Waterproof turnout boots?

EmmaB

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 September 2010
Messages
791
Location
Staffordshire
Visit site
I'm looking for some turnout boots for my boy as he's now fully clipped but I want to give his legs a little extra protection/warmth at night (turned out 24/7) but why are they all made of neoprene? Surely it will soak up rain and mud and be a vile squishy mess on the legs?? Can't seem to find any that are waterproof even though they are made for outdoor use...

Or if anyone uses the neoprene ones do you find they work well?
 

Meowy Catkin

Meow!
Joined
19 July 2010
Messages
22,635
Visit site
Mud seeped up from the bottom, so her legs got muddy anyway.

The boots became soaked and took ages to dry, so you pretty much had to wash and dry them every night which was a struggle.

You can only use them for X number of hours a day, so not good if you want your horse turned out longer than that.

They have to be really tight to try to reduce the mud seeping up, therefore they rubbed (Ok my mare does rub easily, she's thin skinned).

They produce a nice dark, damp atmosphere on the legs, so the mudfever actually gets worse.



As I said - dreadful.
.
 

rochnar

Member
Joined
28 February 2014
Messages
11
Visit site
So sorry for your mare!
My horse is out for only 3-5 hours in these conditions... So from my perspective they are brilliant. I dry them everynight, but neoprene dries quickly.
i've used some other in the past (can't remember brand) and they were a nightmare. They were folding up easily (this one is sometimes folding a bit around coronet band).
 

lula

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 August 2011
Messages
1,113
Visit site
i was looking for some turnout boots too and have asked myself exactly the same question regarding the neoprene.
Think i'll stick to brushing boots for turnout.
 

debsg

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 January 2009
Messages
797
Location
East Kent
Visit site
Woudnt touch them, for the reasons listed by Faracat. Pig oil and sulphur, applied to the legs when clean and dry, will protect and prevent the mud from sticking. Cheap and cheerful, if a bit messy, lol. Xx
 

Meems

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 October 2013
Messages
852
Visit site
Woudnt touch them, for the reasons listed by Faracat. Pig oil and sulphur, applied to the legs when clean and dry, will protect and prevent the mud from sticking. Cheap and cheerful, if a bit messy, lol. Xx

You can get pig oil in a spray now, hardly any mess at all (except I left my bottle on its side and it all seeped out)!
 

rochnar

Member
Joined
28 February 2014
Messages
11
Visit site
Woudnt touch them, for the reasons listed by Faracat. Pig oil and sulphur, applied to the legs when clean and dry, will protect and prevent the mud from sticking. Cheap and cheerful, if a bit messy, lol. Xx

but she wants to keep legs warm as well, as they've been just clipped!
 

Auslander

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2010
Messages
12,622
Location
Berkshire
Visit site
but she wants to keep legs warm as well, as they've been just clipped!

It's not a bad thing for legs to be cold - we're just conditioned to want our animals to be toasty all the time. Legs are better off cold than too hot.

My horse is fully clipped, legs and all, and is perfectly happy out in fetlock deep mud with nothing on his legs. He isn't the bravest of soldiers either - if i don't put enough rugs on him, he acts like he's got advanced hypothermia.
 

rochnar

Member
Joined
28 February 2014
Messages
11
Visit site
I agree it's not good to keep legs too warm, but when you clip them, you deprive natural barrier... and for sensitive horse it's not a good idea
 

Meems

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 October 2013
Messages
852
Visit site
I've just fully clipped my horse (legs off too) and her field is very muddy in places although she has got a dry field shelter to stand in. It has occurred to me to fashion some leg warmers for her just till summer coat starts to come through! To be honest, as long as her back is warm (she's quite well rugged) she'll be OK.
 

Auslander

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2010
Messages
12,622
Location
Berkshire
Visit site
I agree it's not good to keep legs too warm, but when you clip them, you deprive natural barrier... and for sensitive horse it's not a good idea

Disagree - you couldn't get more sensitive than mine who is very prone to mud fever, but with his legs clipped, his skin is much healthier. When he has hairy legs and is out 24/7, they never completely dry, and the skin gets warm and damp which is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
 

lula

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 August 2011
Messages
1,113
Visit site
I agree it's not good to keep legs too warm, but when you clip them, you deprive natural barrier... and for sensitive horse it's not a good idea

um, dont clip them if she's that concerned? Im tempted to agree with Auslander. the management for mud fever is to clip the pasterns anyway as the more air you can get to the skin the quicker it will dry out and provides less of a warm damp enviroment for the mud fever bacteria to thrive in.

At this time of year when most pasture is churned up and fetlock deep at the best,. i cant see how turnout boots can be healthy for the legs for the reasons already mentioned, like them keeping legs warm and damp and encased in mud inside the boots.
 

EmmaB

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 September 2010
Messages
791
Location
Staffordshire
Visit site
Thanks for the replies guys, I think I'll just not bother as they all seem to be made of neoprene which is ridiculous when they are specifically for turnout use!

I clipped his legs because 1. for a finer built horse he gets legs like a woolly mammoth which make him look awful and 2. he gets a little mud fever. I wanted to keep him warm though as he's 18 and probably has a tiny bit of arthritis but the rest of him is super rugged up so I think he will be fine, he doesn't run about a lot so not too much risk of injury either but I was just curious to if they actually made turnout boots that were waterproof!
 

maggiehorse

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 July 2005
Messages
855
Location
cornwall uk
Visit site
Thanks for the replies guys, I think I'll just not bother as they all seem to be made of neoprene which is ridiculous when they are specifically for turnout use!

I clipped his legs because 1. for a finer built horse he gets legs like a woolly mammoth which make him look awful and 2. he gets a little mud fever. I wanted to keep him warm though as he's 18 and probably has a tiny bit of arthritis but the rest of him is super rugged up so I think he will be fine, he doesn't run about a lot so not too much risk of injury either but I was just curious to if they actually made turnout boots that were waterproof!
i have premier equine turnout boots on my three 1 tb 1 tb x 1 holsteiner , they go out daily for between 5 and 8 hours in a pretty muddy paddock , legs are completly dry underneath when they come in and no mudfever at all
 
Top