There are people (boot dealers) who have boot inventories and can measure your horse’s feet and try several boot options to see what fits. If you’ve got a boot dealer near you, that might be your best bet at finding something that will work in your area for your horse.
The only real complaints I’ve heard about Renegades are that they sometimes come off in mud, and that they squeak on some horses. I’ve tried to get some at various times, but my horse’s don’t have the correct shaped feet. I need to try again now that my mare’s feet aren’t so run forward. I like the design. Since there is a piece that covers the heel, they wouldn’t be approved for CTR competition, unless you do Distance Only (which you’ve said you are willing to do, but it’s a shame not to be able to compete in CTR).
I think you can order Renagades with a gel pads that are glued inside at the factory. This is a cool option, since you won’t be fussing with pad replacement, pad slippage, or some of the other annoying pad issues. Since your horse is thin soled, you are going to want some sort of pad, and gel pads that last as long as the boot sound ideal.
I’ve tried a number of other boot styles. Of the Easycare line (www.easycareinc.com), only the Easyboot styles are recommended for distance. You do not want a boot that comes up over the coronet band, as they rub (this puts Old Macs, Boas, and Cavallo Simple Boot out of the running). Plain Easyboots have no gaiter and are approved for CTR. They can used with pads and can be foamed on. If your horse does not overreach, you might be fine with these. I just did 10 energetic miles on my Arab last week, and the boot stayed on just fine. I cut the back down to the sole so there is less to grab.
An Easyboot with a gaiter (wraps around the pastern) becomes an Epic. I will say I’ve had trouble with the tread in that these boots can be slippery on wet grass. Epics would have to be for the Distance Only option. Some horses do have trouble with gaiters rubbing. Partway through a distance competition is not a good time to find out your horse is one who has trouble. Supposedly, adjusting them so they are snug helps prevent rubbing, but I found that a little breathing room worked best for my horses. It’s something you have to try for yourself.
The Bares, Edge, and Gloves offer the low-profile Easyboot style with a different tread pattern that is a little less slippery. The Bares have a bungee closure. I’m not so fond of these, since I had more pulled/ripped gaiters with the bungee. I swapped the bungee out for up clips and had fewer problems.
The closure on the Edge (has a gaiter)seems to be the most solid of the entire line. It’s what I would have gone with for my tough-to-keep-booted OTTB if I still had him. If your horse overreaches, this boot is less likely to get pulled off (IMHO). Again, I’d cut the back down to the level of the sole. I do not have trouble with sand/mud/debris when I do this.
I haven’t tried the Gloves (with or without a gaiter), but I’ve heard both good and bad things. My clients who have tried Gloves have all really liked them. They stretch after the first use. If you want to compete in CTR, you can get them without gaiters and glue them on. This is my plan for my mare if the Easyboots don’t stay on well. One of the top-ten finishers at the Tevis was wearing glued-on Gloves.
