How to prevent trail boots rubbing?

[asw61]

My mare is incredibly picky with her feet, and when we take her shoes off for the winter she gets very sore. I’ve been using cavallo sport boots on her, which seem to work very well at alleviating the soreness, but they cause a new problem. The boots rub the back of her pasterns raw if I use them more than a couple days in a row. They also seem to be putting extra pressure on her heels, but I’m not sure if that is normal with the boots or not. Mainly, I’m worried about the rubbing, because when show season comes around a scar or rub on the back of the foot could prevent DQP from approving her as sound to show.

Any tips of something I could put under the boots to prevent friction would be greatly appreciated! I have tried vaseline already, which didn’t stay on long enough to work. I’ve also tried the cavallo pastern wraps, but they got bunched up around the ankle and caused more of a problem.

Thanks in advance!

[Guilherme]

Likely the boots are incorrectly sized or adjusted.

It’s possible there’s a conformational issue that prevents their use at all.

Solution: keep the shoes on.

G.

[gothedistance]

You can try calf length regular sports socks with the foot cut out. Pull the sock up and over the pastern, then use vet wrap to keep the sock in place.

Honestly, if it was me, I’d get a boot that doesn’t have anything that wraps around the pastern. Such as the Renegade - which is a MUCH better option for multiday use because the boot is “open” and allows the sole and frog access to fresh air.

Is there a particular reason you dispense with shoes in the winter? If it is for the “health” of the foot, you’re not doing your mare any favors by subjecting her apparently tender feet to the harsh ground, with or without boots. JMHO.

Again, if it was me, I’d a different kind of boot first, then make my decision.

[asw61]

[QUOTE=gothedistance;9033889]
You can try calf length regular sports socks with the foot cut out. Pull the sock up and over the pastern, then use vet wrap to keep the sock in place.

Honestly, if it was me, I’d get a boot that doesn’t have anything that wraps around the pastern. Such as the Renegade - which is a MUCH better option for multiday use because the boot is “open” and allows the sole and frog access to fresh air.

Is there a particular reason you dispense with shoes in the winter? If it is for the “health” of the foot, you’re not doing your mare any favors by subjecting her apparently tender feet to the harsh ground, with or without boots. JMHO.

Again, if it was me, I’d a different kind of boot first, then make my decision.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you, but it’s not my horse and the owner bought the trail boots. They were pretty expensive and the renegades look great, but they cost twice as much as the new ones we have now. We take the shoes off for about 6 weeks in the winter because we get some pretty rough weather in January and February, plus the turnout situation requires knee-deep mud exposure a lot of the time. I think this is why her feet get so sore after pulling the shoes, because they stay soft from being in mud. I will try the sock idea. Thanks for the suggestion

[Palm_Beach]

Take some vet wrap and put a couple turns around the pastern.

[cutter99]

I use Cavallo boots with these gaiters. The gaiters do a great job at preventing rubs.

http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/EasyCare_Gaiter_for_Easyboot_Trail_LG_5-8/descpage-EEGTBO.html?gclid=CjwKEAiAlNbEBRCv9uy4j4SWrgwSJAB5MqJFNFG5keDWvwboN-kFEb5gfwPXseHdgW4Zp7qR3Cl82hoCucvw_wcB

[Guilherme]

Knee deep mud? The LAST thing you want to do with a horse is put rubber boots on it that will fill up with mud. Mud is water and dirt. That subjects the foot to a “mud bath.” That’s great for ladies at the spa but a Very Bad Thing for horse hooves.

This program is not doing any favors for the horse and explains the lameness that is seen.

G.

[gothedistance]

^ 100% agree. Don’t use boots in mud that is ankle deep or more. Wait until the ground is dry, then use boots.

If this horse is honestly in knee deep mud, the barn has a serious problem.

If you are leasing this horse, the best you can do is clean the feet daily and paint the soles with Venice Turpentine to keep them tough.

[hank]

Some horses are rubbed raw by any kind of boot that goes above the hairline. I have such a horse, and have tried any and everything to stop it. Unsuccessfully. He wears shoes or doesn’t get ridden.

[asw61]

[QUOTE=Guilherme;9035982]
Knee deep mud? The LAST thing you want to do with a horse is put rubber boots on it that will fill up with mud. Mud is water and dirt. That subjects the foot to a “mud bath.” That’s great for ladies at the spa but a Very Bad Thing for horse hooves.

This program is not doing any favors for the horse and explains the lameness that is seen.

G.[/QUOTE]

No, no, no. The horse doesn’t wear the boots in the mud, she only wears them when we’re riding. When she’s turned out, there is a lot of mud, which is why I think her feet are staying sore after taking the shoes off. I always clean her feet very thoroughly before putting the boots on.

[asw61]

The horse doesn’t wear the boots in the mud, she only wears them when we’re riding. Her turnout has a lot of mud. If you see a muddy field as a “serious problem” please tell me your secret to not having mud in a field with 6 horses standing around the same round bale in the winter when we get snow or rain several days a week. I would really love to know how you control the amount of mud.
I do clean her feet thoroughly before applying the boots, but they still rub. That’s why I made this post

[asw61]

The horse doesn’t wear the boots in the mud, she only wears them when we’re riding. Her turnout has a lot of mud. If you see a muddy field as a “serious problem” please tell me your secret to not having mud in a field with 6 horses standing around the same round bale in the winter when we get snow or rain several days a week. I would really love to know how you control the amount of mud.
I do clean her feet thoroughly before applying the boots, but they still rub. That’s why I made this post

[Palm_Beach]

So put some vetwrap around her pasterns and she won’t rub. I had one who was turned out 18 hours and this worked.

[gothedistance]

If you see a muddy field as a “serious problem” please tell me your secret to not having mud in a field with 6 horses standing around the same round bale in the winter when we get snow or rain several days a week. I would really love to know how you control the amount of mud.

If the soil around the haybale feeder turns to mud that is “knee deep” then, yes, your barn has a problem. Either your BM needs to move the feeder to higher ground where the water runs off and doesn’t create a muddy bog, or s/he needs to build up that ground around the feeder at least a foot in height, if not more, with good draining driveway crushed gravel over a base of driveway base stone so that a bog isn’t created, and the horses will be standing on solid, well drained ground.

The first is a cheap fix, the second is expensive, but well worth the effort in the long run.

Depending upon how long your lease (if you are leasing, or maybe you’re just riding the horse with the blessing of the owner) you may want to invest (with your funds) in a pair of hoof boots that will do the job of protecting the unshod hoof without compromising the surrounding soft tissue, especially if you plan to show the horse this coming show season and are worried about fallout from rubs by the current boots. Either a pair of Scoot boots, or Renegades, would be advised. Figure it will cost you $200 for a paiar. Is that worth your peace of mind? If so, then do it, and you can stop fretting.

JMHO.

[AshleyandAnnabel]

I have been experimenting with my Renegades this past December/January during some downtime on the Endurance season but I’m still working through some fit issues. My Renegades were professionally sizes my my farrier who is a dealer. It takes some time to get used to putting them on and fitting them along with trial and error. I’ve never had issues with just trail riding at the walk and have done up to 16 miles in them. However, I’ve conditioned in them for endurance and have done up to 15 miles at a trot and I am still working through some rubs on her right side. I went ahead and put her N/G performance shoes back on as my first race is in two weeks and I’m running out of conditioning weekends to experiment. I will play with them again in the summer.