need to be sturdy, obviously, and easy to get off at night when they come in but not easy foe the to pull off themselves.
Is there a specific reason they need to come off at night? I buy the Italian bell boots and leave them on 24/7. They don’t rub and they rarely come off unless horse is playing really hard.
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I go the cheap-o route. Centaur bell boots fit my horse’s front feet perfectly (size L) - they just hit the ground but cover his shoes well. He lives in them 24/7 except when riding…for years now…no rubs or fur breakage. One pair lasts maybe 2-3 months, but they are cheap enough to replace ($8.99/pr). I match the colors with the season because i can. They almost never come off, and can stay on when one velcro fastener rips off.
I suppose they don’t NEED to come off at night but it just seems weird to me to leave them on 24/7
My clients use the pull on bell boots and they stay on 24/7 (take them off to clean once and a while). No rubs.
I leave bell boots on 24/7 on my horses that wear them.
I like the gum rubber pull ons, but feel that these do a little better job: https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/professionals-choice-ballistic-overreach-boot-6205 Haven’t ever had problems with rubs with either type, and all of mine are in wet/muddy footing more often than not (which I think predisposes them to rubs more than dry footing).
But if shoe pulling is the problem, then I don’t think bell boots do much of anything to help. If I have a bad shoe puller I put them in these: www.shoesecure.com
Bell boots have seemed to help my horse keep his shoes on; he used to lose them regularly in the mud season but hasn’t since wearing rubber pull on bell boots. He is turned out during the day and in the barn at night. I leave them on overnight, just check and clean underneath every day. I also flip them up sometimes when he’s in his stall to dry it out underneath.
Any particular reason you feel you NEED them for turn out?
How much turn out does your horse get?
Is he pulling shoes often?
I have my older guy in a pair of KL Italian rubber pull-on bell boots that I purchased from SmartPak. So far, they are going strong even though they have been on for 8 months now, and they are on a horse that could murder a pair of velcro bell boots in a day. He has white legs, but I have never had a problem with them rubbing him. I just make sure to turn them up and rinse them often when I am bathing and dry his legs before pulling them back down. They have been a life and money saver for me.
The KL Select pull-ons last the longest. Bell boots with velcro are much more likely to rub and/or get destroyed. My horse has figured out how to remove the pull-ons though so I have now doubled up on them!
I’ve had best luck with Eskadron (I order from SmartPak). The velcro stays good and I order a size up so that they drape down over his shoes (drag the ground a bit) which has helped immensely with him pulling shoes off.
I also found ordering a size up has eliminated the problem of him developing a fungal infection at the back of his hoof due to moisture/debris being held in place by tighter fitting boots.
Since they are a size larger, I do remove them for riding and use something else.
