best bellboot for 24/7?

[beowulf]

I didn’t think I had a hothouse flower up until my TB (who is out 24/7) pulled his front shoe romping like a fool a few weeks ago. He earned himself some glaringly yellow Davis Bell boots that made him look like a clown… up until two days later when I noticed he had rubs on both ankles and a CUT from where the top of the bell boot somehow cut into him??? To make matters worse, he had an abscess from being w/o a shoe.

Do I have any options besides fleece? I can’t imagine in the 90 degree weather we’re having that fleece is a good idea. Anything else? My farrier huff and puffed that he wasn’t in them in the first place but at the time… I didn’t think he needed them… Horses… always proving us wrong :winkgrin:

[IFG]

These were always my favorites for 24/7 wear:

http://www.equinenow.com/store-item-5287

[Fred]

I have used Professional Choice no-turn bell boots for extended periods, without a problem.

[EventerAJ]

Rubber pull-ons are the best way to go. You may have to try a couple different styles to suit him; if he has long thin pasterns, the long neck pullons shown by IFG work well.

The Italian rubber bells are super stretchy, flexible, and tend to fit well…however at $20/pair it’s painful when one inevitably gets lost! For everyday purposes, I like the single-thickness ribbed style that you can often find for around $8-10. They are thin, flexible, and tend to fit a lot of horses.

For XC I prefer the double-thick bottoms to give more protection to stud grabs. For daily turnout, I just want to cover the heels so the cheaper ones work okay for me.

Word to the wise: the gum-colored bells are often stretchier than white or black, so if buying online (when I can’t physically feel them) I always prefer to buy gum.

[beowulf]

Thank you so far! Looking at all, the Nunn Finers seem like a great idea. I have a pair of Pro Choice ballistic bells I can try on… didn’t even think of those. They won’t be too hot?

I don’t mind spending the $ to figure out which he can wear… I figure whatever he doesn’t tolerate I can donate to my other gelding or use for show only…

Horse in question has big solid ankles. The Davis were a large and I am wondering if because they were velcro they were rubbing him.

[SomethingSpecial]

I was going to recommend the Davis bell boots! They’re the only one’s what my horse hasn’t destroyed or rubbed. I’d say don’t go for fleece, it can rub and can get really gross when they get wet/muddy.

[Stacie]

beval pull-on rubber boots. Hands down. fits everybody. small-XXL sizes. One of my girls who has 9.5 inches of bone in the front wears XL. They are pricey ($25-30 a pair) but in 4 years my two girls have never had a rub regardless of the weather (they live out 24/7) All the horses at the barn where I board who need 24/7 boots wear them. Totally worth the $$.

[candysgirl]

I’ve always just used the good old fashioned pull on rubber ones. They’re usually a pain to get on, but they seem to work the best IME.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I don’t like the no-turn or anything that holds wetness to be on for long turn out.

I’ve had issues with the Davis ones rubbing. I go for the cheapest but soft rubber. Pull ons are fine. In a boarding situation I did ones with Velcro but on my own, I was happy to pull them on.

[JenEM]

I have a pair of the firmer Davis type velcro bell boots, but only use them for shipping. IME with them and other velcro bell boots, they end up rubbing where the two sides come together.

Mine lives in bell boots, the cheapie $10/pair gum rubber pull on kind. Inexpensive enough that I usually buy a few pairs at a time when the stores have a sale, and they tend to hold up pretty well. I usually end up replacing them every 6 months or so, even if they haven’t gotten lost, just because they’re getting worn and the rubber is drying out.

[JFCeventer]

Definitely rubber pull-ons for long term wear. They are a huge pain to get on, but if you’re planning on leaving them on 24/7 it’s the best way to go. A bunch of the horses at my barn have rubber pull-ons that they wear all the time. Eventually, thy’ll get ripped or lost, but they last the longest out of any of the other kinds of bell boots.

[bfeintn]

Do the pull ons rub like the velcro ones?

[EventerAJ]

Pull-ons can certainly rub if they are too small or the wrong shape-- some horses’ foot/pastern conformation is a little different and may require a longer or shorter shaped neck on the bell boot. Some horses are also very sensitive to any sand or mud built up beneath the boot, too-- but that can happen with any style of bell boot.

In my experience though, more horses tolerate pull-ons 24/7 better than any velcro kind.

[whbar158]

Also in my experience sometimes people are worried about them being too small and buy a larger size, but the bigger ones can rub too because they move around so much (think like a big shoe on your foot sliding and creating a blister). Also too big are more likely to get pulled off/come off easier. I too like pull on gum rubber ones, I have gone through too many bell boots. It took me awhile to realize that my horse was EATING them and they weren’t just getting torn up quickly (goes for the velcro ones too, I just thought the velcro was dying on its own, nope my horse was ripping it off with his teeth…)

[visorvet]

All of my shod horses live in the Davis velcro boots 24/7. This has been the case for years, involving a wide variety of horses, and I have never seen a single pastern rub. For me they offer the best balance between price and durability. Eventually the velcro tears or pulls off the boot, but they still last longer than any pull-on I have tried.

[beowulf]

I love Davis! Been using them since always… never had a rub.

I haven’t had a chance to try anything else, thank you all for the suggestions. I am thinking of going with the long necked Nunn Finers, but don’t want to put anything on until the rub heals up.

I will let you know my findings!

[runNjump86]

Professional’s Choice bell boots, either the quick-wrap (my favorites) or the no-turns. Don’t fasten them too tightly though.

I have used rubber bell boots in the past but always go back to my PC boots. They last so much longer! My TB has lived in bell boots since the day I got him, and my Arab/QH lives in them for the first couple weeks after getting shod. The quick-wraps are my favorite because they are more adjustable but the no-turns are great too.

[eSpresso]

I always have an issue with bellboots being ripped from being stepped on, or the Velcro stitching to fail after a few weeks, but these horze neoprene bell boots are amazing. I’ve had them for two months now and they’re in good condition still. A bit of material gone from the bottom, but 95% intact. The Velcro is awesome and stitching is tight.
I find they do run small and my 16h ottb that wears a medium regularly fits into a large, or horse size perfectly.
http://www.horze.com/bell-boots/horze-probell-boots,-neoprene/19764.html

[LadyBug]

My mare is clumsy in the field and is constantly pulling shoes if she doesn’t wear bell boots 24/7. For awhile I felt like I was replacing a lost/torn bell boot weekly, until I bought the Roma boots on a whim. She’s been wearing the same pair for probably 3 months now. She also has sensitive skin and I haven’t had any trouble with these rubbing her. Cheap, too! (I’ll probably find that she ripped one off today since I’m saying this…)
http://www.horse.com/item/roma-pvc-ribbed-velcro-bell-boots/E006456/