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Hoof boots for horse that over tracks?

I have a horse with thinner soles that could benefit from the occasional hoof boot when on the random trail. Said horse is dressage built - short backed with an over reach. Any suggestions based on experience?

Have a look at Scoot Boots. The are much less bulky than other brands so less likely to be pulled off if your horse over reaches.

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I’ve had good results with Cavallo Treks. My older horse occasionally forges (strikes the sole of the front boot with a hind foot) and my younger horse (short back, big overtrack) didn’t have any issues doing a 26 mile Endurance ride in Treks.

Cavallo Simple boots worked well too, but I find the Trek upper tougher and lasts longer.

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I’ve used both Cavallo Treks and Scoot Boots, and I like both but for different reasons. The Cavallos are easier to get on and off. And, for me at least, they were easier to determine the correct size. The Scoot Boots are easier to clean (just soak in water), and I like that they are more open and lighter (think hiking sandals vs. hiking boots). The Cavallos and the Scoots both stay on well. I’ve never had a Scoot come off, and a Cavallo came off only one time in 5 years (wedged between some large rocks). I get about 500 miles over rocky terrain before I have to replace either Cavallos or Scoots.

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This is a massive problem for my horse (compact Lusitano with flamboyant movement and an overtrack of like 2 feet) and it’s something I really wish the hoof boot industry took notice of and addressed.
I’ve tried 6 different hoof boots and have never had total success.
In my experience you either need a boot with a gaiter or you need a boot that covers the whole hoof. You also need a boot that fits very snugly.

A scoot boot or Swiss galloper or something low profile is never going to stay on. (I’ve tried).

The best has been a Cavallo simple in a size slightly too small. It never ever fell off even while galloping, but it started to rub badly when I did longer rides. Cavallo of the “correct” size fell off all the time.

Now I have an Easyboot Glove. It’s been pretty successful but not 100%. It doesn’t rub, and it mostly never falls off. (I compete in endurance). I’ve had to adapt my riding so I regulate my horse’s length of stride and never let her get long or crazy with her legs flying around. I usually don’t canter or if I do I’m very careful. Actually most of the times I’ve had problems with the gloves are when I let other people ride my horse and they don’t know how to regulate her stride. The first time that happened she ripped the gaiter off. The second time she ripped a screw off.

So, gloves are so far the most successful for me. But I’ve had to repair them twice in 4 months.

Good luck.

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Thanks for the info. I feel your pain. This horse massively over tracks as well. He pulls shoes as well and it is not the fault of the farrier - I’ve had some of the best and most well known farriers in the US shoe him. I got so fed up with shoes that I pulled them but he really does need something more over various terrain.

I tried the easy boot gloves and they were destroyed and ripped up pretty quick.

I was thinking about the scoot boot with mud straps and the liners. Did you ever try it with mud straps? I’m wondering if he will just end up causing the strap to the screws to break with that type of set up.

I have some like the cavallo simples for a different horse but haven’t tried them with this one. I figured he would pull them right off. Have you tried using them with bell boots?

I may just have to do as you do and limit certain movement when he is in the boots. :expressionless:

I haven’t actually tried scoot boots because I tried Swiss galoppers and the style is basically the same. I had been tempted to try the scoot boots with mud straps on the hinds but am always worried about things rubbing since my horse is also sensitive like that to make things more complicated.
I think one of the issues like you mention about the strap set up is that when they pull the boot with the hind these things just break under the pressure. With the swiss galoppers the velcro closures just opened and then the boot would fall off.
If your guy (like my mare) is ripping the screws out of the gloves then a strap isn’t really going to take it any better.

I have tried putting bell boots over top of the gloves. I thought it was working better but then a couple weeks ago i let my sister ride my horse and the trot went a bit crazy and she ripped the back screw out of the boot. So it’s questionable whether the bell boots help. I was just using a flexible rubber one - maybe something like neoprene would work better, but then it’s so much added bulk around the hoof I was worried about the horse tripping.

Someone mentioned to me that it happened less for them when they used hind boots as well. Are you using hinds or just fronts? The problem I’m having with the hinds is that I have the easyboot epics with the clip closure. and I think my horse is opening the clip of the hind boot when she hits the front one so then the hind boot is falling off as well (actually I only used them once and she managed to rip the gaiter in half when the boot fell off) :roll_eyes: :roll_eyes: My next attempt was going to be gloves on the back and gloves on the front, since then there’s no clip that can get caught on the front boot.

It’s crazy because I’ve had hoof boots for other horses and it was never complicated and they never fell off.

And when I’ve emailed shops and things for advice they are never helpful and just tell me that i’m measuring the horse wrong or trimming her feet badly.

Are you doing endurance or just trail riding? Because the cavallo did work for my horse when we weren’t doing fast long rides. I think because it covers the entire hoof it’s harder for them to pull it off. Especially because I had mine like verging on too small and the closure around the ankle was snug enough that it was physically impossible for the foot to exit through it.

But also if you can figure out how to manage his stride to avoid it happening it had made the boots possible (so far) for me. I still trot and do a bit of canter with the boots (as mentioned, we compete in endurance), I just don’t let her gallop and I don’t let her get crazy (she’s a lusitano so when she’s hot she does piaffe and cantering on the spot and things like this so her legs are flying around underneath her). Also if I want to school dressage I don’t use the boots.