Hoof boots for protection and ok being soaked in a river water

[quietann]

Hi - looking for hoof boots for my mare, who is retired, but enjoys standing in a nearby river (good for her arthritis.) She will go in and stand for 10 to 20 minutes.

The trail to get there has some sharp stones, and the river has mostly rounded rocks and a little sand in some places. She transitioned to barefoot really well, but recent experience shows she will appreciate some padding, sole protection if ridden and/or led on rough trails.

The only boots I’ve had her in are Easyboot Clouds, after a recent trim that was too short. The size 1 fit her well just after she was trimmed but became a bit snug as her hooves grew out.

She is also very fine boned, so something that is adjustable at the top might help.

Recommendations?

[Highflyer1]

I have seen a lot of people use the scoot boots and they seem to work well.

[irish_horse]

I would measure her feet correctly after a recent trim, and then compare to the boot manufacturer specifications Most of them have how to measure and sizing on their sites). Some are for more round, some more oval, some more fiddly, etc. I’ve been happy with Renegades on all trail types, but just find the right fit and go play in the water!

[Scribbler]

Ideally look for a brand that are all plastic and have no fabric or neoprene components to get water logged. Scoots are the one boot I know that fits this description if you don’t need neoprene covers on the back. My mare needs these on the rear but not the front. Obviously you need to check hoof shape, Scoots are made for a good barefoot trim.

Renegades have a neoprene heel cup that holds water and can make the heel very soft on a long trail ride, acts as a soaking boot if it gets wet.

The Scoots and Renegades both fit onto the hoof so the pastern size is irrelevant.

[cayuse]

My welsh pony who has very "petite " ankles wears Cavallo boots. They overlap in the front and you can pull the flaps down at an angle to take up any excess room around the top (within reason). I think they show this trick at their website. The boots fit him well throughout his trim, I do use a pad for comfort and to take up any room if needed after a trim. They did rub a little in the heels the first few times he wore them but I used a thin pair of socks over his hooves and that helped. Pony plays in the puddles with these boots and he’s had no problem with that.

[FjordBCRF]

@Scribbler

Scoots are the one boot I know that fits this description if you don’t need neoprene covers on the back

You can get neoprene gators for the Scoots too if you need them. They just velcro on. I use them with mine and while the velcro will wear out eventually, my first pair prob lasted a good year. They did fine in the water too.

I prefer the trail gators vs the endurance, though the endurance provide more coverage. The endurance larges just aren’t quite big enough for us.

Trail Gaiter Pack

Endurance Gaiters

[quietann]

@Scribbler

Renegades have a neoprene heel cup that holds water and can make the heel very soft on a long trail ride, acts as a soaking boot if it gets wet.

Not an issue here as it’s literally a 5 minute ride to the river, and this is the only riding I’d be doing with her.

To my annoyance, the property owners next door, who own the river access trail, do not allow handwalking on their trails. It’s very unlikely they would ever see me as they have limited their trail access to the parts of the property not visible from their houses, but all it takes is once and then they might yank access to everyone. It’s a big family with multiple houses on the property, but the “horsey” family members have either died or moved away.

[Weezer]

I love Renegade boots because water passes through them. I have taken my horse through a swamp with them on.

[GreyDes]

I’ve had good experiences with both Scoot & Renegade. For standing in a river I’d recommend Scoot boots (assuming they fit) because there is no velcro or neoprene. She likely won’t need the gaiters for a short walk.

[quietann]

Hi - great suggestions here but I have a bad hand so anything fiddly or requiring strength or dexterity to put on is off the table.

The river will be less of an issue soon as I am moving my mare to a different barn with no river nearby (actually there is a river, but it’s huge and not horse-friendly.) The mare appreciates boots if we’re walking over rocky ground - or hard ground, and we’re in a drought.

I got Easyboot Trails. The size 3 just fit when she was freshly trimmed, but now they’re too small. Would 4s with gaiters work, do you think? Any other suggestions? The water won’t be as much of an issue.

[cayuse]

When my pony get between sizes I use a pair of men’s socks to take up the extra room. Just trim the socks toe so the hoof fits in. It’s not ideal, but he only wears them 2-3 hours a day. I’ve used pads made from yoga mats on his boots to take up room also. Like I said, it’s not ideal but it’s nice to just have one set of boots for the entire trim cycle.
I just got a pair of Equine Jogging Shoes for one of my minis and found them impossible to close because of my arthritis. I thought I’d mention this in case they are on your list of boots to consider. Good luck at your new barn!

[Caol_Ila]

I use Viper Renegades, and this is Scotland. I’ve never had a problem with them (other than replacing the cables occasionally). We do long rides regularly. 3+ hours at least once per week. An hour to 1.5 hours is average.

[sorrelfilly721]

For those of you who have used the Scoots, since there is no neoprene at the back, do they rub?

[MorganMaresVT]

@sorrelfilly721

For those of you who have used the Scoots, since there is no neoprene at the back, do they rub?

There are two ways to add neoprene at the back- trail or endurance gaiters.

I have used them on a footsore, metabolic mare for several days in a row with no gaiters and no rubs. It really comes down to having a proper fit for the shape of the horse’s foot.

[FjordBCRF]

As @MorganMaresVT mentioned, they offer gators. I have had great success with the trail gaiters myself; the largest size endurance gaiters were a bit too small on my big boned Fjord though!

They do wear out over time, but I’ve been really happy with how effective they are as well as how long they last. No rubbing at all for us.

[GreyDes]

I think it depends on hoof shape and the horse. I have one horse that needs the gaiters or he will rub. I’ve used them on others with and without gaiters and have not had rubs.

The back of the boot comes up over the heel bulb and it can rub there. I believe Scoot recommends using the trail gaiters when you first introduce the boots to your horse.

[quietann]

These and similar appear to not accommodate a horse with a club foot/higher heel.

[GreyDes]

That’s correct. They’re designed for a barefoot trim with a relatively low heel and short toe.

[quietann]

I wish I’d known enough to state that up front! She has steep pasterns and there’s basically no way to get her hoof-pastern acis correct if her heel is short.

[GreyDes]

I haven’t tried these personally, but something like the Easyboot Cloud might be a possibility - https://www.easycareinc.com/our_boots/Easyboot-Cloud.asp

Note that they are not designed to be ridden in, but I think you want them to walk over rocky footing, correct?

Valley Vet has them on sale right now - https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=83F3B1F9-54CB-4107-B0E2-6003378C1959