Ok, I’m still curious about these… Has anyone had the Easyboot Gloves long enough to offer an updated review?
My boy has always done very well in Easyboot Bares, but I’ve about had it with the struggle of getting them on and off. So, my primary concern is this:
Are the Gloves VERY easy to put on, even in cold weather (when the material is, presumably, more stiff as with the Bares)?
Try this thread I posted earlier:
http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=189396&highlight=easyboot
I LOVE this boot! Very easy to put on and off…
Thanks, Tex. I did read that thread and remain hungry for me. A glutton for info, that’s me. Glad to hear your good review!
So, do you think the gaiters will tear less easily on Gloves than on Bares (if you had any experience with Bares). I found that as hard as I tried not to tug on the gaiters while getting Bares on and off, the gaiters’ stitching did eventually tear loose of the boot from the strain.
The secret to easy Bare installation is not tugging or pulling, but TWISTING the boot on, and using the horse’s own weight in your favor. I really should put together a video because its too hard to explain but I found a way that pops Bares on with almost no effort, even in the winter when the boots are stiffer. (And I’m talking -17 below zero kind of cold.) The boots SHOULD be a snug fit, but obviously if they are just plain the wrong size, nothing you do will get them on.
You pick up the foot, then hold the boot up to the bottom of the foot but only put one side of the hoof into the boot. So you tuck the toe in the boot, then tip the boot sideways so that only the inside quarter is down inside the boot.
Let the horse put the foot down. The outside quarter will POP inside the boot as the horse weights it. You will hear a definite loud POP as the quarter slips inside the upper edge of the boot and the boot material snaps back outward.
Pick the foot back up, brace the horse’s knee against your thigh.
Grasp the boot on each side - at the quarters - and give two or three twists back and forth.
The toe slides forward, right into the boot which seats the heel. The process takes about 30 seconds per foot.
Put the foot down, do up the gaiter and you’re done. You don’t tug on the gaiter at all. You don’t even touch the gaiter except to fold it over the back of the boot, out of your way.
After replacing about 6 gaiters, cussing and sweating, whacking the toe with a mallet, and standing on my head long enough to feel my heartbeat in my eyeballs I figured out a better way. And it works awesome.
I laughed out loud the other day. I was reading on the FEI Endurance site that the Chef put out a directive for the month of march…riders are to do a video of them installing an Easyboot on a horse’s foot in 2 minutes or less. I thought 2 minutes, heck in 2 minutes I could put all 4 boots on. I thought about sending a video but didn’t think it would be appreciated very much. LOL.
[QUOTE=BarbeyGirl;3923537]
Ok, I’m still curious about these… Has anyone had the Easyboot Gloves long enough to offer an updated review?
My boy has always done very well in Easyboot Bares, but I’ve about had it with the struggle of getting them on and off. So, my primary concern is this:
Are the Gloves VERY easy to put on, even in cold weather (when the material is, presumably, more stiff as with the Bares)?[/QUOTE]
I got mine last month and have been using them every day. Thus far I LOVE them! If they are sized correctly for the hoof, they are fairly easy to get on and off. If the hoof is at the top end of the size, then the boots can be a tad more difficult to get on. It doesn’t matter the temperature – it doesn’t seem to affect them one way or another. The shell stays flexible. I used a set today (25 degrees) and they went right on with one hand just slipping them on. What a change from the traditional easyboot which was ALWAYS a struggle!
I have two sets of Gloves (just ordered my third set yesterday 
- all three sets are a step up from each in size) and one of my guys has a hoof size just at the top end of the largest set I have at the moment. I did have to take a hammer to the toe to seat the hoof completely in the Glove, but once it was on, it was on to stay for the whole 5.6 mile ride! Yet when it came time to remove them, they came off in a second with no effort on my part. The new set should fit him better so I don’t have to “seat” the toe.
I’ve had them in DEEP mud, cruising down the road at a very fast road trot, trotting on gravel, cantering across grassy fields, being pawed in the water – you name it, and the Glove goes through everything without a hitch.
The only thing I didn’t like was they really skimped on the velcro closure. 
I had to add an extension of velcro to have it wrap all the way across the front of the gaiter. Small complaint … but there you have it.
An extension for the gaiter is available, if not, I know it’s in the works…
BGirl - I had no experience with the Bares, but the Glove is so easy to put on (you pull the gaiter all the way back out of the way, I can’t imagine the gaiter tearing…
The trick to the Bares is using a rubber mallet and tapping the toe once you hold it at the place you want it to go on. Then you can tap the bottom to settle it on…I get mine on in about 2 minutes for both. No struggle…
Yeah, just got a new gaiter for one my mare ripped off (my fault not hers) and the velcro is definitely shorter than the original gaiter’s…
I wish I could justify some Gloves! They look awesome.
I’m (quite impatiently! :)) waiting for the larger sizes to come out.
My girls hooves are 146mm long and 140mm wide…not even close to the largest size 3 currently offered.
I’m going to grab a few pairs as soon as they come in larger sizes! 
Ok, A2 and Mel, I’m listening…but I haven’t found it that easy! Do you suppose the difference is the fact that I’m using Bares with the old style gaiter? Does it make that much difference?
I was all set to buy those, but my horse has round hooves. He is right between sizes – 124mm by 124mm directly after a fresh trim. 
I was really excited to try these boots. Dang it. Hopefully they’ll come out with round sizes soon.
My horse has a fairly round foot, and the gloves fit him fine. I’ve only used them twice so far, put probably 10 miles in them. I love them!
I had the trimmer come out to pull shoes, trim and fit the Gloves a couple of weeks ago. The shape of my horse’s hooves isn’t quite right in that the boots don’t make a wide v in the front but fit very snug in the quarters. Regardless, I loved the look and took them on trial.
I’ve ridden 3x, short distances of 10 miles or less, in mud and on rocks, at a walk, trot and gallop, and they performed superbly. Stayed on snug, didn’t rub the heels (a problem in the past) and were relatively easy to put on quickly. Everyone that I’ve ridden with have commented favorably on them. Best of all, my mare moved well in them. She didn’t like the Epics as the profile was too thick and changed her way of going. And they were m’f’ers to get on. I will report back as I put more miles on them.
So far, I love them.
Now, the Glue-Ons look even more appealing. It is the Glove without the gaiter. Easycare is gluing on only a cuff to the front of the hoof, putting on the glove shell and then attaching the shell to the cuff with screws. That allows you to remove the shell after competition or riding and the cuff stays on the front of the hoof so you don’t have to glue the boot on each time you ride. That is my next purchase once it is perfected!
[QUOTE=SlobberHound;3945723]
My horse has a fairly round foot, and the gloves fit him fine. I’ve only used them twice so far, put probably 10 miles in them. I love them![/QUOTE]
Hm, that is good to know. Thanks.
My horse goes in epics now, which (I think) are the same shape as the gloves. The epics fit him fairly well, but I can tell there is a little excess boot at the heel. He goes just fine in them, though, and I’ve never had a problem over some pretty rough terrain.
I might look into getting the fit kit just to see how the gloves look. I would be SO happy to get rid of my epics and never again have to pry up those clasps with a hoofpick. :lol: The gloves look awesome.
I did some hard work in the Gloves I got for my endurance horse (back hooves). They fit beautifully, nice and tight…and yet he still powered out of them with a rocket gallop start while we were out conditioning. :mad: I only knew about it when he started hopping slightly sideways, his head twisted to look back behind him, and braked from gallop to canter. Got off and found the left boot off and flapping around his ankle.
Slipped it back on, and off we went again. Once again, at the gallop, the left came off and he ended up stepping on it several times before I got him stopped. <sigh!>:no:
Fixed it AGAIN, and this time just kept the gaits to a trot and controlled hand gallop. It stayed on just fine after that, even with his powerful extended trot. I tend to think he just pushes harder with his left hind than the right, which is just enough force to push the boot to the point where it can’t physically hold the hoof.
That said, I had been using the original easyboots (clip and interior metal “grabs”) so I can keep him barefoot in the back as long as possible before shoeing, and the old style boots had been staying on TIGHT regardless of what speed and terrain he was going. Even trotting/cantering through sucking deep horrible mud. Go figure.
I have Gloves for the others of mine (used on the backs) and they all work perfectly. I do like the ease of them, and their clean look. Well worth the price.
BTW FWIW - I’m doing the Very Virtual March Maddness ride, and am up to 205 miles already for the month of March, with a goal of reaching 500 miles by end of the month. Have three going with the Gloves in the back (shod in the front); the fourth is shod all around because he needs special shoeing in the back. Thus far, the Gloves are doing a terrific job in making life easier for the on/off phase of booting, plus me not having to look down near as often to make sure they are still on!
Go,
Is it possible that you need to tighten the gaiter a bit ?
DH’s client feedback ( so far ) has been very good.
No. They were tight. I also added an extension to the velco (as was suggested elsewhere) and the boots fit extremely well – nice and tight. The gaiter never released – it was snug and on to stay.
I think the problem was the power in this horse’s take-off. He is very athletic, and very fit, and his strike-off is very strong. I think the boot grabbed the ground, as it is supposed to, but the push-off from his toe was so hard he just kicked the boot right off. It was only the left boot, both times. When I had him back off and stop launching himself, they stayed on perfectly.
I took two others of mine each for a 10 mile ride this morning, both with Gloves on the back. One has a pair that is just slightly large for her feet (I’m waiting for the smaller sizes to be marketed, so have to make due with a size that is a bit big for her) yet they worked flawlessly, even with her powerful trot.
GTD - I trim a horse who literally cannot wear any boots except Old Mac’s. He pulls off everything else when he canters. He has such a HUGE stride, and short back. He just steps on the boot and its off - regardless of how tight. When he was shod, he pulled a shoe off every trim cycle - even with living in bell boots. When totally bare, he slices the backs of his heel bulbs with the hind feet, and steps on and rips bell boots in half.
Some horses are just that way I guess.
As for Old Gaiter/New Gaiter - the new gaiters are DEFINITELY more flexible and easier to work with, but I do have some Bares still going in the old gaiters and they go on fine for me too.
I did a 21.17 mile ride with my guy today. The Gloves performed flawlessly at all gaits, all speeds, all changes of terrain from hard to soft, all elevation changes. I was quite pleased. They fit like they were designed on him, too. His feet could be the poster child for ultimate Glove fit.
Like I said, those explosive gallop departs from the left hind during the last ride were the problem.
My mom and I have had trouble with the Bares coming off with those explosive gallop starts but so far my Gloves are fine so far. I have only done it once with them but my mom had a Bare come off during that race. I have also done extremely rough trails with them, sinking halfway to the hocks in wet dirt with roots in it, river crossings where we sunk into the bottom, vertical soft climbs, mud, nothing has messed with them. I LOVE the traction!
I have to use pads on my horse’s fronts due to an old injury so I am still waiting for my Edges for the fronts. Not that I don’t have Epics, Bares and Grips too. :lol:
Ann Szolas
I have my endurance guy shod in the front (St. Croix Eventers) with pads (Durashock rubber-based). I won’t/can’t take a chance on an injury to the sole. As soon as the first endurance ride rolls around, he’ll be shod and padded in the back, too. I’m just glad to have the Gloves to let him stay barefoot behind as long as possible and let me work him as if he were shod. His rear hooves look really good from all the “rest” they’ve been getting by being barefoot on his “off” hours.
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