We are mountain trail riders. One of our horses has thin walls and is a little flat footed. After losing a shoe on a ride last summer, he ended up with a pretty chipped up hoof with not much in which to nail. I finished the season with “glushus” put on with equilox which stayed on great, but not interested in doing that every eight weeks. We don’t ride in winter. I am considering hoof boots, but I do believe that everyone that I have ever ridden with that uses them, loses one at some time or another. I would love to hear of others having experiences, good or bad, with boots.
I have tried two types of Eastboots, Cavallos, and finally Flex boots. I LOVE the Flex boots! They are easiest to put on/take off, fit the best and stay put. I have read and heard great things about the Equine Fusions as well, my trimmer became a distributor for them after I had already gotten the Flex boots so I didn’t get the Fusions but was able to see some and they seem great…she raves about them as well.
I’ve worn out multiple pairs of Cavallo boots. Simple boots, and then Treks (same sole, more durable upper than Simple boots). I’ve never lost a Cavallo. Not even in sucking mud. I’ve used them for turnout, 25 mile Endurance competition, hunter paces, hunting (behind hounds), and miles of trail rides. I have a set with studs my senior horse so he’s confident of his stability in the trailer, or when the footing is icy.
That said, part of using boots is finding the one that fits your horse and your environment. Part of using boots is sticking with them long enough to figure out the quirks of the brand and putting them on/taking them off so they are easy for you to use. Every boot will require a bit of fiddling around to learn - moreso if you’re new to hoof boots.
I used Easyboots and Boas before the Cavallos, and have a set of Scoot Boots that don’t work well for my horse. I used Easyboot Epics and Gloves on a horse I rode this past summer. I am not a fan of boots that require tools to put on or take off (Easyboots and Scoots). Some people won’t tolerate cables, or Velcro, or gaiters, or a break in period.
Some boot treads aren’t suitable for certain types of footing. Most boots will have an ideal hoof shape and angles they fit, and the further off your horse’s hooves are the less likely they are to fit well enough. Some boots are less forgiving in that fit, while some boots will break in and shape to your horse’s foot.
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Having been a part-time trimmer for 14 years (now retired), I had MANY clients transition via the Equine Fusion Jogging Shoe https://www.eqfusion.com/
Easy to put on, good price point, super tough.
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I really like the renegade boots. Water moves through them easily, which is great if you’re riding in wet areas. I put them to the test several years ago when I used to trail ride often. I once had one get sucked off in a really mucky swamp. I wouldn’t normally ride a horse through such a gross swamp, but I wanted to test the boots. That was the only time I’ve lost one.
I also like them in the winter because snow won’t get stuck in them since it can pass through. Now that my horse is retired, I installed corks in them and he wears them during turnout when it’s icy.
When comparing the Flex to Cavallos, is it just the ease of putting them on that makes you prefer them?
My horse has thin soles. I’ve always padded him and carry an EZ boot for lost shoes. Old school.
And the flex boots fit better/tighter than the Cavallos I tried, they rotated a bit. I did not try h the Treks though, it was a different model…not sure of the name
Another boot user. With my mare it has boiled down to what fits her…and that is Renegades.
I m currently using Flex boots on the hinds but the closest size is a bit too short for her fronts.
When the Flex boots wear out, I will go back to the Renegades.
So while I like lots of other boots, they don’t fit her so that is the limiting factor. The boot has to fit so finding the right ones may take some time.
Susan
The Renegades seem so rigid. We only ride in the mountains with uneven terrain. Assuming they both fit, which do you prefer?
I’ve had good luck with Equine Fusion boots. The rep I dealt with was great and the boots stay on.
I’ve been using Scootboots for nearly six years on the trails and often ride through mud and water. Only lost one the entire time, it was pulled off in fresh mud. There are many good boots to choose from, but I think the best way to prevent pulls is correct fit. Working with a rep is helpful, but I just followed the directions on the web site and watched a couple of videos on fit.
I love using boots on the trail! It’s peace of mind, I don’t have to worry about what my horse is stepping on and I find they have better traction than shoes.
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I can share my experience, but experience will vary because fit is a big factor and obviously based on the shape of your horse’s foot.
I started with Scoots because that’s what my trimmer had a fit kit for and with Scoots the fit is super important.
I lost one in deep mud, never found it despite combing through the field we were in. After that I bought the mud straps and used them when I knew we would encounter mud. Have not lost a boot since.
When we ran into some thin sole issues after moving away from my great trimmer and trying a not so great one, I bought some Equine Fusions as they offer more support than the Scoots and allow for pads for additional comfort. They have been great and have not come off. The fit is forgiving so I felt comfortable ordering off measurements.
Now I use Scoots if the arena footing warrants it, as the openness doesn’t trap too much sand. And I use the Equine Fusions if we are going on rocky trails as they offer a bit more protection.
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Not to hijack the thread, but husband is also in the market for front boots for his horse who seems to now want to be shoeless. We’ve never used them before other than having one Cavallo for lost shoe incidents.
With our situation, I need something that’s:
- not too fussy to fit and works for rounder shaped feet
- easy to put on
- ideally can be worn 24/7
- good option for eventing
- terrain would mostly be sandy arena, scrubby grass turnout that could be snowy, muddy, or hard depending on weather, then during show season grass and occasionally water
Any good suggestions?
He’s a thin-soled TB although various pads we’ve tried with shoes don’t seem to be as comfortable for him as no shoes at all. Also, despite the thin soles he doesn’t seem to be reacting much to hoof testers which surprised our farrier. We’ve had him on Vermont Blend for almost exactly a year.
I use boots on all of my horses and do a LOT of miles. I find the best thing to do is to get the horse trimmed properly and then measure. And then, pick the boot that is closest to the measurement. You might love boot X but if your horses hoof tends to be longer than wider and boot X is for horses who hooves are wide, it’s never going to work. That said I am a huge fan of the Easy Care products and the gloves work for most of my horses
Some measurement charts aren’t very good. They’re a place to start.
I actually use size 2 Treks on my senior horse. The Cavallo measurement chart says he should wear 3s. I do use 3s on him sometimes, when he’s due for a trim. Or when it’s icy - the studs are on 3s. But most of the time the 2s fit better - after they’re broken in.
My horse always wears the pastern wraps too.
Picture of new versus broken in/worn out Simple boots.
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With the caveat that I have not used Cavallos because they are too “clunky” for what I do- I have not found measurements to be off for any of the Easy Care, Renegade or Scoot Boots
I also tend to have two sizes for each of my horses- for example, my one mare wears a size 1 EB Glove, but can take a 1.5 closer to having a trim due. There are also work arounds like taping or Sikaflex if you have a boot that slightly too big after a fresh trim but will fit fine a couple weeks in
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I use Equine Fusion hoof boots. No pieces to loose and the size increments allow for a good fit.
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