my boy at the time didn't like the way I travelled him in it, so started kicking like a mule, by the time i'd got to the event, his boot was half off and he was stood on it, not that it bothered him, he was more pissed off about his travel arrangements. Once I'd sussed what was wrong, he liked a lot of space, he was fine.

I have done a very short journey with just brushing boots on though.
 
i bandage instead of boot as i don't like the idea of them slipping down.
can be a little hairy at the other end with an excitable youngster but i would rather that than boots slip
 
Mine travels naked. He seems quite content. I've seen quite a few horses standing on boots that have slipped; can't be good for helping them keep their balance!
 
I have only travelled my mare once without travel boots and that was for a 5 minute journey to a hunt meet. She struck into herself and although it was very minor I vowed that I would never leave them off again. It doesn't matter how carefully you drive it is other drivers that might cause you to swerve or brake sharply which might unbalance the horse. I also very rarely take travel boots off on the lorry in case of a stumble on the ramp......
 
I travel him in front boots but not back, I find with back boots on he sits down! Literally like a dog. The very first time he did it was the first time I travelled him and we were on our way to Keysoe (when he arrived he was sans boots ) and we got from Welwyn all the way up the A1 to about Baldock and there was an almighty thump in the trailer and the whole thing rocked. Now dad always drives the trailer really carefully but I was sat in the front terrified that my horse had dropped dead... However pulled over in a layby, opened the jockey door and he was sat looking at me like a dog. On the way home from Keysoe he did exactly the same.Didn't twig it was the back boots until about three journeys later when I had torn the strao off one so wasn't using them that it was the boots. Anyway he now travels with front boots only and is much happier
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We don't tend to use boots, and when travelling internationally we are alway recomended to have no boots, by all the top people (Eventing team crew
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people, as well as driving ). I do put them on Pips back legs for jorneys up to an hour, or wiggley ones as he is so dim he cuts himself, but for long journeys I leave them off. Dads little ones never have boots as they hate them, and traveled extensively without them before we had them with no problems.
 
Both of our have travelling 'issues'...after much 'trying this and that' we realised..they both hate boots!
Now we travel them in polo bandages. Their legs never feel warm when we unload. I really think that loading & unloading cause the most injuries... and our horses just couldn't walk normally in travel boots..and stumbled terribly when going on and off the lorry.
We use polo bandages a lot for general riding...so they are very used to the feel of them.
Our chestnut horse also objects to tail bandages..and we have to make sure it is not too tight...as he really objects, but he does lean on his tail so we do use one still.
 
Very much personal (and horse) preference I think, don't think there is a right or wrong way to travel them.

My mark todd travel boots have a light breathable mesh in them, as opposed to the silk type lining...never have hot legs - however this lining seems to be few and far between which is odd as they are so good
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i don't use travel boots
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i think travel boots can cause more damage because of if they slip/restrict movement/cause sweating/''cook'' tendons, and my horses hate wearing them anyways, lol

iv never bothered and never had a problem
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Song always has NEW front and back boots (front bandages on the way back when he has clay on). Gogs had front bandages on and Buster up until he had back shoes on only had front Bandages. I travelled him once when he had his shoes on without backs and he sliced his leg open so now hes in boots behind.

TBH its all personal preference and what ever your happy with. I work for a well known racehorse trainer and i was slightly horrified when i started 5 years ago that everything only had front bandages on and a tail bandage but ive got used to it now and just adapted it for my boys at home.
 
i travel mine in boots
the youngster cut her leg on delivery as the partition spooked her and she had no protection on. plus she has white legs and does poop in the box!
my older mare always travelled with them on.
the baby went naked as a foal as her legs were far too spindly to safely wrap anyway.she will be acustomed to the boots and the feeling of them well before she wears them out.
 
B & J always travel in boots all round (Mark Todd) I have never had any problems with hot/sweaty legs. Leaps hated boots so always travelled in bandages.
If they have to stand on the lorry when we arrive on hot days we always remove the boots all round.
 
Interesting post! When I used to travel J on his own on a trailer with no partition, I didn't boot apart from brushing boots. With another horse, and now we have a lorry, I use mark todd travel boots all round. He never really moves, none of his boots have ever slipped at all, and he has never ever sweated underneath them, but then being arab, he rarely sweats at the best of times!!
Collecting youngster in 2 weeks, think will pop overreach boots on all 4 legs and leave it at that as he has never worn any boots at all and is unshod!
 
thanks for replies everyone, i'll put overreach boots on all round from now on, and maybe boots for loading and unloading.
interesting about the Mark Todd travel boots with mesh lining - mine have the silky lining and that's what made her sweat up so badly...
 
My boy travelled 5 days from Spain with nothing on. Shipping company said that boots have a habit of slipping and cause more problems. He was on a massive truck though that carried 16 horses, so I figured he wouldn't get chucked round v much. I travel him in a trailer so put on over reach boots and medicine boots, although lately after a hard comp , I've swapped the boots for his thermatex wraps on the way home. If i'm doing a v long journey (2 hours +) then I tend to bandage for extra support. Travel boots never look to me like they give much support, just protection. Have to say I'm not a fan of them.
 
I will not travel without boots have seen some horrifically unlucky accidents. In Mark Todds autobiog he mentions how a horse was written off having an accident coming off the lorry. It seems to be the actual unloading that all the accidents happen.

What about air cooled brushing boots?
 
slate me if you like but travel none of mine other than miniatures who have weeny legs and weeny boots, nothing on at all.

Some insurers especially those of horse transporters will not allow transporters to use boots or bandages as they have caused so many accidents.

Sounds bad I know but first hand, mine travel better without them. I think if i had a trailer I would be tempted to boot and thats really odd as i cant give an explanation as to why but with a lorry at least your horse is higher off the ground shoudl something happen to the floor etc.

I am sure some fluffies wont like to hear and say that my horses could injure themselves and as one who had accident with a lorry last year on M23 ponies at the time WERE booted!!

Boots would not have made much difference at all, replacement transport would not allow them on his box due to insurance and the accidents he has seen with boots etc.

From that day, never used them. (Oldie never had them he kicked hell out of lorries and trailers with them on).
 
I would be too worried to travel without boots on to be honest. I am awaiting for some eqi-n-ice cool travel boots to arrive, will let u know what they're like!
 
I always travel in boots as I didn't use to until some idiot pulled out in front of us and we had to slam the brakes on and the horse cut his leg on the partition.

It's alright you driving carefully, it is the other people you have to worry about
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I have read all these comments with great interest. I have always been a travel boots and tail bag person from having Murphy my grey, who was very easy going if terrible loader to begin with. Tarquin is whole different kettle of fish, he sweats a lot, is sometimes a terrible loader and traveller. I gave up trying to load him in travel boots as he sweated loads and was kicking out at the sweat. I initially travelled him in his boots that I was going to work him in as he is also such a fidget to tack up so was travelling tacked up too. He is better now and on the whole travels to the venue in his boots and usually over reaches but comes home naked. I studied Equine Science so am very aware of over heating tendons and also have worked professionally with horses for 7 years or so and rarely rugged or booted horses for travel. In fact when Murphy came back from Ireland when we went over for training he was the only horse with travel boots on (but he was the only horse not sweating!).
However, what I was getting at is that I am frowned upon at the livery yard for not putting proper travel boots on my horse for travelling. Glad there are more out there like me.
 
PLEASE see my post on the 'travelling problems suddenly' (or something like that) post on this site. There is so much danger of them slipping, and the horse putting another foot on, thus rendering them unable to lift that foot on the next corner - understandably causes panic!!!!!!
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I only use travel boots that can be secured really well, particularly around the fetlock!!!!
 
I travel mine with naked legs, always have done, the only exception being ancient old jumping pony who was bandaged.
And *touch wood* have never had any problems. If your transport is safe and the horses travel well I can't really see the point in bandaging and don't get me started on travel boots.
The most dangerous part is loading and unloading and in my experience bandages have done little to protect the horrid things that can occur at that time if the worst happpens.
 
The most dangerous part of tranporting a horse is loading and unloading so boots are wise for this, apart from this it has actually been proven that boots and bandages cause more problems, and do not save legs from injury it is just a fad that became popular. It was in a 1996 copy of H&H.

I never travel with boots or bandages, it heats the tendons, the added thickness the horses arent aware where there legs are and the additional movement problems they all show, in an emergency situation, there legs wont work properly.

The marketing companies wont like it, but boots are a gimick that everyone jumped on and they make a lot of money out of them.
 
Haven't read the whole thread, but we've (me and parents) haven't used boots or bandages for over 30 years and never had any injuries - although the odd shoes off.

Dad builds our boxes though and they are very nice for the horses.
 
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