Bell boot purgatory

[see_u_at_x]

I know that there have been threads before about bell boots, but what the hell…it’s been a few months, so I figured why not start a new one. Maybe someone can help put me out of my misery or knows of something new on the market that I haven’t seen yet. If you read through all of this and have some good advice, you are totally my hero.

Two shoeing cycles ago, my horse pulled off his right front shoe during turnout within a week or two of being shod. During his most recent cycle (5 weeks ago), he sprung the right front shoe about halfway through the cycle and then just last night I noticed he had somehow managed to pull the left front shoe about 0.5 cm off on the inside. (His next farrier appointment is Monday.)

Currently, I use the Davis bell boots (XL) for his turnout. It is not unusual for me to find tiny slices in the boots from where he’s hit himself with the hind hoof. Also, the velcro always wears out on them so fast and they’re obviously not really preventing the problem since the shoes keep getting sprung or lost during turnout. (Or maybe they are fine and my horse is just some weirdo who does goofy stuff when nobody is looking. But seriously, he’s typically super chill during turnout because running around like a lunatic in the field is way too much effort for him 95% of the time.)

Before the Davis boots, I tried the rubber Eskadron (not as thick as the Davis boots) which the velcro ripped off fairly quickly and I found slices in them. I’ve thought about trying the Italian gum boots, but I’m reasonably convinced that he will try to chew them off like he did with the Eskadrons because the rubber isn’t as tough. I tried getting him a pair of the Eskadron Pikosoft boots (XL), but they weren’t long enough that I felt comfortable using them, so I was thinking of getting them in an XXL, but haven’t done so yet since I’d have to order them from somewhere. For schooling, I’ve tried the Professional’s Choice Quick-Wrap boots, but I don’t like how I can’t seem to get them on quite right or tight enough so that they’re not spinning around. They also don’t seem like they’re quite long enough for him, either. (The biggest size they come in is large.) ARGH!

It isn’t like my horse is freakishly large or anything. He’s 16.3 and wears size 5 shoes, though that doesn’t really matter since not all brands are sized the same. I’ve thought about trying the no-turn bell boots, but are they REALLY no turn and are they doing to rub?

Anyway, I’m kind of at my wits end here. I realize that nothing is foolproof, so it’s entirely possible I’ll still have a problem even with the most perfect fitting pair I can find. But it would be great to get some ideas before I go spend a bunch more money on something that may not even work for him. Thanks in advance for the help!

[Mondo]

Have you tried a different farrier? Maybe him stepping on himself is not necessarily normal for him.

[see_u_at_x]

@Mondo

Have you tried a different farrier? Maybe him stepping on himself is not necessarily normal for him.

I’m not ruling that out at all, though our farrier does seem to do a good job with the horses in our barn from what I can tell. (I think he does shoes for 16 of the 19 horses there - the other 3 horses each have different farriers.) My horse’s half-sister and half-brother seem to have the same issue. All are in regular work and have the same turnout schedule, etc. though his half-brother can definitely be more rowdy during turnout and seems to get himself into hot water more often! But yeah, I could certainly consult with a couple of other farriers I know and see what they think.

[atr]

My first reaction to this is “have you discussed this with your farrier?” Sounds like his breakover is out of whack in front and he is leaving those front feet on the ground a fraction too long. You might not notice it when he is collected under saddle and thinking about where his feet are, but noodling around in the field is a different matter.

[OneTwoMany]

I don’t have a boot brand recommendation, but I do have a suggest for the velcro problem.

If the velcro is not “sticking” any longer or it isn’t “sticking” as firmly as it once did, it could be because the “hook” portion of the velcro has gather some lint, hair, hay, burrs, etc. Try taking one of those small wire brushes used on cats and dogs with think coats and brushing the hook part of the velcro until all the debris is removed. That should improve the velcro’s stickiness. These brushes also work great on blanket velcro, polo velcro, etc.

If the velcro truly is worn out, consider purchasing some heavy duty velcro at a craft store or online and ask your blanket repair person to replace the velcro on the boots.

[theresak]

The more expensive gum pull on bell boots are a much tougher rubber than anything else. So tough I have to toss them on the heater or in a bucket of warm water to get them pliable enough to get on the first time.

I’d also ask the farrier to shorten the toe just a tiny bit and really grind/round the heels of the shoes and see if that helps.

[Mardi]

I’m sorry I don’t have a solution to your problem, but thank you for your insight that the expensive boots aren’t any better than the $15.00 variety!

[NSC_Los_Angeles]

I had a farrier earlier this year that I fired as every single shoeing cycle we were losing shoes. He’s a cold shoer which I don’t like anyway, the minute we switched away from hot shoeing every single cycle, lost shoes. Wasn’t really about the breakover, for some reason the front shoes were just sheering off, leaving half the nail embedded in the hoof, the other half in the shoe, it was very weird. I chalked it up to the cold shoeing but do wonder if he was using cheap, crappy nails. Either way, fired the guy and now haven’t lost a shoe once in four cycles.

[btswass]

A horse that pulls shoes off shortly after getting new ones does not have a balanced foot. I’ve been there…tried every single type of bell boot out there. I was getting really frustrated and finally decided it had to be my farrier. Sure enough not only has he not lost a shoe since we’ve had the new farrier but he is moving so much better and his feet have never looked better. Its one thing to lose a shoe towards the end of a shoeing cycle but not in the beginning and not so frequently. You can try all the bell boots in the world (though I also vote for the italian kind as they last forever and the gum rubber doesn’t loose chunks like other bell boots) but I promise you its your farrier

[see_u_at_x]

@Mardi

I’m sorry I don’t have a solution to your problem, but thank you for your insight that the expensive boots aren’t any better than the $15.00 variety!

Hahaha, you’re welcome! Isn’t it nuts? Money sure doesn’t guarantee that they’re gonna work better than the el cheapo stuff. It’s funny, because I was thinking to myself last night that, “Wouldn’t it be great if they made bell boots out of Kevlar?” So I Googled and sure enough, Woof makes them! I may have to order a pair to try and if so, I’ll keep you guys posted. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions - I definitely appreciate it!

NSC, I had to kind of laugh at your story, but not in a mean way, though! So my last horse, I used 5 different farriers with him over the course of 5 years (only because we moved a few times due to loony barn owners and because one of my farriers moved away). The last farrier we had, we used him for the better part of 3-4 years. He did cold shoeing and was a very “old school” type of farrier. Not once did my horse lose a shoe with him…not once! He was great and I really enjoyed visiting with him when he came to the barn. Unfortunately, being in his 60s, he didn’t want to take on a new, unknown young horse. Who can blame him for that, right? So I ended up using the same farrier that my trainer and most of the other people in the barn use.

[see_u_at_x]

@3horses

I highly recommend Gator Bootz by ThinLine. My horse wears them 24/7, including under saddle, and I was having some of the same problems with velcro, etc. My guy has had this pair since November, and they are still in great shape. They are v-e-r-y hard to get off at first, but I get them off with no problem now. They do not use velcro, but like a plastic grip system. Run about $50.

I’ve thought about those, too…thanks for the positive feedback - that’s great info!

Also, thank you for all the feedback re the farrier…I’m definitely learning new stuff here, which I really appreciate. I’m going to contact my nephew who’s a farrier a few hours away and one of my old farriers. To be fair, this has only started happening within the last couple of shoeing cycles. He didn’t start needing shoes until last September/October, so he’s been doing OK for the most part up until this spring.

[PNWjumper]

Bell boots do next to nothing for shoe pulling.

With that being said, I still leave my horses who are prone to doing it out in bells 24/7 in the hopes that they’ll help something. My preference are the ballistic material velcro ones with the no-turn knob (I think mine are Professional Choice).

But if I have a horse that is really bound and determined to pull a shoe (and there are some where it is absolutely NOT the farrier’s fault), I go to shoe secures. Total and complete lifesaver with one young horse I had who went through a growth phase where he was pulling, on average, one shoe a week. www.shoesecure.com (I have no affiliation with the company, just a very grateful customer!)

[see_u_at_x]

@PNWjumper

Bell boots do next to nothing for shoe pulling.

With that being said, I still leave my horses who are prone to doing it out in bells 24/7 in the hopes that they’ll help something. My preference are the ballistic material velcro ones with the no-turn knob (I think mine are Professional Choice).

But if I have a horse that is really bound and determined to pull a shoe (and there are some where it is absolutely NOT the farrier’s fault), I go to shoe secures. Total and complete lifesaver with one young horse I had who went through a growth phase where he was pulling, on average, one shoe a week. www.shoesecure.com (I have no affiliation with the company, just a very grateful customer!)

Whoa, those look amazing! I’ve never seen or heard of them before and am thrilled you had success with their product. My horse is just coming 6, so maybe our experience is similar to yours and it’s a phase he’s going through, too. fingers crossed Thanks so much…these are definitely worth looking into!

[mmeqcenter]

Chiro adjustment - being out on one side more than the other creates compensation in movement.
Fixing angles (whether with your current farrier or a new one) - my mare was too upright in front; it was just the slightest teeniest bit and I overlooked it but as soon as we left a bit more toe, not a shoe lost. The correction did happen with a new farrier, also.

I’ve heard of people doubling up on bell boots with some success.

[PNWjumper]

@see u at x

Whoa, those look amazing! I’ve never seen or heard of them before and am thrilled you had success with their product. My horse is just coming 6, so maybe our experience is similar to yours and it’s a phase he’s going through, too. fingers crossed Thanks so much…these are definitely worth looking into!

My guy was in the 5/6 age range when I started having problems with him too. He went through a phase where he had picked up a bunch of height, but his back hadn’t gotten any longer. And then he would go through “extreme play” moments where he became a whirling dervish bronc horse and would inevitably step off a shoe (usually bending the shoe to a 45 degree angle in the process). My farrier tried wrapping his heels as tightly as possible so there was not even the tiniest bit of an edge for him to catch, but that’s a fine line you walk in regard to shorting heel support. And to mmeqcenter’s point, my guy was worked on regularly by my chiro/vet who is also brilliant with feet and said there was nothing more we could change to improve breakover or change the way he was moving. And at the end of the day, the rough-housing was what was causing the sprung shoes, so short of keeping him in a stall 24/7, we were out of options.

I kept my guy in the shoe secures for a year and a half, IIRC, and then he finished growing and the sprung shoe issue became a thing of the past. But I keep a couple of pairs on hand now in the event that I end up with another like him. They’re a bit of a pain to deal with, but worth every penny to not have to see the farrier every 5 minutes :lol:

[Training_Cupid]

My horse lost several shoes in the winter, before I finally both added clips, and turned him out in bell boots. These cheapie ones lasted all winter (with daily turnout in a muddy field) and still going strong: http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Weaver_Heavy-Duty_Rubber_Pull-On_Bell_Boots/descpage-WHDRPB.html
I wouldn’t turn out in velcro boots. I haven’t tried but I wouldn’t trust them to stay on. Also I ride my horse in fleece-lined velcro bell boots because the one time I tried non-fleece ones they rubbed him raw - but have had no problem with the pull on ones.

[DoodlesMom]

My 5 yr old pulls at least one shoe per cycle. He hits them so perfectly that when (if) they are located, they aren’t twisted, just pulled straight off. Bell boots don’t work, and I’ve tried so, so many. I did eventually figure out why they don’t work… he takes his little toddler mouth and pulls them straight up to his knees when he’s bored, or rips them off. The gum ones with no velcro stay on, but he still pulls them up. Babies, sigh.

Last time, my farrier took his toes back on his back feet, and added hind shoes. So far… no pulled shoes (knock on wood)! It’s only been about a month, but this is the longest he’s gone without a mysteriously missing shoe in quite some time.

[foggythistle]

I could have written your OP. My guy wears size 4’s. I just bought him the Italian bell boots, in XXL. They fit. They actually come down to the ground and push up a little when he puts his foot down. This means that when he picks is foot up, that the bell will drop a little and cover that ever important tail of the shoe. They are pull-ons, but pretty easy pull-ons. I also use the gum ones. Just my personal preference.

I previously had plain XL gum pull-ons on him, but those were getting chewed up like crazy, and they didn’t quite hit the ground.

My guy pulled his latest shoe 3 weeks into his 6-week cycle. Farrier came down and tacked one back on. He’s now had the Italians on for a week and hasn’t pulled anything yet. I’m hoping the larger bell does the trick.

I’m still looking for 1 size 3 (he just moved up to 4’s) shoe and 1 size 4 one out in his turnout. They’re probably under mud.

If those don’t fit, you may have to search for draft horse bell boots.

Equus Now has some XXL velcro bells. http://www.equusnow.com/products/xxl-double-velcro-bell-boots.html

This page has the size information for the KL Select Italian bells. http://www.klselect.com/horse-apparel/bell-boots/
That might help you determine if they will fit before shelling out the $$.

[Training_Cupid]

@Halfpasser11 and @DoodlesMom Wow I’m lucky my horse hasn’t figured out that trick! He’s funny in that he likes to get his mouth on anything, except things he’s wearing. Anything left in front of his stall will be gnawed on and dropped in the aisle or pulled in his stall and trampled into the bedding, but he’s never done anything to his fly mask, boots, or blanket that’s on him!

[Xanthoria]

Gatorbootz are very durable but my horse can get them off by chewing on them unless I use the magic sauce, Bitter Apple Spray. Which actually serves to keep the much cheaper and larger sized Davis Velcro ones on.