Glue on boots - long term use?

[system]

[QUOTE=CosMonster;5480156]
If you’re already doing your own trimming, I’d definitely recommend the Epona shoes. Really, nailing is the easiest part of shoeing–the trim is the hardest (and you’ve got that down it sounds like), and then actually fitting the shoe. Nailing and finishing is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. I bet you could find a farrier to teach you that easily. Just offer to do grunt work, most I’ve known are pretty willing and like to share their craft.

Learning all about shoeing would take awhile of course, but learning to nail/finish and then relying on synthetic shoes in the meantime seems like it might be a good compromise.[/QUOTE]

glue is not for long term use,you should learn shoeing.

[gothedistance]

@Eddy's Mom;5480634

Gah, I hate comments like this. There are plenty of us out there who successfully compete in endurance using strap-on and glue-on boots. So, no, shoes with pads are NOT the absolute best option in the long run for many people. It might be the best option for you, but don’t speak for others.

Sorry, EM. Didn’t mean to speak for you. But I do stand by my comment that shoes work best for most people. Once the shoe is on, the rider doesn’t have to devote time and effort every day to putting on and taking off muddy or dirty or wet boots, and if not lucky to get the ride done without: retrieving from the trail, readjusting, swearing at, struggling with, treating rubs/bald spots, etc from boots.

I would LOVE to have a boot that would actually not fall apart (Gloves that ended up losing their screws), rip (a set of Gloves did that in 1 MILE on a horse that dragged his toes - talk about $100 down the drain at about $2 per footfall!!), be easy to put on and take off (IE: easy boot classic - as my son calls them the “Not So Easyboot”) and yet STAY IN PLACE without rubbing off hair, causing abrasions etc (both caused by the Glove gaiter). I have a set of gloves for one of mine that are now causing nicks on the back side of the my one pony’s fetlocks (he travels close behind) - the damage due to the built out screw area on the side of the gaiter that are just bulked out enough to “connect” with the other leg’s fetlock. :mad::mad::mad: I’m going to put on brushing boots, but I’m already in the frame of mind to just nail on a pair or shoes and be done with the annoyance of nicked fetlocks.

You put on a shoe so that it doesn’t forge or interfere, and chances are it will mean you do nothing more for the full 6-8 weeks. No muss, no fuss. You can spend your time concentrating on your ride, instead of leaning over every other mile or so to make sure the darn boot is still on and still in place.

And I am sorry but if boots- either Renegades or Easyboots- are twisting, flinging or otherwise not working, they.don’t.fit. Period. Either the foot is not shaped correctly (long toe, low heel, flare, high heel, etc.) or the boots just plain don’t fit. There are plenty of horses who’s feet are just not good candidate for successful boot-using.
Interestingly enough, these folks I was referring had been working directly with the manufacturer whom they had met on a ride. They were both extremely excited about getting the Renegades, and had done everything right - sending in a drawing of the hoof, talking extensively with the mfr (because this was a BIG expense for them) and yet both horses failed to keep the boots on for more than a mile or so. Their one horse had it twisting within 50 feet. It was horrid because we were supposed to be on a 25 mile ride, and we spent at least the first HOUR with this couple trying just to get the boot to stay. After 3 miles they just took the boots off in disgust, and we went the rest of the 22 miles with them barefoot. I spoke to them not long ago - they had gotten back in touch with the mfr to see if there was something they could do to make the boots work. As I said, they saw this as a very expensive venture. Long and short - the boots never worked as they had hoped, and now both horses are shod and will stay shod. The horses go great in shoes, the riders no longer have to worry. They sold the boots on Ebay, btw. End of case study.

If Paul Sidio posts again, ask him about using boots on his Tevis ride. He used them to protect the shoes. <shaking head> What a tale that was!! Lost boots, twisted boots, boots lose and lodged around the ankle and flapping at each step on the WORST part of the trail - the horrid narrow part where you could.not.get.off. Made me cringe just to read his story.

I’ve seen enough Renegades, Easy boots, and glue-ons littering the endurance trail to keep me bent over a horse’s foot nailing on shoes. Wish I didn’t have to…but, there you go. I weigh the advantages and disadvantages…and shoes continue to win hands down.

Personally, I’m waiting for a smaller Glove to come onto the market. They work GREAT for my driving ponies but only fit one pony. The other has smaller feet - the Gloves only fit her front (barely) the back hooves not at all. I have to use the old style for her, and when I get tired enough of turning the carriage around and driving back down the road to retrieve a lost boot, then I suck it up, cut down the smallest pair of aluminum shoes I can buy (she takes one size smaller than 0000 size) and shoe her. Then I have 6 weeks of bliss before I have to cut down another pair for another shoeing.

Boots for hunting, and endurance riding – not anywhere near as good as a set of shoes. JMHO based upon lots and lots of boot experience on several different equines for several different types of sports.

[rainechyldes]

Well as Don Huston says…

If you want a barefoot horse you are just gonna have to ride that
critter barefoot.

[Auventera_Two]

@gothedistance;5479554

Frankly, if you want to do any sport, and need to train every day or every other day for that sport over natural terrain, just suck it up to the fact that a pair of shoes - with pads if you wish - are going to be the absolute best option in the long run.

Um, wow. That is so far from the truth it’s funny. I’m sure you’ve heard of Dave Rabe, no? Over 50,000 competition miles - 2nd highest AERC mileage rider to date. He is a spokesperson for Easycare and rides and competes in boots and has been for many years. There are MANY high mileage riders competing and training in boots. Many of them now use Glue on shells for competition to eliminate the chance of throwing a boot in deep footing or during over-reaching. And Garret Ford won the Hagin Cup last year at Tevis in glued on boots. Maybe you should give him a call and inform him he did all wrong. And then maybe next year you could enter Tevis and show him how it’s done

The only “absolute best option” is what works for the horse and the horse’s owner/rider in the situation given.

If you are having so much trouble with boots, you might consider having a professional show you what you are doing incorrectly. There are WAY too many riders out there competing on high mileage horses VERY successfully in boots to claim that “boots are the problem.” No, it’s generally operator error. But true that certain horses do have hooves shaped in such a fashion that booting is very difficult. I will definitely agree to that. But generally when a person claims they have never seen boots be successful on any horse they own or ride, it’s the operator’s error and not the boots.

Two years ago I climbed out of a mud bog on the side of a river in my Easyboot Bares behind a rider in shoes. I was lucky I wasn’t beamed in the face by the flying horse shoe. My boots were still in place, and hadn’t budged an inch and that rider was going to try limping out of the woods on 3 shoes to the nearest road crossing so a trailer could pick her up. So what failed in that situation? It wasn’t the boots.

Or what about the famous Cougar Rock video up on You Tube showing footage of many riders going up the rock? About halfway up - there goes a shiny metal horseshoe - flying through the air! Weeeee. I hope that rider had a boot along, or was able to limp into the next check on 3 shoes, but I doubt it.

Yes, boots can and do cause problems. But so do shoes! There is not one simple, straight forward answer to EVERY situation. Every form of hoof protection has pros and cons. Shoes are not exempt from that.

LOL raine - true but he says “sucker.” Ride that sucker barefoot. :lol:

[Auventera_Two]

@gothedistance;5483026

If Paul Sidio posts again, ask him about using boots on his Tevis ride. He used them to protect the shoes. <shaking head> What a tale that was!! Lost boots, twisted boots, boots lose and lodged around the ankle and flapping at each step on the WORST part of the trail - the horrid narrow part where you could.not.get.off. Made me cringe just to read his story.

I have NEVER seen Easycare tell riders that they should put boots on overtop of shoes and then go ride Tevis. :eek: YES, you can use boots overtop shoes to protect them for whatever reason, but it is generally in the trailer - during turnout if the horse has been on stall rest - during breeding. I’ve read all of Easycares blogs and articles for probably 6 years now and I have never EVER not once seen any reference to using boots on top of shoes for serious competition. Sorry but that is just insane and in my opinion an incorrect use of the boots. That is hardly the fault of the boots or boot manufacture. That is a classic example of operator error. For one thing imagine the weight on the horse’s limbs! That’s like you wearing a pair of athletic shoes so you can run a marathon and then throwing some hiking boots on top of the shoes to protect your shoes. What the heck.

[gothedistance]

@Auventera Two;5483965

Um, wow. That is so far from the truth it’s funny. I’m sure you’ve heard of Dave Rabe, no? Over 50,000 competition miles - 2nd highest AERC mileage rider to date. He is a spokesperson for Easycare and rides and competes in boots and has been for many years.

The guy is PAID to ride in boots. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ in case you didn’t get the first sentence. Can you say the word “bias”?? Of course he’s going to expound on his success. That’s what he’s paid to do. So was the other spokesperson who also rode in Easyboots until she jumped ship and went to work for the Renegade company. Now she extols the virtue of those boots nonstop. Again $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ talks. Talks big. Enough said.

There are MANY high mileage riders competing and training in boots. Many of them now use Glue on shells for competition to eliminate the chance of throwing a boot in deep footing or during over-reaching. And Garret Ford won the Hagin Cup last year at Tevis in glued on boots. Maybe you should give him a call and inform him he did all wrong. And then maybe next year you could enter Tevis and show him how it’s done
Vikki - You’ve done ONE endurance ride among several LDs. What qualifies you to say that tons of people use boots?? How far away from your own neck of the woods have you wandered to see all these tons of people??

If you are having so much trouble with boots, you might consider having a professional show you what you are doing incorrectly. There are WAY too many riders out there competing on high mileage horses VERY successfully in boots to claim that “boots are the problem.”
Again, get a clue. I’ve been riding longer and far more endurance rides that you in various areas - sand, mountains, flat, etc. I’m speaking from years of experience. You, obviously, are not.

No, it’s generally operator error.
Bull. It is generally the shape of the horse’s hoof, how it lands, if it twists, etc. The boots are not custom made - they just hope to capture enough of the market to make their product worthwhile. But they don’t work for a lot of horses for various reasons.

But true that certain horses do have hooves shaped in such a fashion that booting is very difficult. I will definitely agree to that.
Nice that we can agree on something.

But generally when a person claims they have never seen boots be successful on any horse they own or ride, it’s the operator’s error and not the boots.
And who said that??? Not me. Not anyone else who posted. If you want to point your erroneous finger at me, then bother to read what I said - which you obviously blew right over. Go read it again. Eyes open this time.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Or what about the famous Cougar Rock video up on You Tube showing footage of many riders going up the rock? About halfway up - there goes a shiny metal horseshoe - flying through the air! Weeeee. I hope that rider had a boot along, or was able to limp into the next check on 3 shoes, but I doubt it.
<snort!> One shoe out of how many horses? Close to 200, of which the majority were shod. Not even significant as we accountants will say.

Yes, boots can and do cause problems. But so do shoes! There is not one simple, straight forward answer to EVERY situation. Every form of hoof protection has pros and cons. Shoes are not exempt from that.
Who said there was a simple answer to EVERY solution???

If you like boots and wear them 100% of the time, just say so. I’ve no beef with boots - just that they aren’t time- or effort-efficient when it comes to having to use them ALL THE TIME for training and competition. It is far far easier on the rider to have the horse correctly shod IF they want to do a sport without fussing and fooling with boots, and the inherent issues that comes with that type of footwear.

[gothedistance]

@Auventera Two;5484000

I have NEVER seen Easycare tell riders that they should put boots on overtop of shoes and then go ride Tevis. :eek: YES, you can use boots overtop shoes to protect them for whatever reason, but it is generally in the trailer - during turnout if the horse has been on stall rest - during breeding. I’ve read all of Easycares blogs and articles for probably 6 years now and I have never EVER not once seen any reference to using boots on top of shoes for serious competition. Sorry but that is just insane and in my opinion an incorrect use of the boots. That is hardly the fault of the boots or boot manufacture. That is a classic example of operator error. For one thing imagine the weight on the horse’s limbs! That’s like you wearing a pair of athletic shoes so you can run a marathon and then throwing some hiking boots on top of the shoes to protect your shoes. What the heck.

<sigh>

Once again, your extremely limited experience in the Endurance sport, and the fact that the original easyboots were designed for both a bare AND A SHOD hoof, completely shows a lack of knowing the history of how these boots developed. Also Paul has many 100 mile rides under his belt, and an outstanding understanding of what it takes to protect his horse that has been over some of the toughest endurance trails in the US. It is not unusual for horses on the XP to be both shod and have boots - better to protect the shoes for those 100’s of miles, and also to provide hoof protection if the boot should be lost.

The fact that the Glove is very thin soled so as to flex and slip over a hoof was the reason the mfg expressly said not to put it on a shod hoof. The standard easyboot? Perfect for a shod hoof because they are tough and thick and virtually wear-proof.

It might help broaden and balance your view if you stopped just reading the Easycare blogs (which OF COURSE are going to herald the “success” of their product) and read some real life stories of riders who do endurance distance using both boots, shoes, or both.

[Eddy_s_Mom]

[QUOTE=gothedistance;5483026]
Sorry, EM. Didn’t mean to speak for you. But I do stand by my comment that shoes work best for most people. Once the shoe is on, the rider doesn’t have to devote time and effort every day to putting on and taking off muddy or dirty or wet boots, and if not lucky to get the ride done without: retrieving from the trail, readjusting, swearing at, struggling with, treating rubs/bald spots, etc from boots.

I would LOVE to have a boot that would actually not fall apart (Gloves that ended up losing their screws), rip (a set of Gloves did that in 1 MILE on a horse that dragged his toes - talk about $100 down the drain at about $2 per footfall!!), be easy to put on and take off (IE: easy boot classic - as my son calls them the “Not So Easyboot”) and yet STAY IN PLACE without rubbing off hair, causing abrasions etc (both caused by the Glove gaiter). I have a set of gloves for one of mine that are now causing nicks on the back side of the my one pony’s fetlocks (he travels close behind) - the damage due to the built out screw area on the side of the gaiter that are just bulked out enough to “connect” with the other leg’s fetlock. :mad::mad::mad: I’m going to put on brushing boots, but I’m already in the frame of mind to just nail on a pair or shoes and be done with the annoyance of nicked fetlocks.

You put on a shoe so that it doesn’t forge or interfere, and chances are it will mean you do nothing more for the full 6-8 weeks. No muss, no fuss. You can spend your time concentrating on your ride, instead of leaning over every other mile or so to make sure the darn boot is still on and still in place.

Interestingly enough, these folks I was referring had been working directly with the manufacturer whom they had met on a ride. They were both extremely excited about getting the Renegades, and had done everything right - sending in a drawing of the hoof, talking extensively with the mfr (because this was a BIG expense for them) and yet both horses failed to keep the boots on for more than a mile or so. Their one horse had it twisting within 50 feet. It was horrid because we were supposed to be on a 25 mile ride, and we spent at least the first HOUR with this couple trying just to get the boot to stay. After 3 miles they just took the boots off in disgust, and we went the rest of the 22 miles with them barefoot. I spoke to them not long ago - they had gotten back in touch with the mfr to see if there was something they could do to make the boots work. As I said, they saw this as a very expensive venture. Long and short - the boots never worked as they had hoped, and now both horses are shod and will stay shod. The horses go great in shoes, the riders no longer have to worry. They sold the boots on Ebay, btw. End of case study.

If Paul Sidio posts again, ask him about using boots on his Tevis ride. He used them to protect the shoes. <shaking head> What a tale that was!! Lost boots, twisted boots, boots lose and lodged around the ankle and flapping at each step on the WORST part of the trail - the horrid narrow part where you could.not.get.off. Made me cringe just to read his story.

I’ve seen enough Renegades, Easy boots, and glue-ons littering the endurance trail to keep me bent over a horse’s foot nailing on shoes. Wish I didn’t have to…but, there you go. I weigh the advantages and disadvantages…and shoes continue to win hands down.

Personally, I’m waiting for a smaller Glove to come onto the market. They work GREAT for my driving ponies but only fit one pony. The other has smaller feet - the Gloves only fit her front (barely) the back hooves not at all. I have to use the old style for her, and when I get tired enough of turning the carriage around and driving back down the road to retrieve a lost boot, then I suck it up, cut down the smallest pair of aluminum shoes I can buy (she takes one size smaller than 0000 size) and shoe her. Then I have 6 weeks of bliss before I have to cut down another pair for another shoeing.

Boots for hunting, and endurance riding – not anywhere near as good as a set of shoes. JMHO based upon lots and lots of boot experience on several different equines for several different types of sports.[/QUOTE]

No worries Gothe… I just get super frustrated hearing those things from people who have tried boots exactly twice without bothering to trouble-shoot. I’m sorry you’ve had so much trouble with the Gloves. I have been using them for coming three years without many issues, on numerous horses and probably a couple thousand miles. I did 850 AERC miles last year not counting conditioning.

But we live in a good environment conducive to barefoot and my horses have a certain type of feet that do well in Gloves. I did have a horse that cut up his hind fetlocks in Gloves but the use of boots back there solved that problem. He probably would have cut himself up in shoes as well.

I agree that boots just don’t work for some people. I think most horses could go in them just fine, but it is a huge commitment for people and you have to be willing to go with the swing of these during that initial learning curve, including changing some things such as trimming, management, etc. For some it’s just not worth it. For others it is.

In our area there are numerous riders successfully competing in Easyboot Gloves and Renegades. I would say we’re probably nearing half n’ half, and this includes racers and tail-enders. I love my horses barefoot and love my Gloves so to me it’s worth it, although I haven’t had many problems at all.

[gothedistance]

Oh, no, EM. Believe me - my experience isn’t limited to one type or one or two tries. Since they first came out on the market I have bent over backwards to try to make the Gloves work for me. I do love keeping my guys barefoot in winter and late fall/super early Spring… and the Gloves work out OK when I want to hop on and ride casually down our gravel roads – or climb in the carriage and drive. But when the season moves into full swing, it is just so much easier to do shoes and then not have to deal with boots.

You are so lucky to live in an area favorable to barefoot. Not so here, and not with the sports I do. My carriage ponies go 99% on gravel roads which can really wear down feet fast, and foxhunting is both fast and furious at times and the ground is very trappy and often as not rocky. Jumping fences and tearing cross county requires a shoe that grabs the ground and gives excellent purchase. That flat bottomed boot just makes me narrow my eyes and look at the boot sideways. I just don’t trust the sole of the boot like I would the horse’s natural cupped hoof and the shoe’s center channel ridge.

You are dead right - boots and barefoot riding is a huge commitment, and having only one horse wouldn’t be a problem …but having 4 ponies – all that require a different boot size – and are worked on a regular basis for different sports – well, those boots going on and off get old real quick – especially when “dressing” the pair for the carriage! :lol:

[Auventera_Two]

I’ve been a dealer for Easycare for over 4 years. I read all the newsletters, the blogs, the articles yes, but I also gather information from many other sources as well. Online horse forums, people in real life that I personally know, and other sources. There are many photos and the stories out there of endurance riders ALL OVER THE COUNTRY successfully training and competing in boots. I’m also a member of the booted endurance horse yahoo board. Those people aren’t paid or specially filtered through Easycare. Many of them ride in Renegades and have nothing to do with Easycare at all. There are many people competing in boots. If you don’t want to believe that, fine. Not my problem. But the FACT is that there are many people competing and training in boots. To say otherwise is a blatant lie. Heck, just check out the photo albums put up on endurance.net. You will see a lot of boots on endurance horses in rides all over the country. The majority of the horses? No, certainly not. But many horses, yes.

And I don’t give a good god dang if Rabe is paid by Easycare or not! The FACT that you are trying to poo-poo is that the man has over 50,000 logged competition miles. He is an AERC Hall of Fame competitor and 2nd highest mileage rider in AERC history. Do you REALLY think he would train and compete all these years in boots if they were too difficult, damaging to his horses, killing his endurance career? NO. Endurance riding is expensive and time consuming. A person isn’t going to voluntarily train wreck their entire riding career and ruin their horses just trying to get a little cash kickback from a boot company. And who says he is paid anyway? Maybe he isn’t. He rides in boots because he believes in them and they work for him and all the horses he brings up the ranks.

Look, if a person doesn’t want to ride in hoof boots, fine. You are under NO obligation to do so. Freedom of choice being what it is. But don’t presume to tell the rest of the world that boots cannot or will not ever work on trail and endurance horses. They work just fine for people who know how to use them.

And FYI - I have multiple horses that I ride at home for many miles. I mostly use boots. Sometimes Epona shoes, but mainly just to try something different. Not because I need to. I have a good trail riding friend who has been using hoof boots exclusively for probably 7 years now. In all those years and all those miles we have ridden all over the state of WI, I could count on ONE hand the number of boot troubles we’ve had out on the trail. And every time it was operator error.

It’s nothing for us to ride for 7 hours in the woods through rocks, hills, muck, river crossing, gravel roads. I meet my endurance riding buddy and we do 25 to 40 mile training rides in lieu of going to competitions for one reason or another. Also remember that I do all the organized rides in my area as well, which usually adds up to about 8 or so rides every season…so don’t try to convince people that I have no experience in riding hard in hoof boots, because I do.

Where I live there is a LOT of soggy wet ground, mud holes, marshes, bogs, river crossings. So the notion that only people out West on dry dessert trails can use boots is completely false and misleading. I’ve been sucked down in mud to the horse’s knees MANY times and never lost a boot.

There is one ride we do every spring that has 9 river crossings. That is 9 times you have to descend a muddy wet bank, cross the water, and climb up the other side. Never lost a boot.

I still maintain that if people are throwing boots left and right on every horse they ever try on, they don’t know how to fit them and use them properly. It literally takes me less than 5 minutes to boot a horse on all 4s. To me, it really is not any effort or work at all. If you’re expending that much effort, then something is being done wrong.

And yeah, I get it that you’re old enough to be my mother, or grandmother or whatever. But the fact is, the boot designs have changed significantly in the last 5 years. So if you were using Easyboots 20 years ago, and didn’t have any luck, it doesn’t surprise me. My mother used Easyboots when I was a kid and hated them. Couldn’t keep them on the horse. They were the original style boot. MANY changes have been made to the design and the balance of the boot. The materials are different, the manufacturing process, everything about the boots is entirely different. So all your failures 20 years ago really isn’t the tiniest bit relevant to TODAY’S hoof boots.

[Auventera_Two]

Also remember that since I’m a boot deal, I sell boots to trail people all over the place. One guy trailered his 6 horses to my house for boot fittings for all 4 feet. He then took his horses and all their new boots out West for 2 weeks to ride in the Mountains. He had NO problems except for one broken cable which he was able to fix within 5 minutes. He was very happy, and his horses were happy.

I have been selling hoof boots to people for over 4 years, some who trailer their horses out of the region regularly to ride. Again, I could count on one hand the number of issues people have had. All were easily fixable.

One lady puts about 50 miles a week on her horse on trails, and she’s been buying boots from me for about 4 years now. Well, since I became a dealer.

People trailer horses to me a lot in the summer months for boot fittings, or I go to them. They are almost always trail riders. I’ve had many repeat buyers who wore their boots out in a season because they ride so darned much. And they come back and buy more boots.

So yes, you have significantly more experience with endurance horses than I do, but I would bet a hundred bucks I’ve fitted 10x the number of boots on trail horse’s feet than you have. And this thread is about boots, no?

I really am not trying to be nasty, it’s just that I get really irritated at people proclaiming that boots are a failure just because they didn’t have any luck.

[JSwan]

I find it incredibly ironic that you are calling gothedistance a LIAR. ETA - I misquoted. You called her a blatant liar.

You might want to check out who she is and then apologize.

[gothedistance]

@Auventera Two;5487626

So yes, you have significantly more experience with endurance horses than I do, but I would bet a hundred bucks I’ve fitted 10x the number of boots on trail horse’s feet than you have. And this thread is about boots, no?

I really am not trying to be nasty, it’s just that I get really irritated at people proclaiming that boots are a failure just because they didn’t have any luck.

Actually, it is about a foxhunter that wants to know if her horse could wear glue-on boots hunting - and if they lasted and stayed on – or should she continue to shoe or just try going barefoot. Hunting is vastly different from trail riding in so many different ways - and that was what I was responding to: her question. Not boots in general. The subject quickly moved off track. Might as well bring it back to the OP who was looking for an answer. I hunt, have been for decades. I also used boots, so I felt my comments would probably be of value. I don’t sugarcoat boots as the “be all end all”. They aren’t for everyone, and they aren’t for every sport - especially one having to do with jumping or very fast cross county work. Otherwise, every eventer and every hunter/jumper would be using them.

Nobody who posted here said that boots are a failure, and nobody who posted said they didn’t have any luck at all with boots. Everyone has a different way of viewing “luck” - some (like me) have less tolerance with the amount of time needed to boot up when one is riding everyday. Others… not so much.

PS. I’m not Thomas. I’m not going to get into a fist fight with anyone. As I’ve said several times in various posts, I love the Gloves (and the classics) for my driving ponies and wish the Gloves came in a smaller size. I like them for light riding in the early spring/late fall when I’ve pulled back shoes but don’t want to go barefoot when I hop on and ride. Yes, boots have issues that I don’t want to deal with on a long term basis, but tolerate on the short term.

There you go. JMHO

[gothedistance]

@Daatje;5479895

Bare is clearly best for her, but foxhunting is tough on the feet in our territory.

…The aluminum shoes are an idea…but she’s big and wears through a set of steel shoes pretty quickly. I wonder how aluminum would hold up.

For my old 16.3 7/8 hand big bodied warmblood that I hunted first flight over Virginia’s Orange County Hunt and Middleburg Hunt territory and fences - I had him in aluminum and he was fantastic! He used to trip endlessly in the old steel shoes his former owner had him shod in - but once I moved him over to aluminum (St. Croix “Eventers”), all the tripping stopped. Thank goodness, because that horse was a freight train at a gallop, I needed a ditch to stand him in just to get on, and I was high enough in the air on his back to get a nose bleed. The rushing ground at a gallop behind the hounds looks pretty daunting on a trip-prone horse! :lol::lol:

On decent ground you’ll get good mileage out of them, but don’t expect a reset like you would with a steel set. That makes them a bit more pricey…but because they weigh virtually nothing they are as close to being barefoot as you can get. My current foxhunter is in aluminum shoes. He’s not even close to 1/10 the weight as my old hunter, but he’s far rougher on his shoes because he’s such a sports car type. (He was the one that “powered” right out of the left side Glove every time I moved from the trot into a gallop - which is why I no longer use them on him). I whipped in with him for a number of years - now we ride in the Field. No more coming in tired and dirty and cold with the rest of the staff to find the tailgate all eaten and everyone gone home. I now get to come in at my pleasure, and eat when the food is hot and fresh!

Next fall, however, I may switch to the steel St. Croix Eventers behind because I was having a hard time keeping the steel studs in the aluminum shoes. Too much torque just stripped the tapped shoe threads, and I’d come home with 1 or 2 studs missing after a fast hunt. At least the stud will stay in a steel shoe. Surprisingly, I didn’t have this problem with my warmblood. His steel studs stayed in his aluminum shoes. Go figure.

So if you run in studs, keep this in mind.

[Carolinadreamin]

Gothedistance, don’t the aluminum shoes wear out more quickly? I’m not talking over rocky terrain or for endurance, just normal terrain for low level eventing, hunter paces, etc. you certainly sound as if you’ve done a lot of everything so would interested in your reply!

[Lieselotte]

To the OP: I use “sneakers” on my mare for Endurance and this may be something that could work for you as well. They are aluminum shoes inside a plastic compound and shaped like an oval, going all around the hoof, but open in the middle so no “nastiness” can develop. These work really well over rocky and rough terrain and at fast speeds, and most importantly for us, they cut down on concussion. They’re not so great if you have to go fast through muddy areas as you could slide more easily (but the obvious solution here would be to slow down.) So it depends a bit on the terrain you ride in. Mine have never come loose in the slightest and have to be pried off with great strength every six weeks, that’s how well they stay on for us. I get two to three resets out of each set of four, depending on how many miles I do and what the terrain was like.

The farrier who invented and patented them is in Vacaville, CA, and you can reach him via his website http://www.equithotics.com (needs updating…)
He will give you, or your farrier, specifics as to sizing and shoeing. I can highly recommend these for horses that need to go fast/high mileage but need more than regular shoes and have problems with strap-on or glue-on boots.

My mare is barefoot from November through March and we ride barefoot in the arena and on orchard dirt roads. For rockier terrain I used to put on EasyCare Gloves but usually had trouble with heel bulb rubs. I just tried Renegades for the first time a few weeks ago and really like them a lot better. Their engineering is just a lot more advanced and they fit her hoof shape better as well. But now we’re back to sneakers and I’m really looking forward to no more worrying about potential boot failures.

I appreciate the effort and dedication people put into booting their barefoot horses and I try my best in the off-season, but it’s not for me during competition season. There are too many other things to worry about. But I’m glad there are a variety of options and I hope everyone finds a solution that works well for them and their horse. Peace!

[JSwan]

@gothedistance;5487977

Next fall, however, I may switch to the steel St. Croix Eventers behind because I was having a hard time keeping the steel studs in the aluminum shoes.

I use those on my field hunters. One gets borium, the other gets studs.

Had zero problem with the studs or the shoes - they’re great. Hunted in trappy gooey bottomland and rocky mucky mountains with both horses. Did great. No problems with the studs.

I am intrigued by Eponas but never got around to trying them. Those can be glued or nailed on. Interesting stuff, and they also have options for traction. Not sure how they wear compared to steel, aluminum or boots.

Liberty (a poster on this BB) uses them and is very pleased.

[gothedistance]

@Carolinadreamin';5488014

Gothedistance, don’t the aluminum shoes wear out more quickly? I’m not talking over rocky terrain or for endurance, just normal terrain for low level eventing, hunter paces, etc. you certainly sound as if you’ve done a lot of everything so would interested in your reply!

Compared to steel shoes, they can and will wear down faster, depending upon the ground surface factors. You might get the same 6 weeks out of them from trim to trim - if you work on non-abrasive surfaces (like dirt trails) , but there are no resets. A bunch of us (foxhunters/endurance riders) compared our wear one evening, but we did it in miles rather than days. I think the best wear I heard was 200 miles. I tend to be able to keep my guys on a 6 week schedule, but if I’m using them a lot on the gravel roads, those shoes can end up wafer thin by the time I’m ready to take them off.

And they are more expensive that a steel shoe - I know I pay about $7/shoe when I buy mine as singles. Forget what a box costs me - I’ll have to look for an invoice.

Anyway, the lack of reset, price, and quicker wear factor are the down side to them.

The upside is they are super lightweight for the horse so they mimic the weight of a bare hoof - which means little to no stress on hocks and joints - while at the same time giving the support and protection of a shoe. This is why they are preferred for the show hunters because they allow the foot to move naturally in that long, low, floaty style. They also “grab” pavement - unlike steel which slides.

How’s that?

[Lifting_Chickk]

Gothedistance, those aluminums sound like they have alot of advantages.

Mare was in steel St. Croix Eventers last fall, so I would imagine the aluminums would work well for her. I don’t mind not getting a reset out of the shoes, that’s small money for the benefit of a ligther shoe on the foot.

I weighed my steel St. Croixs and they were only 4 oz lighter than my Easyboot Epics! No wonder she didn’t move great in either one. (adding weight makes her trot snappy…ugh…a pain to ride!) I want to encourage all the long stride/flat kneed movement I can get. For the record, even though she’s Friesian, she’s a pretty flat kneed mover when barefoot. (except when she’s scared…then her heritage comes out!)

Anyway,

I actually took the mare out last weekend on one of my very rocky trails and she was 100% comfortable over all of the terrain. Her feet look great coming out of winter so I’ll probably ride her bare all summer and consider the Al St Croix’s in the fall.

I do like boots and know they have a purpose and a place, but someone nailed it on the head when they said that during some activities you are just too busy thinking about other things; you don’t want to be fiddling around with boots.