Using horse boots on shod horses

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Susiewong

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My TB gelding has really poor feet-very flat and shelley. Even though he is shod he feels every stone and pebble on the farm tracks we cannot avoid. We are using formaldehyde to thicken the sole and this is making a big difference . I am thinking about using boots on him - has anyone any experience of using them on a shod horse and which are best?I know that by doing this it invalidates the warranty,I'm not bothered about this,I just need to find some suitable boots!!
Many thanks
 
If you are near enough to Gloucestershire it might be worth considering taking your horse to Lucy Priory's booting clinic in August (Sun 18th). Its so hard to find boots to fit, that way you can get each brand fitted to your horse to see what works. Details are on her website. :-)
 
If you are wanting to boot to ride - would it not be beneficial for you and your horse to just take the shoes off? After all they are not serving a purpose if he is still feeling stones even when shod.

There are a lot of clued up barefoot people on here who will be able to give you more information, but i am taking the shoes off my boy this Friday and booting him instead as i've read up on barefoot and it definitely looks like it will improve his feet.

Taking the shoes off will also save you £££!
(I dont see the logic in shoeing and booting at the same time :P)
 
I would imagine getting a boot to fit might be a problem for riding over shoes but that is a total guess. I also don't know how the shoe would impact on the boot and may severely shorten it's life.

In the end, sorting out why the horse is sensitive on stones and working towards helping that may be a better long term way to go. If thin soles and or inflammation are involved the horse is at risk of sole bruising without sole protection on stones. Checking for evidence of thrush especially if there is a deep central sulcus is something to look for and treat if present.
 
Haven't made myself clear- I'm only looking for a short term solution whilst we get these feet in better shape. My vet, farrier and myself are doing everything possible to this end. Couldn't do barefoot as he's eventing and needs shoes and studs. Many thanks for everyone's thoughts on this!
 
I'm not sure that a quick fix exists.

A proper diet overhaul would help him grow better quality horn, but it would take approx 9 months to grow new hoof capsules. If you also took the shoes off and exercised the horse on surfaces that he was comfortable on, you would improve his hooves even more.

You would have to accept that he wouldn't be able to event while this happened, but you could re-shoe once the hooves were healthy again. It certainly would be better for the long term soundness of the horse.

PS - please stop painting carcinogenics on your horse's hooves.
 
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