Who uses boots on their horse?

Do you use boots of some kind on your horse when riding them?

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HollyWoozle

HollyWoozle

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I would like to know who uses boots of some kind on their horse when riding them. I never use boots on mine (except high vis brushing boots in really really bad weather) but we just hack and have lessons.

Do you definitely need them for what you do or are they just a precaution?

PS. I know there might be other answers, in which case feel free to post what they are. I just didn't want to put too many different options when these seemed like the main ones. :)
 
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I have front boots with good tendon guards on my horses for any ridden work or lungeing work other than in a dressage test. can't stand the thought of working them without, it only takes a silly spook and a bang to the tendon and they can be out for a year. If they move close behind i'll put fetlock boots on but i try not to. good hind boots for xc, always. overreach boots for any jumping unless horse is barefoot. fwiw the last 2 times one of my horses has jumped without overreach boots, while shod behind, they have injured (the 2nd time, i forgot to put them on for xc, horse overreached badly and we didn't get to a 3* because of it), so i've learnt my lesson.
 
It depends on the horse:
Gracie doesn't leave her stable without support boots, she's getting on a bit and her legs are very precious.
Melody wears tendon boots for fast work and jumping
Mabel wears tendon and fetlock boots for schooling and jumping
Grumpy wears tendon boots for lunging as he tends to jump all over himself
 
never - none of mine are shod so the damage they can do is mimimal. They are also careful and straight moving.

However, for the one set of shoes that Kalli had on recently she worn boots constantly - the shoes made her clumsy and she constantly stood one herself :rolleyes:
 
I use knee boots when out hacking as I've seen some horrific broken knees over the years and we're up and down some serious, quite slippy road hills.

I use boots for schooling because both of my horses move quite close behind. And my mare also has to wear Equichaps because of mud fever.
 
nativeponies said:
only when i kick them hard...;)
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Lol :D

Yes, i do, all the time as I have an incredibly accident prone TB who can barely move without injuring himself :rolleyes: and it's not worth the hassle for when he spooks and knocks into himself, or has a bucking fit and gets his legs in a tangle, or just trips over his own feet... :rolleyes: although *touch wood* very few injuries recently.

He wears brushing boots (sometimes just in front depending what we're doing) or bandages and often ORs for everyday schooling, hacking, jumping, lunging etc. Tendons and fetlocks for SJing, brushing boots and ORs for XC, obviously nothing for dressage ;)
 
I use back brushing boots on Blue all the time. They were origianally only going to be for fast work and jumping (which I have front boots for too to add a bit of extra protection) But I noticed the rub marks indicating that he brushed - which doesn't surprise me with the way he walks, so figured it would be better to use them.
 
Have never used them. But then again i don't do much. Jump up to 2.5-3ft at the most (and it's been a loong time since i got to 3ft!) and mostly school or hack. Have used knee boots once in frosty weather as a precaution. They were an absolute pain in the bum though, twisting, falling down, catching. I took them off half way round. Have considered over reach boots for daft ginger arab, but he never seems to do himself any damage, has never pulled a shoe off etc even though he has a pretty big over step when schooling. Must be more coordinated than i give him credit for ;)

If i was doing XC i would want them on though, and if i did major jumping probably. But i never will ;)
 
It depends on the horse. Africa always has boots when hacking as she can be silly occasionally and it prevents any little knocks, when schooling she 'nearly' always has sports/support boots on behind as she has mild OCD in her fetlocks and it makes such a difference to her movement and comfort. Ben often has over-reach boots on as he tends to catch himself later in the ride when he might be a bit tired but other than that he doesn't wear anything. My first horse never wore boots until she had a tendon injury then she wore tendon boots in front when coming back into work and always when jumping to give her a bit more support.
 
I rarely use boots these days. I learnt a long time ago that it is best not to boot for hunting or fun rides - anything that means being in the saddle for more than a couple of hours really - just not worth it as boots can do more harm than good.

I will put boots on for hunter trials and that's about it, but none of my horses have had leg / movement issues or been clumsey!
 
If they have shoes on, they have boots on.

brushing boots for hacking/schooling, tendon and fetlock boots for sj and prolites for anything more exciting!

overreach boots on depends on the horse- some wear them in front, some behind, most have none unless xc.

for the sake of 30 seconds putting them on I would rather try and minimise any injury i can.
 
Sorry to hijack :o Can anyone please explain the difference between the use/function of brushing & fetlock boots on the hinds?

My mare is quite close moving behind, so would be useful to know. Thanks :)
 
FleabittenT said:
Sorry to hijack :o Can anyone please explain the difference between the use/function of brushing & fetlock boots on the hinds?

My mare is quite close moving behind, so would be useful to know. Thanks :)
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Don't worry, these things are useful to know. :) I'm not sure myself so will let someone else explain.

Thanks to everyone for all the replies and for taking part in the poll, it is interesting to know how many people do use boots and why.
 
B wears brushing boots in front for hacking, schooling and dressage warm up, he knocked himself once when having a "moment" and threw a splint so not worth the risk. For SJ and pole work he wears tendon and fetlock boots and XC he had Woof Ultra and no turn over reach in front and NEW air cooled XC boots behind.
 
I now use boots for everything from Turn out to Schooling and hacking having just done six weeks box rest from him cutting his lower leg open in the field he now has hardy turnout chaps all round to even the basic schooling as he over reached the other day and had another three days box rest so has wraps all round and OR boots.

It feels very odd as ive always been against boots really for anything but have had a total change of heart of late and wont do anything now without boots unless he is in the stable.
 
Back brushing ones all the time as he does brush behind, many pairs of boots destroyed! Boots all round for XC and lunging but other than that no front boots for general schooling and hacking.
 
Always fronts - though Maiden only hacks anyway! She moves close in front and has an old tendon injury that will never be fully healed. If she knocks herself, she puts more weight on one leg or the other and if it's her "bad" leg taking more weight, it doesn't do her tendon any favours and she tends to go lame.

Backs don't tend to pose a problem, so I don't bother.

So, in short, it's not worth risking her legs. She doesn't do enough to get hot under the boots so I think she's far better off having them on than off.
 
FleabittenT said:
Sorry to hijack :o Can anyone please explain the difference between the use/function of brushing & fetlock boots on the hinds?

My mare is quite close moving behind, so would be useful to know. Thanks :)
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They both serve the same purpose of protecting the fetlock joint, but a brushing boot will give protection higher up the leg too, so depending where your horse actually catches themselves might influence your decision. Mine manges to catch herself quite high up, so I always use brushing boots.
 
FleabittenT said:
Sorry to hijack :o Can anyone please explain the difference between the use/function of brushing & fetlock boots on the hinds?

My mare is quite close moving behind, so would be useful to know. Thanks :)
Click to expand...

As above, it depends where they catch themselves, although a good farrier should be able to help, by feather-edging the hind shoes, for example.
fetlock boots for sj in particular, because they give no protection to the front of the cannon bones, and you want the horse to really feel it if he hits a fence.
brushing boots for flatwork, really.
speedy-cut boots if the horse catches itself really high up the leg (towards the hocks).
 
My mare is leg-in-each-corner sort and doesn't wear any boots at all. Never had any problems with her. Vinnie though, is the clumsiest horse I've ever met! He wears brushing boots in front and fetlock boots behind whenever I'm riding, even though its normally only hacking. He is just very clumsy and doesn't ever seem to actually know where he's putting his feet lol :rolleyes:
 
One of mine wears front and back brushing boots for everything, the only exception being a dressage test where boots are not allowed. The other wears front brushing boots for everything and over reach boots for fast work as he is quite short and does have a tendency to over reach.
 
Mine wears front tendon boots for training at home and at competitions, no back boots because he dosent need them :)
For lunging brushing boots all round, and when hacking he wears front brushing boots.
Xc he will wear front and back boots, possibly over-reach boots as he is still growing into himself :)

Exception being dressage of course, where boots are not allowed.

I dont turnout in boots though - imo horses need to learn where their feet and legs are :)
 
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