What are your favorite jump boots that are well ventilated with great protection? I’m starting to hear more of the “boots and wraps cause excess heat” but also don’t want to risk injuring from overreaching etc.
Any great ones with lots of ventilation?
I like the Majyk Equipe Boyd Martin boots. I like that they have wide (pressure dispersing) straps + Velcro (infinite adjustments vs 3 studs), are neoprene free (traps heat like no other), and vented.
There are other more extreme vented boots out there but the above work well enough, especially as they are sub $200 for a full set of fronts and hinds.
Armas are the most breathable IMO: https://www.chewy.com/shires-equestrian-products-arma-air/dp/290559?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=Shires%20Equestrian%20Products
Sorry to side-track, but…I’ve been hearing the boots cause excess heat thing for a long time. I do not disagree that the ones with thick neoprene that wrap all the way around might be problematic- I used a set once and could not believe how hot my horse’s legs felt when I took them off. I like to use the Veredus Vento boots and Eskadron Airs because they are light, designed really well, and do not seem to trap heat. In winter I use Toklat Woolbacks because they provide gentle warmth without generating a lot of heat.
HOWEVER: I’ve never heard of a horse having any sort of tendon or other injury from protective boots trapping heat. I’ve been using protective boots my entire life, from the old-school rubber-lined leather ones to the Hampa boots (both of which trapped a TON of heat), to everything we have available to us now, and have never had any issues. Event horses wear full-coverage boots out on XC (and often in show-jumping to save time when they go to run XC right after stadium) and they don’t have issues. I don’t use polos because they are next to useless as protection from interference, but even those don’t seem to cause a heat issue.
So…is this a real thing?
ETA: After running XC eventers definitely ice their horses’ legs, at least people doing Training level and up, but that’s really different from, say, me plonking around on my jumpers in a groomed ring. I just don’t know that it makes sense to worry over-much about this issue for the majority of us, but I am interested to hear other people’s input!
2 Likes
I’m not sure how anyone would prove this, to be honest. Studies have shown that boots DO increase the temp of legs, and that overheating CAN lead to tendon injuries, but there’s really no way for someone to pull up a lame horse and say “yep, must have been the boots.” Heat has been proven to cause an increased rate of cell death and horses’ legs are slow to cool off because there’s not much blood flow to the area, which is part of why eventers are so meticulous about pulling boots off ASAP and icing after a x-country run.
I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s not something everyone should be worried about, but it’s just a cost/benefit question like with everything. Eventers generally don’t have a choice to go without boots since they typically have studs in. The risk of a stud tearing into a leg outweighs the risk from the heat. Even when I’m not using studs I never jump (and rarely flat) without at least open-front boots to protect the tendons. It’s just not worth the risk to me considering how easy it would be for my horse to do some serious damage by nicking a front leg. I try not to use hind boots unless the horse needs them for some reason to avoid unnecessary heat, and I stick to ventilated open-fronts up front for the same reason.
I use the SmartPak deluxe boots for all my ring work. I was skeptical when I first felt the lining material but they’re surprisingly breathable, even cooler than my Arma’s. I like that they aren’t velcro and are therefore much easier to keep clean, and I think they look pretty sharp.
4 Likes
I have to wonder if the overuse of things like polos are contributing to what seems to me like an unnecessarily high number of soft tissue injuries. We have no way of proving it, but I do wonder.
Sorry, no useful advice regarding ventilated boots. I’ve had my eye on a few pricy ones over the years, but can’t even remember what they’re called. I currently use open front Eskadrons or ThinLines to protect against over-reach, and remove immediately after riding. But will be eye balling this thread for ideas in the event that I want to drop some dough on new boots.
2 Likes
I’d think poor farrier work and poor footing + overuse of the animal (and lack of cross training/TURNOUT) is a bigger factor. However, polos don’t offer any benefits to balance out the heat risks they pose either.
I would only use boots in situations that the protection outweighs the risks for me - XC schooling/competition, lunging a young horse known to be wild with their legs, and on horses known to interfere. I would like to pick up some nice ventilated boots for that purpose, but the choices are overwhelming 
3 Likes
I bought the Cryochaps Exoskeleton open-front boots last year. They are very light and well-ventilated. They are designed to cool the legs while riding by forcing air through, and the hard protective portion is minimized to be only where needed. They were also very reasonably-priced (I think $120 CAN). Not sure who carries them in the US, but I can give you a contact in Ontario if needed and you don’t want to buy overseas.
https://www.cryochaps.co.uk/product/exoskeleton-horse-exercise-boots/ (It’s easier to see the design if you look at the tan colour).
1 Like
I don’t doubt this at all. But in the world I spend the most time (stock horse industry), most people use polos indiscriminately and will leave them on for hours on end. I’m talking work the horse hard, put them away in the stall with wraps on, then get them out again later. Places like Atlanta in the summer. I personally (very gently knocks on wood) haven’t had a suspensory injury before, but suspensory injuries are rampant. Could be trimming, could be footing, could be all the above. But considering the temperature in which cellular damage occurs, I think it’s something to consider.
3 Likes
I like the Veredus vento boots personally. I’ve never had an issue with hot legs after using them, even at shows in the summer. You can buy them from some of the European tack stores for a fraction of what they are here.
Zandona also makes good vented boots. I still like veredus better, but if you have an 18hh dinosaur like I did at one point, Zandona had boots that fit and Veredus didn’t.
2 Likes
I use the Majyk Equipe Vented Infinity open-front boots on my mare’s fronts when she was jumping. They seem comfortable and fit her well, and I like Majyk’s Arti-lage technology.
