We’ve recently moved to GA and are lucky enough to be close to a fox hunt. I’m wanting to start taking my mare out puppy walking and hope to hunt her in the fall, and have a few questions regarding protective boots. Do any of you boot up your horses when hunting? If so, what are your favorite boots. My mare has a big step and I’m a bit concerned about her catching herself when we’re on a run. Conversely, I’m also concerned about boots filling up with dirt and causing rubs or getting sucked off in water crossings. Any advice would be appreciated! 
I hunt with bell boots on my mare (she wears them 24/7, tends to pull shoes without them) but no regular boots.
Gelding has no shoes and no boots.
I’ve never had an issue or injury, but I take it easy when the footing is iffy and tend to avoid most of the jumps.
Some people hunt in boots and filling up with dirt, getting sucked off in water etc are definitely concerns. The biggest concern is that while a boot may stay on while wet etc, keep in mind that unlike on XC or a short hack, this boot may be on for many more hours than it may have even been designed for.
That said, I know lots of people have found ones that work for them, and I’ll leave it to those people to give suggestions!
Happy hunting!
Boots are generally frowned on. You are going to out there for hours.
I think they are frowned upon because they tend to cause more problems than they avert. I would recommend going without them and see how it goes.
I would also strongly recommend doing plenty of fast trot and canter/gallop over terrain(fields/woods/uphill/downhill) at home before you go out. This will help you and your horse handle the situation more easily and reduce the likelihood of a misstep.
I have had good luck using Woof Boots. They are quick to put on and stay in place. I use boots daily and would not hunt without them. The heavier cross country boots seem cumbersome for a long day out hunting.
I also use bell boots.
In my territory, there are rocks and dips and cranies and all sorts of opportunities for missteps and injuries.
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I started booting my gelding after he caught a check ligament hard and was out of commission for a couple of months. It didn’t happen hunting, but once he was rehabbed, I wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again. I use the Magyk Equipe boots, which are light weight and don’t absorb water. Haven’t had a problem with them.
To prevent interference behind, I know several foxhunters who swear by the little rubber ankle donut. I tried it because my horse was stepping on himself in 24-hr turnout and boots weren’t feasible; little donut bumper worked great!
Totally depends on the terrain your hunt typically encounters. While I might use boots (Woof boots usually) the first time or few out on a green horse if I have a specific concern during hound walking or cubbing season, buy the time winter rolls around it is so muddy in most of our fixtures that typically boots aren’t going to stay on anyway so I prefer to go without.
Woof boots all the way! I have used them while hunting for years on a variety of horses (came from the eventing world where everything always went out in boots) without a single issue.
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It totally depends on the horse- if they need them, then use them. I have one horse that goes in bell boots- ALWAYS (turnout, hunting, flat, schooling, everything). He will pull a shoe off his club foot even with them, so its an attempt at prevention for me. If a horse brushes in the back I will use the woof boots, which I have had great success with out hunting.
Just keep an eye on them, especially brush boots, as sometimes things can get jammed into them (sticks on occasion). Have someone peek at them at checks if needed.
As a general rule, the minimum amount of equipment on their legs, the better off you are.
Enjoy hunting!
Which hunt?
Belle Meade. I’ve been borrowing horses for this season, but I’m fitting out this mare to puppy walk this spring and summer. She has a tendency to shin hit her hind cannon when galloping so I was wanting a taller hind boot that offers cannon protection. Any ideas?
Now mind you I have only been out hunting once, but I did so with my mare in SMB boots. She interferes a bit behind and I didn’t want her whacking herself and being sore while out somewhere in the woods. My SMBs did fine through quite a bit of mud. Maybe look into some of the type of boots that eventers use, they are going through water too.
Oh, and I meant to mention, several of the horses in the hunt I went with had open fronts and tendon boots on, or just open fronts. I could really tell which riders also evented their horses, and which ones were hunt purists.
I’ve only hunted at Belle Meade once (Feb 2015) on the “hilly” side with no jumps and don’t recall it being excessively muddy - a condition in which I do not put boots on my horse because they can cause more issues than they prevent (think: 3 hours+) especially all that sticky clay.
Now, when I do put boots on my hunt horse I really like the NEW Equine X-Country AiroFlow - they are really breathable and hold no water at all. I had to get them from the UK as I couldn’t find this exact model stateside. They arrived in 5 days though.
http://www.amirashop.co.uk/acatalog/New-Equine-X-country-AiroFlow---Hind-AE553138.html#SID=36
Sandy mud or twigs or prickers or sticks can cause havoc to a booted horse’s skin under the boots. That’s why hunt purists consider booting the very last resort for their horses.
It is possible to do exercises that will teach a horse to control its feet better and be more nimble overall.
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Thanks guys!! She’s pretty handy, as we competed successfully at level four jumpers several years ago, but just has a huge step when she moves out. I’ll only boot her if necessary, but she’s already got a 10" scar on her rear cannon from clipping herself several years ago, so I want to be prepared if necessary.
I have always hunted in Davis Velcro bell boots or PC over reach boots. I love the OR boots, but they get torn up really quickly- like one hunt season and they’re done. I don’t have money to be replacing them constantly, lol. I’ve also used the PC SMB boots on front, but after doing my research and understanding that they don’t offer support, but rather protection, I’m more in the market for new boots. The SMB and similar materials hold a lot of heat, so I’ve decided I don’t want to use them for long rides and hunts anymore.
More specific question here: Good hind boots that protect the cannon? Almost all hind boots I see are just fetlock or for the inner cannons. My boy hits a hind on solid fences every once in a while and then weeks later, he’s abscessed. The vet and others have hypothesized that he bruised himself and it traveled down into the hoof to come out.
So I need hind boots that cover the cannon that aren’t all heat trapping neoprene, nor fleece lined. I looked at some mentioned above, but wondering if anyone has any more ideas.
I think it definitely depends on the hunt club you join. Some are more strict than others. My particular hunt club allows boots, but they must be black. It’s not RECOMMENDED, but not frowned upon either. I think the biggest consideration if you are wanting to use something protective is to use a cross country boot - something that does not retain water. Many traditional galloping or neoprene boots will hold water and become very heavy and that gets hard on the horses’ legs, especially considering the distance traveled while on a hunt. I use these Roma boots both front and back and have had no problem with dirt getting in there, though on a hind leg my mare occassionally gets a rub on her fetlock:
https://www.statelinetack.com/item/roma-cross-country-front-boots/E011956%20COB/?srccode=GPSLT&gclid=CNfJ0qHBs9ICFZS2wAodJEcJdw&kwid=productads-adid^160627723370-device^c-plaid^109336912668-sku^431081-adType^PLA
Whatever you do, ask the master of the hunt what is most appropriate for their club, and be as courteous and kind as you can! Happy hunting!
I ended up getting the following woof boots (link below). I’ve not hunted her in them, but we’ve gone and done water, mud, etc, and they don’t retain water, seem to keep the legs cool, don’t get filled with mud, and haven’t rubbed
http://www.woofwear.com/for-horses/cross-country-boots/smart-event-boot-hind_medium.html
