Is there a vented sports medicine boot

[lizathenag]

My vet said he had heard of a “summer” one. Does anyone know of one? Currently using the Iconoclast.
This is for my 27 year old good OTTB.

edited to add:
Thank you for all your info and concern. My horse who raced until he was 6 has daily turnout with a buddy and mostly just wanders around finding the perfect piece of grass to eat or where to take a nap. He is barefoot and I use boots on hard terrain. I just want him to last forever and am doing everything possible to help that happen including regular lameness exams (he feels sound under saddle and looks sound on the longe but my vet often finds something like some suspensory reaction on palpation hence my current question). We have done PRP injections in his hocks and coffin joints. I am not doing FEI marathons but do take him out to the hounds and trail ride. I limit his jumping to little stuff rarely. We do our century ride in 2023 (72 and 28).

[bugsynskeeter1]

Is he thinking of the SMB 2x Cool?

https://profchoice.com/i-23902345-2xcool-sports-medicine-boot-front-pairs.html

[kaya842]

There are many that claim to be vented, yet I haven’t ever seen one that doesn’t leave the leg sweaty/ sweatier than naked.

I advocate for not using boots (especially the SMB type , vs a open front or other strike plate type) after reading a study that they increase heat in the leg (which makes sense) and that increase in heat leads to tendon cell death which can weaken the tendons. As the SMBs (and polo type wraps) can’t offer any actual support and don’t have any puncture protection, such as a strike plate, I believe you’re better off without them.

If you have a horse that interferes (hits one leg with another) and you are worried about scraping, I suggest looking at open front boots or sport boots (like Woof Wear) that have strike plates. Personally, I like the Majyk Equipe open front boots as they are neoprene free (neoprene is notorious for trapping heat), vented, come with a wide strap to disperse pressure better, and Velcro attachments so you can get a more precise fit (vs the ones with 3 snap options). They are also fairly affordable. They do still get hotter than no boots, so I only use them sparingly such as taking my horse XC schooling.

[lizathenag]

I spoke with my vet about the heat issue and we are balancing that against the desire for suspensory support. At 27 he is in fairly light work and I want to give him all the support I can.

[lizathenag]

Perhaps. Thx

[Renn_aissance]

You might consider a Saratoga wrap, which provide more ventilation. Do talk to your vet about icing the legs after taking the wraps (or boots) off to mitigate heat damage.

[kaya842]

Unfortunately boots and wraps do not/ cannot add any support to tendons. The mechanics of that just do not work. At best, you can offer strike protection for punctures.

The best tendon protection is a healthy diet, tons of turnout, and a mindful work program where the legs are exposed (gently/ carefully) to different surfaces.

[lizathenag]

I am not looking for tendon support but rather ligament support. I trail ride and fox hunt and he is turned out all day.

[Amy3996]

The point still stands though. There isn’t a piece of fabric or tech material in a boot on the market today that will actually provide support against the thousands of pounds of force exerted on a horse’s soft tissues in motion.

Compression? Maybe. Protection from scrapes/punctures? Sure. But actual bonafide support? Not a chance. It’s another line horsewear companies toss in to sell you on their products.

[lizathenag]

Thanks for the info on the Professional Choice boot.
here is an interesting although old study. I choose to go by my lameness vet’s recommendations as he has kept my good old horse sound and fox hunting!

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286687531_Examination_of_the_influence_of_support_boots_on_the_fetlock_of_equine_forelimbs_A_kinematic_study_in_walk_and_trot_on_the_treadmill

[JB]

Good boots with a fetlock sling DO limit flexion enough that it can make a big difference in some cases.

But I don’t know that there are any of those that are cool enough for longer-term use, especially in the heat.

@lizathenag

I am not looking for tendon support but rather ligament support.

Same difference The fetlock sling reduces fetlock flexion a bit, and that impacts all the ligaments and tendons in the back of the leg.

How long do you intend to use the boots? If just for work, then it still depends on what type of work and how long. You’re better off with cooler legs and no boots, than 2 hours of a small amount of flexion reduction but hot legs. And I guarantee even those “cooling” SMB boots will still leave legs hot and sweaty.

If you want non-heating protection, look into Gatusos.

[beau159]

@lizathenag

My vet said he had heard of a “summer” one. Does anyone know of one? Currently using the Iconoclast.
This is for my 27 year old good OTTB.

I spoke with my vet about the heat issue and we are balancing that against the desire for suspensory support. At 27 he is in fairly light work and I want to give him all the support I can.

I am not looking for tendon support but rather ligament support. I trail ride and fox hunt and he is turned out all day.

There really is no boot that actually provides SUPPORT in the way we think we need it.
Not even Iconoclast. Ask them. (I have.) They have zero research. They were going to do a study but it didn’t go through. So their claims of the double sling, blah blah, have absolutely no scientific basis whatsoever.

Now, if you and your vet feel it’s the best thing for your horse, then go right ahead.

I myself have switched over the Professionals Choice 2Xcool boots. I do feel they are much better than prior version or other brands in terms of heat control. It’s not that they keep the legs “cold” but they do keep them much more neutral to the touch. I try not to have them on long, but there’s been days where they have been on for 30-40 minutes when it’s 90 * F outside, and when I took them off, there was zero sweat and leg felt no different than any other part of the leg. Now, would there be a difference if I took an actual skin temperature with a device? I’m sure there would be. But I use mine for the purpose of physical protection during barrel racing on the front legs and I feel better having them on. A boot is easier to replace than horse flesh and they’re going to be just fine for a short time period of having the boots on.

The material they are made of (I believe) is based off what they use in astronaut suits to keep them from sweating. Kind of the same concept as the CoolAid products and the material they are made of although not quite the same stuff.

[lizathenag]

Thank you so much

[DMK]

I guess my question would be that if your horse is out 24/7 (and yay for that!), what is to be gained by restricting joint flexion almost imperceptibly for maybe 1 of those 24 hours? Especially if it is the offset by the hazards of wearing boots in rough country/fox hunting? The other consideration is that IF one joint is restricted in motion, no matter how minimal, another joint must pick up the slack. Whether this joint appreciates the newly found extra work over time is probably something you would find out after it’s a problem.

Mind you, that’s your business, but it’s the cognitive dissonance that popped into my head for a horse who’s already on full turnout.

But I did try the 2x cool boots on combined driving marathon. I’m not a fan of booting up horses, but if anyone has driven marathon, legs tend to go flying because we have a lot of last minute changes of direction at speed. Because of that I was looking for something that was soft/breathable enough to allow a lot of flexion but provide more coverage than your typical strike plate type boot. OMG they were a huge fail for my purpose. If you want a giant water sucking, sand and debris collecting object on your horse’s legs, they are the boot for you, otherwise, cannot recommend! (They are probably just fine in groomed or pure grass arenas)

I did switch to the new woof boot that has more coverage and it holds up for water and sand quite well so far, but I only had one marathon (still that was enough to swear off the others). Pic of woof boots attached

[Renn_aissance]

@Amy3996

There isn’t a piece of fabric or tech material in a boot on the market today that will actually provide support against the thousands of pounds of force exerted on a horse’s soft tissues in motion.

A properly applied elasticated bandage can limit fetlock flexion- trace wrap, Saratoga bandage, etc. If the issue is that the soft tissue fibers lack the strength to avoid being exercised to or beyond end range, this can actually help. The thing is that you have to wrap them correctly, with a deep figure-8 under the fetlock, to provide value. I’m not familiar with research on the SMBs but understand that the idea is to restrict movement in a similar way with the fetlock strap, in a package that is easier to apply.

@DMK

The other consideration is that IF one joint is restricted in motion, no matter how minimal, another joint must pick up the slack. Mind you, that’s your business, but it’s the cognitive dissonance that popped into my head for a horse who’s already on full turnout.

I love that you brought this up, and I hope that Liza’s vet has worked with her on this as well. I had two good lameness vets recommend a support wrap for horses with a history of suspensory issues. All three horses got a lot of turnout. The vet’s idea behind a wrap under saddle was that the horses were usually meandering along in the field in turnout and were not typically experiencing the same sustained loading forces as they might out galloping cross-country or landing off of a jump. A horse who yahoos around in the field is probably a different story. One of the vets did discuss a fitness protocol to get the horse used to the wrap and strengthen related structures to take the load that was being shifted from the fetlock, and worked together with my farrier to get the foot on a better path to supporting a biomechanically sound gait pattern.

[beau159]

@DMK

If you want a giant water sucking, sand and debris collecting object on your horse’s legs, they are the boot for you, otherwise, cannot recommend!

I don’t use mine in water (although sometimes mud), but for me, they have performed very well to NOT get dirt and sand inside. I rarely have anything inside mine. I barrel race in different arenas and different ground (some more sandy, some more clay, some more black dirt) and again, I usually don’t have anything inside the boot. But I guess I’m also usually spending under 20 seconds in the arena. I don’t know what your combined driving marathon entails!

This one was a muddy race.

[DMK]

Think 2+ hours on variable sandy terrain with some of this

And plenty of this

VID-20230227-WA0002

But yes, I would expect them to handle Western speed sports since that was the target audience, and once I got them I had my doubts… but they worked ok at home and in some practice sessions that involved wet arena footing and damp grass, so I was reassured… In hindsight none had “real” water. Getting that wet on marathon finished them off. We came into the vet box with saggy, sopping wet, heavy sand encrusted boots, and I really hated that for Xan. It happened to be a championship FEI level course and was as long and technical as anything we had driven that season, and he had to do it with those boots on. I was pissed enough that I almost left them at the cooling area, but figured I better get some money back so they are at the consignment shop.

(Note: never think I went out on course without triple checking & tightening boots!)

[DMK]

@Renn_aissance

A horse who yahoos around in the field is probably a different story.

I agree, and if you are at a facility that manages turn out closely, as well as having well groomed, level paddocks, this is probably ideal.

We all tend to look at it from our experiences, and even though I have this unflappable fjord who places a VERY HIGH value on eating, guess who LOVES to rocket down the top field to the bottom field (90 degree turn down a steep hill, and a whole lot of red clay to slip and slide on)? Honestly, even the TB thinks he’s nuts. But he is also insanely fit and has about the best balance of any horse I’ve sat on, so he thinks that’s well within his wheel house, and I’ve accepted that fjords are pretty freaking smart about their capabilities.

But that’s the lens I view 24/7 turn out through, and it might not be the only view!

[Renn_aissance]

@DMK

guess who LOVES to rocket down the top field to the bottom field (90 degree turn down a steep hill,

Ah yes, I know the maneuver. I swear mine only does this when I would rather he didn’t- a little unsound, icy fields, mud…

I try not to watch.

[beau159]

@DMK

Think 2+ hours on variable sandy terrain with some of this

Yup, that’s a little different than my use of the boots!