Since nobody seems to have heard of Equine Fusion boots, what ARE your favorite boots, and why? What do you like/dislike about other boots you have tried?
I am looking to take a horse barefoot and could use the advice.
Thanks.
I have used Cavello. You can get gel to go in the bottom of the boot. This does wear so you buy it continually. You can get socks to go over the heels. They also wear. The hoof boots wear better but I guess will not last forever. Start with only 20 minutes a day to let them build up to wearing them. They say they can be worn in snow and water.
I use Cavallos as well. I have been using them for about 7-8 years, and have yet to have one come off while riding. I ride on hill, muddy terrain with deep water crossings with no issues. I use an Easyboot gaiter in the Cavallo boots to prevent rubbing.
I had mine fitted by my trimmer, who did an excellent job of fitting. I think good fit is the secret in preventing them from coming off.
What makes a hoof boot great is fit, as in what fits your horse. Most hoof boots are designed with the ānatural trimā in mind, which means short toes and heels. Underrun heels or long toes are hard to fit. Very few boots are designed for narrow hooves, which sometimes make fitting hind boots difficult. Gait anomalies can cause boots to twist. Some over-the-hairline boots can rub, especially the hinds. Sometimes itās best to join one of the hoof boot exchange groups so you can try on various sizes/brands for reduced cost. I have one horse that has completely failed in every boot Iāve tried. My other horse is easy-peasy on boots. She is currently wearing Cavallo Treks which are very user friendly. Scoot Boots seem to be all the rage these days, perhaps followed (or led) by Renegades. Iām looking forward to wearing out my current Cavallos so I can try the Scoots. By far, they seem to be the most ānakedā. One thing Iāve found is if you have to fight getting the boots on and off, it is very discouraging and can put a damper on riding fun. I have been a hoof boot user since 1979, rarely going back to shoes, so I can truly say that itās worth finding a brand that works for you.
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I am using Renegades. I like them but on my horse, if the hoof is a bit long or any flaring the front boots will twist or pop right off. My friends donāt have this problem.
I saw Scoot boots on a horse recently. I liked the design but they also warn not to get them if your hoof has any flare.
This is very helpful, thank you. I am most concerned about fitting the hinds, and they need to fit right. My horse has trouble with her stifles & the last thing I need is a hoof boot putting additional stress on them. The vast majority of trails around here are on old logging roads, and cut into hillsides with plenty of rock/boulders. Or, state parks where thereās a lot of gravel put down for mud control.
The only way I could imagine a boot putting stress on your horse would be in the case of using optional studs, which could prevent the natural slide of the hoof upon landing. Scoot, Renegade and Cavallo all make a ānarrowā boot, but with Cavallo, be aware that the narrow model has about half the tread! Iām a carriage driver and have opted for boots on pavement for decades. They give a reasonable amount of traction without bone-jarring grip of borium or studs. I have never experienced lameness issues with my horses, which I partly attribute to hoof boot use. For pleasure use, I must say I really like the Cavallo Treks, because they are extremely user friendly, tidy, and āambidextrousā, which means you can switch them from side to side to keep wear even. They can rub, being over-the-hairline. You can use āgaitersā (I concur with the Easy-Care gaiter), but Iāve always objected to wrapping horses up in neoprene. Itās okay, no doubt, for pleasure riding. I hope you find a model that works for you!
And one other thing to contemplate is the Megasus velcro-on shoe, which has apparently ālaunchedā after a drawn-out introduction.
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I was not a fan of any of the boots that cover the entire hoof (like the now defunct boa boots), I had issues with rubs, but even if that wasnāt the issue, down here in the south with our dewpoint, you might as well wrap your horseās hoof in a wet towel all day, the boots just hold all that moisture in for a very long timeā¦
I used renegades for my retired hunter, for his back feet, specifically trail riding in the GA mountains and I was very happy with them. If you have seen our trails they can be more ravine than proper trail, so hind foot plus constantly on steep side to side angles and they had minimal movement, no twisting. BUT I did take the time to customize them with vettec (recommended for narrow/hind feet). I already had the tools since I had been putting vettec on this particular horse for years, but seriously, it was easy. If you didnāt have the dispenser gun, your farrier can probably do it for you.
I just bought a pair of scoots for a different horse (different size, thought I would try something different). So far I like them better than all the others because they are a bit easier and have better tread, but I really havenāt used them much . But they have held up to some trail riding and ring riding so far (their only real purpose is for when I need to do carriage road work fitness down our gravel road).
Another one that started with Easyboots, moved to Renegades as a major step up, and then sold them because I found Scoots were really tons better all around. The Scoots donāt contain Velcro, cables, spikes, screws, etc. Nor are they subject to stitched gaters being torn apart. The Scoots are simple, tough, easy to put on/take off, open to allow water to flow through, and their overall design with both regular and slim models is really nice.
I now have Scoots for both the riding horses and the driving ponies. Especially love the Scoot glue ons, but the sizes only go down to 0 so I can only use them for the horses.
A friend has the Scoot Boots and loves them. But sheās been doing ābarefootā (and barefoot trims) for years. So her horsesā feet are shaped according to what SB says will fit.
Itās just hard to shell out that much money not knowing if theyāll really fit. An expensive mistake if they donāt work, even with good measurements.
We have a couple of really good barefoot trimmers that come out to my barn; I have talked with one of them but on that day he didnāt have his kit with him. The other one is the one who fitted the SB for my friend, she usually has her kit.
I am reluctant to ālet goā of a really good farrier (shoer) since they are hard to come by.
Hoof boots pre-date ābarefootā by decades! :o) I had the same farrier for 25 years (barefoot was not a āprocedureā, it was just a state of being), and rarely asked him to actually shoe! And I was booting horses way before him, so thereās absolutely no reason to let go of your farrier! The only reason I donāt have a farrier now is because I DID go barefoot and learned to trim my own horses, not in order to use boots, but because I got a horse that needs constant hoof care and I wasnāt getting that from the farrier. If you look into Scoots and some of the EasyCare line (i.e. EasyBoot Gloves), you will find that they offer the loan of a fit kit that will help you determine size. Cavallo has a lower cost boot for people who are in your situation and donāt want to bear the full cost of experimenting. If youāre on FB, thereās a huge and active hoof boot exchange group where you can buy used boots - of course itās a testimony to how many people start out with the wrong boots. :o( Butā¦nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Plus people change horses as they donāt last forever. Different horses mean different boots.
:lol::lol::lol::lol:
Oh aināt that the truthā¦ Okay, I get it. And youāre right. āBack in the dayāā¦LOLā¦ shoes were a luxury and nobody had hoof boots yet.
I will find that FB group, or if someone has a link, please share!
Just type Hoof Boot Exchange into the Facebook search line to bring up the page. This group is public (with a moderator), so you donāt have to be a member to use it. GREAT resource for buying used or barely used (even new) boots of all kinds. Iāve purchased some real bargains, and sold many of my āno longer neededā boots here at an excellent price, and met some very nice people in the process. So much better than eBay, or any other sales site. If the boot you buy doesnāt work or fit, simply list it for sale. Someone else will buy it and often you will only be out the money for postage.
If you are a Renegades person, they have a Facebook page as well for sales of used Renegade boots.
This is one of the really good uses for Facebook - exchange of info and products in a free marketplace.
Back when I began serious riding in the early 70ās, there were hoof boots available. Not a wide variety like today, but still marketed. I rode in the bicentennial wagon train (1976) and remember a pony on that ride wearing boots, and a horse with rubber glue on shoes. Even prior to the 50ās there were boots being used. Today we are lucky to have a wider range of materials and styles and manufacturers to supply our needs.
Found the group, thanks!!
FINALLY! I donāt even have the horse I wanted these for anymore but I just think that these look like a great product. IF they work and stay on they way theyāre supposed to. Has anyone tried them?
Iād like to try them too, but at 169 Euros/pair, I think Iāll wait until someone else has tried the new technology!
Hi, I replied on your other thread (I think?) but will paste here tooā¦Interested to try the others mentioned above too.
I bought a pair of EquineFusion Ultimate for my big TB, I had only ever used Old Macs & the Gloves.
https://www.hoofbootsaustralia.com.au/shop/item/equine-fusion-ultimate
They fit him well, and he really likes them & has a good heel first landing in them. But they are a pain to put on, and on his āworseā foot it spun around and I had to keep getting off to fix it. If you want to see them on him look up my instagram zlord84. I then bought a pair of Black Country boots for another horse and they are great. Similar to the Old Macs. Believe it or not, I had 3 pairs of boots that I had for nearly 10 years all dissolve within a week! Very expensive to replace them all. Next I am going to try Scoot Boots - my cousin uses them on her transitioning barefoot TB eventer with good results. The New Old Macs look awesome too.
