Best tendon boots? (Also: opinions on the Back On Track open front tendon boot?)

[Allusion]

Alright, I’m on the hunt for new open-front tendon boots for my mare for jump schooling. The tendon boots I have now are the better part of 10 years old, and I’m sure that there’s better technology out there now that don’t retain heat… so talk to me about open-front tendon boots: what do you recommend, and why?

How are the Equifit D-Teq boots? They seem lightweight but before I shell out $300 on a set of front boots, I’m concerned about trapping heat, as there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of ventilation? I mean, a lot of top riders use Equifit boots, so I’d assume that they’d be worth the money?

As an offshoot: does anyone have any opinions on the new Back on Track tendon boots? They seem to be well vented, but they also contain the ceramic-infused fabric, wouldn’t that create heat that you really don’t want in a boot? Thoughts?

Many thanks in advance!

[btswass]

I don’t get why anyone would use any of the BOT boots or polo wraps. Its doing the exact opposite of what you want. Heating up the legs is a major issue that most people don’t take seriously. Studies have shown at 118 F tendon cells begin to die off which is irreversible damage. 10 minutes of galloping will heat the legs up to 118 without any boots. My suggestion for a highly effective boot that has great protection and will keep the legs cooler than most is the veredus vento boots. They’re a bit cheaper than the equifit boots and you’ll see a ton of the top riders using them

https://www.argentoeq.com/collections/boots-and-wraps/products/veredus-carbon-gel-vento-open-front-boots

[AffirmedHope]

http://www.doversaddlery.com/ultimate-open-front-boot/p/W1-C04356A/#ProductTabs

I have these. They look and fit very nice but don’t cost an arm and a leg like the Veredus or Equifit boots do. They have gel on the inside and a removable liner you can put in the fridge/freezer before riding.

[vxf111]

@AffirmedHope

you can put in the fridge/freezer before riding.

It never occurred to me to do that. What does your horse think of that? I’m not sure it wouldn’t be slightly distracting/annoying to mine… hmm…

[AffirmedHope]

@vxf111

It never occurred to me to do that. What does your horse think of that? I’m not sure it wouldn’t be slightly distracting/annoying to mine… hmm…

He’s fine with it. They don’t need to be in there overnight lol, just 20-30 minutes before your ride.

[Libby416]

@btswass

I don’t get why anyone would use any of the BOT boots or polo wraps. Its doing the exact opposite of what you want. Heating up the legs is a major issue that most people don’t take seriously. Studies have shown at 118 F tendon cells begin to die off which is irreversible damage. 10 minutes of galloping will heat the legs up to 118 without any boots.

Thank you!! My opinion, the BOT boots are super gimmicky, and while I do love their blanket, I love it for muscles. Muscle soreness can be relieved with heat. You don’t want to add any heat to the sensitive soft tissues of the legs, which is why I never understood the wraps or boots.

I currently use the Eskadrons, but I also really like the Majyk Equipe open fronts, and the Veredus. I think the Equifits looks very pretty, and I like the multiteqs, but my mare doesn’t like them for some reason.

[SolarFlare]

I have the BOT Royal fetlock boots. They don’t seem to heat up the legs any more than any other boot. The BOT fabric reflects IR wavelength, not heat.

The issue I have with them is that the lining around the outside had a hole in it after the second ride, and it continues to disintegrate. Not at all happy with how they hold up.

[hannahfm22]

I have the BOT open front boots- I like them. After comparing them to other boots, I don’t find that they hold more heat; besides, BOT products are based around infrared therapy, and not just the reflection of heat. The one thing some of the equifits have on the BOT boots is a removable liner for easy cleaning, though mine have held up nicely so far

[jhg140]

I owned Equifit for years and while I like them, I recently purchased Veredus Carbon Gel Vento boots and they are my new favorites. Much easier to put on and off, clean up well, you can throw them in the wash too. I ordered them from Europe and they were much cheaper than the Equifits.

[Libby416]

@SolarFlare

I have the BOT Royal fetlock boots. They don’t seem to heat up the legs any more than any other boot. The BOT fabric reflects IR wavelength, not heat.

I just want to clear this up because I think a lot of people are confused. Infrared technology used in BOT products is ALL ABOUT the reflection of heat.

Taken directly from the BOT website: “Back on Track’s joint and muscle support are all made of functional textiles with heat reflective properties. The textile is a synergy of ancient Chinese experience and modern scientific textile technology. During the manufacturing of polyester- or polyester fibers, the ceramic particles are fused into the fibers. When heated, the ceramic particles radiate a heat back towards the body. This reflected heat is long-wave heat radiation, which is also known as long wave infrared radiation.”

When some sellers and product reps throw different words around, it can confuse a lot of people…

[foursocks]

I love Veredus- I have a bunch of them. I also have some Eskadron Airs, some Magyk Equipe, a few leather ones, and some other assorted boots, but I show in Veredus and generally use them for daily boots.

[btswass]

@Libby416

Thank you!! My opinion, the BOT boots are super gimmicky, and while I do love their blanket, I love it for muscles. Muscle soreness can be relieved with heat. You don’t want to add any heat to the sensitive soft tissues of the legs, which is why I never understood the wraps or boots.

I currently use the Eskadrons, but I also really like the Majyk Equipe open fronts, and the Veredus. I think the Equifits looks very pretty, and I like the multiteqs, but my mare doesn’t like them for some reason.

I have the quick wraps and bell boots that I use sometimes at night. My horse tends to stock up and the BOT wraps help to prevent that better than regular wraps. And I use the bell boots to increase circulation in his horrible front feet. I think heat in the legs can be good if used correctly, but using BOT boots while in active exercise is not a good idea in my opinion. A little bit of heat while rested or on an old injury can be beneficial for increased circulation. And thanks for clearing things up! I can very clearly feel the increased heat when I take BOT wraps off so I was a little surprised people didn’t realize that the technology in BOT products is reflecting the horses own body heat back onto itself

[hannahfm22]

@Libby416

I just want to clear this up because I think a lot of people are confused. Infrared technology used in BOT products is ALL ABOUT the reflection of heat.

Taken directly from the BOT website: “Back on Track’s joint and muscle support are all made of functional textiles with heat reflective properties. The textile is a synergy of ancient Chinese experience and modern scientific textile technology. During the manufacturing of polyester- or polyester fibers, the ceramic particles are fused into the fibers. When heated, the ceramic particles radiate a heat back towards the body. This reflected heat is long-wave heat radiation, which is also known as long wave infrared radiation.”

When some sellers and product reps throw different words around, it can confuse a lot of people…

BOT is not about adding extra heat, but uses what a horses body naturally produces. Below was taken from another coth thread (https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/dressage/292032-back-on-track-polos-good-idea-or-not)
“So pardon my geekiness but I did a huge amount of research on this for a state project. Infared raditation does not “create” heat, it instead uses the cell frequency’s to improve blood flow which then “warms up” the area that has the product placed on it. For the most part, any BOT product will retain heat about as much as the regular items (personally never used the polos but that is what my research has told me). When you use a BOT product, you are not adding heat in the sense of providing something that will raise the temperature (like a heated blanket) but instead a product that increases blood flow which does increase heat but only through the extra flow of blood. If that makes sense?”

[Libby416]

@hannahfm22

When you use a BOT product, you are not adding heat in the sense of providing something that will raise the temperature (like a heated blanket) but instead a product that increases blood flow which does increase heat but only through the extra flow of blood. If that makes sense?"

Right, it’s not adding heat, but in that same sense the products do not allow heat to escape and dissipate. This is where the problem comes in for me with respect to soft tissue. The BOT products are great for muscles, I have the BOT mesh sheet and it’s wonderful in the winter, but soft tissue, tendons and ligaments, can be damaged with heat, which is why most products on the market aim to draw heat away from soft tissue.

Not saying that BOT products don’t work, like I said I have the mesh sheet for my horse, but in an attempt to broaden their line the technology is used in what I believe to be an inappropriate way. Muscles we add heat, tendons/ligaments we draw heat away. Simple as that.

[greywithchrome]

Equifit DTeqs are the BEST - hands down my favourite boots, and worlds above the other models of Equifits.

Not a fan of the BOT tendon boots for two reasons - 1. What many people above have said about reflecting heat onto the legs, and 2. the shell scuffs SO easily!

Also - slightly funny a person who doesn’t like BOT boots due to heat uses Eskadrons… those boots have zero breathability.

[Allusion]

@greywithchrome

Equifit DTeqs are the BEST - hands down my favourite boots, and worlds above the other models of Equifits.

Not a fan of the BOT tendon boots for two reasons - 1. What many people above have said about reflecting heat onto the legs, and 2. the shell scuffs SO easily!

Also - slightly funny a person who doesn’t like BOT boots due to heat uses Eskadrons… those boots have zero breathability.

Do you find that the D-Teqs breathe well?

[foursocks]

[QUOTE=greywithchrome;n9779830
Also - slightly funny a person who doesn’t like BOT boots due to heat uses Eskadrons… those boots have zero breathability.[/QUOTE]

The Eskadron Airs breathe really well, just FYI. I have no idea if that poster uses that model or not, but the Airs are great. I wouldn’t put BOT boots on my horses- I love the rest of their product line, and I have a bunch of the Contender II pads (my favorite pad), but putting boots on with a material that is designed to capture heat seems counter-productive. The only time I want the tendons warmed is in the winter when it’s very cold, and for that I use Valena Woolbacks (which also breathe).

I do like the Equifit T-Sport wraps- they breathe very well and are nice for when my older horse is stocked up or he or my other guy has an injury and I don’t want to put hard shell boots on his legs.