^^This. My horses are well behaved, but I’ve had to step on the brakes hard enough I’ve apologized to them and was glad they were wearing shipping boots. And those dang short yellows…
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I always wrap + bells if I’m shipping myself, I put some tape around the Velcro to lessen the likelihood of them coming undone. I’ll put boots on if they’re shipping short distances with someone else as I don’t trust many others to wrap.
Long hauls with a commercial shipper they go naked with pull on bell boots.
When I was a groom a horse arrived to me in Florida with a cut up leg. He had kicked through the aluminum into the trailers dressing room. Luckily it was clean so a couple stitches and he was back showing two months later.
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Having seen what can happen to bare horse legs in trailer accidents, I prefer to haul in wraps and bell boots. The only time I typically ship “naked” horses is on commercial vehicles, when I’m not given a choice.
I don’t like shipping boots, personally. I’ve found them to be hotter and more likely to shift than wraps. They don’t provide compression, which I find to be a bonus with wraps for horse prone to stocking up. And, since I don’t own long-legged TB/WB types, they don’t fit my horses AT ALL.
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And yet the commercial haulers ask they not be in boots or wraps.
Dont think there’s one right or wrong answer. It depends.
I have been hauling nekkid for some time without any trouble. My horses all travel well and I have a ramps on both entries. But, I drive nearly 700 miles a week to and from work and the dumb shit I see happen on a daily basis takes my breath away. People looking at their phones and not paying attention to traffic is at the top of the list. I gave up riding motorcycles due to this. I’ve just bought a set of shipping boots to start putting on my horses as some security against some idiot plowing into us too busy looking at their phones. And I’ll probably buy a 2nd pair for the same reason for if I’m hauling two horses. I hope that if something like that does happen, the boots will at least offer some leg protection. And I can’t tell you how many times despite my big ass rig approaching with lights on, some idiot will either pull right out in front of us anyway, like I can stop that sucker on a dime, or stop right in front of me thinking the same silly ass thing. What is that saying, “An ounce of prevention…”
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I was always in the haul naked category, but like many things it goes great until it doesn’t.
I was hauling 15 miles and had a great loading/trailer riding horse I was shipping bare legged. She slipped on her own poop and kicked herself to the extent she has a permanent splint on her previously spotless leg. I’m still really upset with myself about it. She was not shod behind (and that is where she tangled herself).
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I always wrap and use bell boots. I’ve never had any incidents but I’ve seen them and I’m just not willing to take the chance. I use the veredus quick wraps. They provide more support than shipping boots and are cooler but faster than regular wraps. Unfortunately they stopped making them (probably because they were an absolutely absurd price point) but I’m hoping mine last a long long time.
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They are definitely hotter. I might use the boots to ship to Summer show in the morning, but never on the way home in the afternoon. They are also definitely not the choice for any compression support.
And, since I don’t own long-legged TB/WB types, they don’t fit my horses AT ALL.
:lol: Yeah, not a problem for my big WB, and they even fit my shorter but still bone-y TBxWB
Commercial shippers don’t want the liability of something happening if they start coming off, or if the were to be put back on (incorrectly or otherwise) so it’s just easier to say no.
I’d never wrap a horse who didn’t like it, but if that were my horse I’d do my best to get him to accept wraps. Not only is it a good idea for all horses to be ok with things on and around and compressing on legs, IME there are more leg issues caused by slipping and slamming on brakes and scrambling and slipping off the side of a ramp or step, than there are problems because of properly applied standing wraps or boots. But, everyone has to do that they are ok with 
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I’ve found if a horse wants to hurt himself, he will. That said, I always do standing wraps and bell boots as long as the horse tolerates it. I don’t like shipping boots, I much prefer the support and custom fit of wraps. In case of an accident or just my boys being nuckle heads, I want the extra protection. Of course, I’m also hauling Thoroughbreds who pride themselves on their vet bills. But even with a seasoned traveler, Accidents happen and extra protection is worth it.
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It amazes me how many people don’t wrap. Maybe I grew up in a bubble but we always wrapped when we hauled. Even now I still wrap when I haul. The only time I did not wrap was with my new youngster who had never had wraps on or seen trailer before. I want to provide the most protection that I can. Maybe that’s the pony clubber in me.
You just never know. There have been a few times where I have had to slam on my breaks with the trailer because of some jack wagon. Any amount of protection even if its small is a good thing.
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Standing wraps and bell boots are great. I’m going with shipping boots because they’ll come up past the knees and hocks on both sides and those bony protuberances often take some hard knocks which standing wraps don’t cover and none of my guys are prone to stocking up while being hauled.
Does anyone soak/hose down their shipping boots with cold water prior to hauling on a hot day? Just wondered if that might be a way to combat any heat build up?
I really think it’s geographic/discipline specific. In the Midwest, boarding at an Arabian barn, never saw anyone who wrapped, but then I moved to a high-end hunter/jumper/dressage barn for a year (college equestrian center) and horrified everyone because I didn’t wrap legs for hauling or riding, didn’t clip in the winter and my horse went barefoot. Mare-sy was sound until the age of 23 when she died suddenly, so it worked for us.
I’d put on bell boots if I had a horse that was shod but my critters have always been barefoot (knock on wood). If it’s good enough for the professional hauler, it’s good enough for me. I prefer to always have the trailer bedded to reduce the slippage. I’ve seen a few horses come off trailing leg wraps or shipping boots that weren’t done up properly—worried they’d step on themselves or freak out if it happened and injure themselves
Unless a boot is filled with those “cold crystals”, whatever they are really called, the cold of a cold water soak will be very short-lived, and the water will end up retaining some heat in the boot until it dries out enough, so no, I wouldn’t do that. It’s the same principle as scraping water off a hot horse as you hose him down - leaving the water there will attract and retain heat.
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I use to always wrap and do bell boots in front… Had a gelding I use to have to haul with bells all around. But he was shod all around and had stepped on himself badly one trailer ride.
Now it depends. If I adjust hauling my OTTB by himself, I usually just do bell boots and nothing or maybe his open front jumping boots. They have magnets so I figure the hour ride can’t hurt mohave some agent therapy, and it offers some protecting if he slips coming off or something. If I am hauling with another horse I usually wrap in the event that i have to slam on the brakes because of other drivers or what have you.
Ive never been a fan of shipping boots, mainly because I have seen more issue than success, boots twisting, sagging or starting to come off. So I would rather just stick with some sort of protective boot ( jumping, splint, etc) or standing wraps.
I usually haul in to a place with bell boots and the schooling boots I plan on riding in. Usually naked on the way home, or BOT Quick Wraps if it’s cool enough outside. If it’s hot, I occasionally put standing bandages on after a lesson instead of the BOT QW.
My trailer also gets quite hot despite fans, so I am hesitant to put anything on them that will overheat them. If it is really hot outside, I will just ship in bell boots.
I have shipping boots and have used them twice. I’m just not a huge fan.
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Mine tends to go nakjed, or I will put her splint boots on in front since she’s narrow and has been known to knock one front leg with the other … but generally, naked. I do add bell boots if we are trailering with another horse.
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I never wrapped, my TB would fuss and fret in wraps, or shipping boots.
I usually travel with my horses with their BOT quick wraps or else my homemade shipping boots I made. It makes me feel better to have something on their legs to protect from minor scrapes and such.
One of my horses wears shoes and the other does not but that doesn’t really influence my decision.
I will Ihaul them naked if we are going over 3 hours or if it is very hot out.
I wrap or use shipping boots unless there is a reason not to. Like a horse that really dislikes them, is young and hasn’t had boots on before, or it is super hot.
For short distance hauls, I use standing wraps. For long distance hauls, I use nothing at all.
