XC boots- Dalmar,NEW or Prolite?

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TwinnyOlive

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Hey

Its that time of year again, 3 months till the event season starts and I'm shopping for the pony. I'm looking for some new XC boots and wondered what brand are better; prolite, NEW or Dalmar?
 
I wouldn't touch another pair of prolites, bought some new ones last year, and they are already falling apart and the outsides have faded.

If you search on here about dalmars you will see a few stories.

PE boots are good value for money. I have recently bought some Apollo Air xc front boots and they are nice. The Tekna xc boots also look good value for money, and the xc boots on shadow horse website are good as well.
 
Love NEW - Just to confuse you further have you looked at Ecogold or Kentucky?
Saw the kentucky XC boots before christmas and had a demo of the material they are made from - seriously impressed and will be investing kitting my lot out with them.
 
Absolutely love my NEW airflow xc boots, they fit my very delicate thin skinned TB very well. Would definitely get another!
 
I'd avoid Dalmar after hearing so many horror stories, the strike pad is made from carbon fibre which shatters upon impact (not ideal in a boot!)
Have heard lots of good reviews about both Prolite and NEW - tried them both, unfortunately neither fitted my mare properly, however out of the two I did prefer the prolite. I actually ended up with some Trizones in the end as after trying a huge amount of boots, they were the only ones that actually fitted her and stayed put - I am very impressed with them so far as they are very lightweight and don't rub her (everything else does), but as she has been out of work all year they haven't had to survive any serious outings yet so couldn't comment on the durability. I am another who has heard very good things about the LeMieux boots, just to add a 4th option to your list...!
 
We had NEW boots and they fell apart within a few uses - the strike pad on one came right out of the top and the other boot compressed and caused rubs. I have also read the Dalmar stories but have used a pair as turnout boots for years and they have lasted in perfect condition. We have PE XC boots but only a couple of uses so far.
 
I use NEW boots and I think they are fantastic, would recommend them as they are really good value for money...I have also used Tri zone boots, which have been good on some occasions however, they tend to slip down a lot on one of my ponies. We once jumped into water and the Tri zone boots held a great deal of water in which caused them to slip down over his hooves... Yet they have also been brilliant boots on other types of pony.
 
Have had all of those and my current favourites are the Le Mieux Stealth ones. Lightweight, easy to clean, breathable and good strike pad. I saw a shattered carbon fibre pad after an altercation with a fence and the broken shards are a bit scary.
 
I use the dalmar boots behind, they are great dont slip or turn!

The premier equine ones slipped badly.

I use eskadron xc boots in front, they are fab and have lasted ages! Ive easily had them for 5 years and still in great condition :)
 
I had the same problem with the tri-zone after going through water, they slipped right down, ended up having to pull up!. Have had the pro-lite too but didn't wear that well. Currently got the Dalmar, which have fitted well and worn well, but maybe after reading these posts I should think again??
 
Big, big vote for the Kentucky.
The impact absorbing material is amazing. I tried it on my broken hand (it had just healed) with the guy whacking it really hard with the boot between him and my hand on the table. It worked brilliantly, I did not feel any pain.
The outer brushes off easily, I have not had to wash them yet.
The horse's legs stay nice and cool.
Definitely worth every penny!
 
Hi, for my sins I have all three that the OP mentions!

Am I the only one who has had a Prolite shield shatter? The prolite inside mainly protected the leg, but the tendon was still marked on the scan. I still like my new Prolites though, but tend not to use them for hard hard work as they are a bit hot looking.

I have Dalmar ones too, they seem very lightweight and have cooling holes. I would think that if the shield did break though that there is much less padding inside than the Prolite.

The NEW ones I have are the fleece lined, and they do slip down in water.....

This year I tried the TriZone ones which are made up of a plastic grid. No carbon shield, but they are quite solid, do not absorb water and did not fall down. They seemed quite practical and were not expensive.

I also tried some Premier Equine Sports boots at our last event, that are supposed to be made of breathable Neoprene. Not sure if I liked them or not, will try again next year!
 
Can anyone recommend a particular brand for a hairy pony!? It's a 14hh Connemara pony and a bit smart so I think he ought to have some boots! I have no experience of fitting boots to ponies... Does he sound like he'd need a pony size? I'd say he's medium boned for a Connie... Sorry to hijack! Any thoughts appreciated!
 
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