Can I make these easyboots fit? help!

[starkissed]

Hello,

I just pulled the front shoes off my TB yesterday. He is a little tender due to the frozen ground.

I have a pair of epics that I bought for my other horse who is a WB. They are size 3.

Today I took my TB on a trail ride, but when I got out in the woods I realized the boots were flopping on him a bit. I had the wires on much tighter setting than my other horse, but my TB has smaller feet, probably a size 2 boot, or perhaps a #1.

Is there any way I can make these boots “do” for a short time? I don’t want to buy another set because I think his feet will actually come around pretty quickly (only shod for 3 months or so). Maybe a padding that will fill in? I still have one notch tighter on the ratchet thing, but the wires are crossed.

Thanks a lot!

[twofatponies]

I’ve used that style of boot. Personally I’d go for it for walking on smooth surfaces/good footing for short distances maybe. But I wouldn’t trot or canter in boots that were flopping, twisting, or otherwise wiggling. It would be like walking in your dad’s shoes as a kid - could make him trip over his own feet, step on himself, etc. - then you have that to deal with.

It also might cause them to rub in various places, like the heel bulbs. Even just walking, check his feet carefully after a few short test rides to see if he has any hot spots or flinchy spots.

I don’t have a padding suggestion, but if you find some that makes them stay very still, then I would still keep to the steadier footing (walk/jog on the road or a smooth path, maybe) but not do anything fast or on complicated footing.

Ask your area barefoot trimmers and check at the local consignment tack shops, if you have some, for used boots - the trimmer I used had a bag of random old boots he would lend to people for temporary use, or if they lost/broke a boot.

And finally - I haven’t done the winter-shoe-pulling thing in a while, but friends I know who do always pull them before the ground freezes (late Nov/early Dec here) so the ground is soft for a few weeks while they get used to it.

[starkissed]

I decided to just walk when I got out there because I was worried about them. I figured walking and using his feet was a good thing. Although he was very very hot headed for that ride-basically jigged the whole time!

I don’t have a trimmer, but I will keep my eyes out for used one, they are so nice to have around. Today I think I try him without boots and see how tender he is-at least we have a little snow pack now

[jn4jenny]

Hmmmm…for the Old Macs, they sell side inserts for long narrow hoofs. They are just EVA foam pads with velcro on one side.

If it’s truly a temporary situation and you’re just walking, I wonder if a piece of EVA foam from the hardware store could help you out. Cut some shims for the sides and bottoms and see where that gets you. Even just a thick pad in the bottom of the boot might do the trick.

[starkissed]

oh thats a good idea, I’ll try that today

[spurgirl]

I have a mare with a clubfoot, thus different sizes in front. Before I got the right size EB’s, I would make the boot stay on for turnout doing this…Take a half facecloth, or super maxi-pad, and fold. Make a ‘asterisk pattern’ of GOOD QUALITY duct tape. You will need to lay 6 to 8 pieces taped over each other, sticky side up. Place your pad in the middle. Set clean, dry hoof on the center. Bring up sides of asterisk strips-halfway up the hoof. trim off big excess pieces. Now with the roll of duct tape, go around the hoof a few times. Your horse should now be about a size bigger to fit in the EB’s you have. Do not go over any hair/coronary areas or heel bulbs with the tape, only cover the hoof that the boot will cover.

If they are way too big, I would be careful riding in them-he may catch himself on them, due to the larger circumference vs. his natural hoof size.

[WaningMoon]

Easycare makes pads that go in those boots. You can easily get the boot to go down one size with them, two, I don’t know. You would have to try it. Also, remember that Easycare has a “Bargain Basement” where they sell seconds of all their boots. I have bought from there several times and have never even been able to tell what made them seconds. VERY good deals in the “Bargain Basement”. Check at easycareinc.com

[chicamuxen1]

How about pulling big thick socks over your horse feet before putting the boots on? Even wrapping the horses hooves with several layers of duck tape just around and around the outer walls will help. I’ve used the duct tape trick to give the teeth of the boots something to grab other than the hoof wall.

Bonnie S.

[cloudyandcallie]

Several years ago a Friesian owner in MD told me about a horse boot exchange website.

There was such a website as I looked at it when I was thinking of exchanging some boots my TB mare refused to wear. (Over her steel shoes, long story.)

So I think the website is stil out there, somewhere. Anyone know about it?

[jn4jenny]

[QUOTE=cloudyandcallie;4619752]

So I think the website is stil out there, somewhere. Anyone know about it?[/QUOTE]

Yes, and I found it again through Google:
http://www.naturalhorsetrim.com/boot_swap.htm

[cloudyandcallie]

Good work! Let me write it down in case I ever need it.

[Guilherme]

What happens to a person who wears shoes that are too big for their feet? They get blisters because the shoe rubs when it should not. A horse foot is not a human foot and a boot is not a shoe. But if it’s rubbing when it should not you will get abrasion. That’s just the Physics of the thing. If it’s just a bit on the hoof wall, maybe not so bad. But if it’s on the bulbs? Both you and your horse will be VERY unhappy.

Shoes are one of those things that they fit or they don’t. I don’t screw around with my own feet and won’t do so with my horse’s feet.

G.

[Moderator_1]

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