Turnout Socks ???'s

charliesarmy

charliesarmy

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Good morning all,could someone who uses turnout socks please give me a brief description on how you use them,I presume you need two sets whilst one is drying! How long can they be left on for? And any recommendations on which to buy? I'm sure I'll have more questions when I think of some lol...thanks oooh and if anyone has and reasons not to use them :-)
 
I used sportaback short t/o socks. They were the sturdiest at the time. Only used them on hinds as he'd only be prone to mudfever on hinds. Long socks used to slip, short kept in place. He had a 3-pair rota. He was in over night so longest period on would have been 8 hrs.
 
IMO, they are rubbish. Not very waterproof, a breeding ground for sweat, infection and bacteria and when going from wet to dry on the horse, shrink, causing cellulitis. Just my opinion based on experience.

Pig oil and sulpher all the way :)
 
Brilliant, I use the sportababc turnout boots, smother his legs in sudocreme, put on the turnout boots and turn him out in whatever conditions. When he comes in i take off the boots, leave them off overnight and put them on again the following day. They help prevent mud fever, and if he does have mud fever they help sweat the scabs off and clear it up when used with the sudocreme.
 
I have the derby house ones (and yes you do need two pairs at least) and they're fine. I've only ever had them on for up to 4 hours. They didn't sweat, let mud in or anything. The only issue I had with two of them is that the bottom velcro came undone as my mare spends all day in the boggiest bits of the field all day.

When the horses had mudrash they were actually helpful as the scabs gently came off while the boots were on.

I don't really use them much now as we have a hardcore turnout area so no mud. I wouldn't like to leave them on all day. They don't feel particularly tight though.
 
Do you think people don't put them on right, or leave them on too long? I've never had the slightest issue with them and have had them three years so far.
 
In my experience they get dirty after a few minutes in the mud, and then the mud sits against the skin, which is hot due to the boots, and then bam, you have mud fever. The last horse I knew who wore them ended up with severe lymphangitis as a result of them, causing my vet to go off on his usual "boots of any kind are the work of the devil" rant.

I think the only way they could work is if you had two or three sets, and circulated them with a clean pair every day, and didn't turn out in a very muddy field. That is just my opinion though, and I'm glad they've worked for you.
 
Thanks, wasn't criticising, just interested.

I did have two or three pairs per horse, and only ever put clean (either washed or brushed off totally) and dry ones on. They weren't out 7 days a week with them generally, and then only for up to 4hrs at a time. They were in due to mudrash, and I used the boots to enable them to have a couple of afternoon blowouts in the fields. I also wondered if the fact that my horse already had mudrash helped, as the leg would be slightly filled when the boots were put on, so the legs would go down walking around - hence if anything the boots would get slacker, perhaps that helped??

We had very muddy clay fields (we now don't even put the horses on them in winter as they're awful, we have a chippings turnout area) but the mud never seemed to get under the boots - even when the bottom velcro used to come undone with my mare's. Obviously the bit of leg exposed at the bottom got muddy, but no higher up.
 
they need to be used correctly, they should be on tight, in which case no mud gets in them. I have never had them cause mud fever, or even rub. i use them as a prevention and cure for mud fever. And my horse is in deep mud at the gateway, I take these boots off and his leg is clean so definitley no mud getting under neath at all.
 
Honey08 said:
Thanks, wasn't criticising, just interested.

I did have two or three pairs per horse, and only ever put clean (either washed or brushed off totally) and dry ones on. They weren't out 7 days a week with them generally, and then only for up to 4hrs at a time. They were in due to mudrash, and I used the boots to enable them to have a couple of afternoon blowouts in the fields. I also wondered if the fact that my horse already had mudrash helped, as the leg would be slightly filled when the boots were put on, so the legs would go down walking around - hence if anything the boots would get slacker, perhaps that helped??

We had very muddy clay fields (we now don't even put the horses on them in winter as they're awful, we have a chippings turnout area) but the mud never seemed to get under the boots - even when the bottom velcro used to come undone with my mare's. Obviously the bit of leg exposed at the bottom got muddy, but no higher up.
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See now that sounds like it would work well. The only horses I've seen them used on were out for at least 6 hours a day in very wet fields, and the horse who got lymphangitis did so because his owner washed his boots once every few weeks! Damp, smelly, muddy boots every day did him no good at all.

I think they're like everything - if you use them properly, you won't have problems. You've changed my mind about them, thank you.
 
No one has changed mine yet...

Yes legs are dry when I use the, but it has to depend on what type of mud. Even though ours is clay, it is gritty and this is what causes our problems. You can't tighten at the edges, so grit rubs at the coronet and this is what causes irritation.

Each to their own but I maintain my stance on them :)
 
Very mixed reviews here, to add my 2p I used equilibrium turnout chaps when my mare had a stubborn bout of mud fever. The fields were sopping wet clay and her legs stayed bone dry even wading through boggy gateways.
I only had one pair which I washed and dried on a greenhouse heater each night.
 
I used them with mudfever powder sprinkled inside. Each night I washed them and dried on the radiator (bit smelly) The horse recovered from mudfever and was very happy in them. I tried 3 types but liked the ones made by the company who do the brushing boots with knee boots attached best
 
I would still never use them, and to be honest I would refuse to put them on any of my liveries, but I can see how they could work in the right circumstances as Honey08 described.
 
Thanks for your comments :-) still not convinced if its the way to go :-/ as he's been in for a week,all clean and settled and has had pig oil applied all week so should be a bit more waterproof now ha grounds like a rock now,so might just restrict his turnout a bit ...blimmin horses!
 
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