Horse Wearing Boots for Jumping and Competing?

[phippsie62]

Former threads on this general topic are almost ten years old, so I thought I’d ask about new products and practices. My horse is currently rehabbing after some disastrous farrier work with a former owner. After summer show season I pulled her shoes and am giving her a month off barefoot. After that, we’ll start light flat work in the indoor arena.

I’d like to keep her out of nail-on shoes if possible. No one in my area seems to do glue-ons, so I’m wondering if any of you have experience jumping at home and showing in boots, and if so, what brand do you like–Cavallos, Fusions, others?

I’ve queried USEF on this issue. In the jumper ring boots are allowed. Definitely forbidden in hunters.

Thoughts?

[Highflyer1]

I’ve seen a couple of horses locally compete in Scoot boots but I haven’t tried them. They seem less clunky than some of the other options. https://scootboots.com/pages/the-best-hoof-boots-for-competition-riding

[Scribbler]

I use Scoots for trail riding. I think they are the only boots streamlined enough that I’d try jumping.

That said, a horse should go sound in arena footing and not need boots. If the horse isn’t sound barefoot in a groomed arena I wouldn’t be jumping it yet.

[fivestrideline]

What @Scribbler said. If the horse is sore in a well maintained arena, I would not be jumping.
Totally have seen Scoot boots specifically used when the footing at a venue (between rings/barns/loading area) was iffy and rocky. Riders would ride up from the barns, warm up in them, get to the ring, and pop them off. Better this than risk a stone bruise. I have also seen them a few times in the jumper ring at the lower levels - I suspect they simply didn’t remove them to save time/effort and also the horses weren’t needing a crazy amount of lateral/twisting traction for tight turns (this is where boots tend to fail).

[Scribbler]

I have put my Scoots to all kinds of tests in galloping and back country riding. They fit my mare well and don’t shift. Nonetheless, I’d feel more comfortable jumping barefoot.

[trubandloki]

The bottom line with boots is, whatever brand fits your horse is the brand that is best. Not all brands work for all horses.

I personally like the Scoots and I do not see any reason why you can’t jump in them (if they fit properly and are properly put on).

[canterhavenfarm]

I use Scoot boots on my barefoot OTTBs. I have used them in the jumper ring with, so far, no issues. My horses have been barefoot for years and I have tried pretty much all hoof boots out there. I started using Scoot boots last year and they are my favorite. My normal routine is to put boots on when riding to the ring as more often than not the rings are far away with paved paths covered with random gravel pieces. Once to the ring, boots come off. This year, as an experiment, I left the Scoot boots on for jumper classes ( 09m -0.95m). They did just fine. In a classic round jump off, many tight turns and they did not twist at all. I would say if there was any concern about a boot flying off, or the strange looks that those at ringside may give, take them off before the round! (When done with our rounds, I notice that many people are looking at my horses hooves as I exit the ring) Fit is super important. For 2 of my OTTBs, I had to heat stretch/shape the back of the boots to that particular horse. I also use the gators ( thin, sensitive TB skin).

[phippsie62]

Thanks–useful info. My problem is compounded by a negative palmar angle in the right front. I had the mare in a steel shoe with a 2-degree wedge during show season. Didn’t like doing it, as the bad farrier work had left her with an under-run heel and the wedge just made it worse.

Any riding I do while she is barefoot will be light w/t/c. I’m hoping that by keeping her barefoot and moving around for blood flow, I can grow some heel on the right front and correct her angle there. This will take time obviously–I’m thinking that four months, say until March, will be enough time to find out if that heel is growing. Meantime, I have a barefoot trimmer scheduled about every four weeks.

Hmm, looks like I should post on the Horse Care forum about this problem.

[StormyDay]

You can put on the glue ons yourself. Have your trimmer/farrier trim, and then you can put them on. They have a learning curve but if you follow the steps exactly you will get good at them very fast.
They don’t require any crazy special tools. Just a drill with a wire brush attachment, distilled alcohol, rubber gloves, and your shoes and glue (which comes in a little container so you don’t even need the glue gun). Let me know if you want any help with that.

[ala359]

Are they hard to get on and off?

I have tried a couple of different easy pot models and if the actually fit well enough to stay on then they are nearly impossible to get on and off. I’ll need some for when I start trail riding in the spring and will probably try to scoot boots but have read good things about Flex boots too.

[Scribbler]

Scoots are easy on and off unless your horse is at the end of the trim cycle and they are tight. I have a rasp and can take a bit off if my trimmer is MIA

[RedHorses]

My horse has gone hunting (following hounds chasing a scent) multiple times in Cavallo Simple boots. I use Treks now as the upper is more durable.

[TheHunterKid90]

I guess I’m wondering, what is the problem with the horse wearing regular shoes if he’s most comfortable shod?

[StormyDay]

@TheHunterKid90

I guess I’m wondering, what is the problem with the horse wearing regular shoes if he’s most comfortable shod?

I don’t know about this horse, but with mine he couldn’t tolerate nails.
Glue ons allow for a lot more flexibility in certain things. Want to change your horses angles extremely significantly? You can do that with glue. Need to change the weight distribution? Easy to do. Horse has a huge chunk of hoof missing? No problem. Essentially if the horse has a heel you can attach the shoe to it, which isn’t always the case with a regular steel.

There’s definitely drawbacks though, like cost and time.

As for booting, some people swear that the hooves grow and do so much better. I personally haven’t seen it. I did know one woman who had two horses who were booted 24/7. Both had really bad collapsed heel bulbs but I don’t know if it was due to the boots or not.