Opinion from a boot user
I had an OTTB that I planned to compete in endurance in boots. I used Epics on all four feet, but they were slick on wet grass. Now they have better tread and closure options, and I’d probably use the Edge for that particular horse. He was a problem child from the outset. As Chickamuxen noted, not every style is recommended for distance. Any boot with a closure above the coronet (not counting the gaiter) has a good chance of rubbing when the mileage increases.
My boy had very wide feet, and habitually over-reached, so I had to combine two sizes to suit his needs. He wore size 3 for width and needed 2’s for length. I bought size 3 Easyboots (have same tread as the Epics) and size 2 heel strap and gaiters. Then I cut the back out of the boot down to the sole and replaced the heel strap and added the smaller gator. It worked very well for him. He needed a size two on his hinds, and I cut a sliver out of each side to make room for his quarters. That way I could use the right length boot and have his breakover correct.
I did try to compete him in the Epics, and he did fine. I just had to manage his speed where I thought the footing would be slick. That was it. He did not need pads or anything fancy. I carried an extra boot I’d modified (his old pair with a more worn tread) so that I could replace it if he stepped on himself and damaged a boot.
We had to pull out of the one competition I entered him into, but it was because of the junior rider we were mentoring, not because of my horse. Twice he hit what felt like racetrack speed in those boots, and he never slipped. Yes, he ran away with me during that ride. Yes, I got him stopped. I don’t mind a nice gallop, but that was waaaaay too fast for me!
We put in a lot of conditioning miles in the Epics. Now I’d use the Edge, because I like the tread and the closure better. The Edge was not available at that time, and the Bares did not work out well. I also had a pair of original Old Macs for him that were easier to put on when we were going for shorter rides or when I thought the footing was slick. I used this horse to guide benefit trail rides, too. He needed boots every time I rode him. I suspect he’d had pedal osteitis at some point, and he simply needed hoof protection when ridden.
If I’d had him shod, he’d have needed pads for competition to protect his soles.
As for how long the boots last, I think there is a lot of variation. I don’t know how many miles we put on the first pair of boots I modified. I purchased a new pair for the competition so he’d have decent traction, but the old pair were still useable. This horse loved to gallop, and we did quite a bit of that during our conditioning rides, in boots. No problems.
