Weighted boots for jumping- any use?

[red marksman]

Heard someone yesterday talking about using weighted tendon boots in order to make their horse pick its back feet up more when jumping. Any one got any experience of using these boots - good or bad??

 

[tigers_eye]

Nevr used them myself, and not heard of weighted ones specifically, but know plenty of people who over-tighten the back boots to produce the same effect. Can't imagine it's beneficial to the tendons being squashed, but it does work.

 

[Nickymac]

Not being funny, is that how the ones that Toytown wears (and that the Hoys use) work. I noticed they were taken off the minute he came out of the ring at Hartpury.

 

[tigers_eye]

Probably, think you'd want anything legal on him for the sj! I believe the leather ones with two straps work best for doing it (several brands make them in that style).

 

[lorenababbit]

have to say made no difference to mine using them as is the current trend, that is just putting them on as tight as poss just before the horse goes into the ring. however when i was a wee girl, weighted boots were used as day to day boots on anything a bit clumsy and only removed when the horse jumped. that did seem to work and it is also how the yanks get the knee action and extravagant paces on their standard bred horses in the show ring.
however there are plenty of people who swear by them and i suppose it depends on how sensitive the hind leg of the horse is.

 

[emelia]

My friend uses weighted fetlock boots to really help her horse pick up her back end. she uses them when warming up and in the ring so im pretty sure they are BSJA legal.

 

[Thistle]

I don't understand why you would use them in competition. Surely you school and warm up in them when you take them off for the class the horse feels lighter and has more ping.

 

[Hanz]

Echo Thistle...?

 

[tigers_eye]

It's on the principal similar to the way horses behave if you put travel boots on - at first they walk funny, particularly behind, but then it wears off.

 

[Oldred]

Can anyone explain how the tightened boots work on the horse? Do they cause pain or discomfort? How heavy are the weighted boots? Is the idea to put strain on the horse's muscles to develop them or fool the horse into making more effort with lifting the legs to jump higher than it would otherwise be able to?

 

[red marksman]

I got the impression that the horse would actually jump in them in the competition, not just working in. Like tigers eye says, the horse should over exaggerate its leg action because it is more aware of its legs. Could it do any damage long term tho' ?

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

Never heard of them tbh but from what i've read here id never use them, just sounds, dangerous tbh, cant explain why i think they sound dangerous but they just dont sound, nice, if you get me?

 

[crazyfrog]

i'm into show jumping and they deffinatly worked on most of the horses i have them on.it make the horses much more aware of having to pick up is legs.if you need to make your horse more careful behind or i should say have a better bascule through his back there is an excersise that mite help you,coming from a trot or a canter to a parallele have the front pole at least 25 to 35cm lower that the back rail and make sure yhat you bring him deep to fence that will make your horse having to come up in front and to finish his jump behind(don't have the fence to narrow)

 

[Thistle]

So crazy frog, do you wear them for schooling, compettion or both.

 

[lil_northener]

With P he only had them on in the ring and the definately worked wonders, after a while he did it without and boots on at all.

They didn't work with Eddie so rode hi at home in them to strengthen his hind quarters, and again worked well.

 

[crazyfrog]

i use them mainly at show.put them on now and again at home,firstly to see how the horse react and also to get them use to it.once they know,i only use them at shows.i find that if they are used too often at home they loose their effect.but if you do enough preparation and use the right excersise at home you will find that you won't need the boots too often.