Report on the Easyboot Epics

[Lifting_Chickk]

Well, I think my Epics have met their match.

I foxhunt. My mare is barefoot. The combination of the two had me seeking hoof protection for her without turing to shoes. (I do my own trimming and truly enjoy maintaining my horses hooves)

At first, we tried the Boa’s. Nope, no go. They rubbed and twisted.

Next we tried the Old Mac G2’s. Very nice boots, but they tangled her feathers. They did stay on, however, and did not twist.

Then, I moved to the Epics. At first, I LOVED them! They seemed to stay on, the studs gave good traction, and I could rest assured that they wouldn’t rub, given that they do not come above the hairline.

Well, I think they have met their match. Mare is a Friesian, with huge gaits. If a boot can stay on her, it can stay on anything. Last Saturday, we hunted the All New England Hunts Joint Meet with Myopia.

The first two hours went well, all boots in place at all gaits and through varied terrain. At the bottom of the second hour, we joing the first field…that was it. No sooner did we jump a fence and turn a sharp corner than her right front boot popped off.

Sigh.

I pulled up, got off, grabbed the boot and attached it to my breastcollar. Got back on and joined the field through another series of jumps. Another sharp corner and off popped the left front boot.

Argh.

Pulled up again. Got off again to get the boot and attached to the other side of her breastcollar.

Remounted again and joined the jumping field just in time to catch the last fence with everyone.

So, I must say the Epics have done an honorable job of staying with my mare foxhunting at high speed and over fences, but when it comes to tight corners…they can’t handle it. :no:

I found a pair of used Cavallo Simples in her size and am going to try those next. No internal strappage to tangle her feathers, and they shouldn’t come off given the way they are designed. We have some Old Mac pastern wraps (better than the Cavallos) and the comfort pads to use with them.

We’ll see how they hold up at this weekend’s hunt. I’ll let you know.

Still glad to have the Epics in my collection, but we’ll be saving those for winter riding. The studs should be useful if we encounter sheet ice on the trail. :yes:

[rmh]

Does your epics have the gaiter. the new edge is due out in Jan. It is supposed to be similar to the renegade. You may want to look into the renegades. A lot of endurance riders use them and they move out.

[Lifting_Chickk]

[QUOTE=rmh;3632201]
Does your epics have the gaiter. the new edge is due out in Jan. It is supposed to be similar to the renegade. You may want to look into the renegades. A lot of endurance riders use them and they move out.[/QUOTE]

Oh yes, the Epics are the Easyboots with gaiters. Without gaiters, they don’t last 2 steps!

I’d love to try the Renegades but they don’t make them large enough for the mare’s hooves. One of the guest riders had them on at a hunt earlier this season. They came off. She may have not had them on correctly, but they didn’t last very long. Seemed cool though!

[Jumpin_Horses]

I have found the renegades to be able to handle jumping and rough terrain, BUT, they also will twist on sharp turns and lateral movements.

If I put some vet wrap around the hoof wall (and around the heel bulbs) this helps… until the vet wrap falls down that is… perhaps they could make a glue on velcro thingy that you can attach to the front of the hoof wall and then to the inside of the boot… its just a thought.

for the epics, you might want to try putting a pin in the epics handle thingy (I dont know what you call it) but there is a hole there to slide a pin through to hold the handle down.

Id bet easy care would be interested in your findings.

be careful you dont tighten the epics too much as the grabs on the side will make a dent in the hoof wall…

[Lifting_Chickk]

Yes, I hear you on the vetwrap. I used to use that with my Old Mac G2’s. It make a gummy mess once the horse is sweat up…yuck.

The clip on the front of the Epics was not openning. The boots came off with the clip still in it’s locked position, so I don’t think the pins would help them stay on.

I don’t need to worry about the “teeth” marking the hoof wall because I removed the heel strap (and teeth) and replaced with the tapers. Even as tight as I could get them on, they still twist off if we take a sharp corner.

I did encounter quite a bit of ice last winter while trail riding. They’ll be great for that, and I’m sure they’ll stay on if we are w/t/c in a straight line. They have thus far.

[Jumpin_Horses]

yea, they can twist, which could pop them off…

Im off to easy care to find out more…

thanks for the info

[matryoshka]

You might want to try foam, or even glue to keep them on. I’m sure the twisting as the studs grip is causing the problem. Plus, size them up to fit a Friesian, and they’ve got even more room to come off.

This is interesting to me. I just ordered a pair of Bares for a Friesian (size 5) and will exchange the bungee for EasyUp Buckles–I like the tread on the Bares better than the Epics. Anyway, by the time they get to that size, I wonder if they’ve got enough substance to hang on or to wear well. The horse’s feet are nice and strong, but they tend to chip instead of wear. This horse will be wearing them just for trail riding and maybe for medieval gaming.

I ordered G2’s for another Friesian at the same farm. Now I’m wondering about the feathers. Even though the two horses are the same size (17hh), they have very different sized feet. I had thought the gaiter would interfere with feathers more than a boot that comes up over the heel.

Hmmm…

[Lifting_Chickk]

Hmm, the foam would be a possibility, but I think that’s getting a little too involved for me. Most hunts only last 2 hours, so it seems like a lot of trouble for a relatively short ride. (compared to endurance riding 25-50-100 miles etc.)

Her boots aren’t that big. She’s snuggly into a size 3 in the Epics. I have a pair of 4’s too, but they are WAY too big.

Ooh, I like the tread better on the Bare’s too, but I already had the Epics, so I’ll wait until they wear out before getting the Bares.

My Epics are fine for trail riding, even galloping. I’ve been using them all season for all sorts of riding. It was just that last hunt, very long with a few sharp corners taken at speed, that caused them to pop off. I think they should be fine on the Friesian doing the trail riding/gaming…

On the contrary, the gaiters don’t interfere with her feathers at all. She has chorioptic mange mites on her pasterns (as do most all Friesians…check the backs of the pasterns for thickened ridges of skin/scabbies. Best treated with Frontline Spray :yes:) so I keep the underside shaved. This happens to be where the gaiters go, and probably why they work well on my Friesian.

The stabilizing strap on my Old Mac G2’s, would scrunch up and tangle in the feathers around her pastern…even on the front of the pastern. However, I was using a size 9 when I think my mare is better suited to a size 8. (she’s in between sizes, but the 8 may have been more stable on her hoof, preventing the movement that was causing the scrunching of the feathers.)

Anyway, try out the G2’s for the big guy. They may work just fine for him.

If the Cavallo’s don’t work for her, I’m going back to the Old Mac G2’s, only in a size 8. I’ll shave her feathers where the straps go if I must to keep the hair neat.

To me, barefoot is more important than pretty (aka - obnoxious :)) hair.

[pines4equines]

Hay

Is there anyway she can go barefoot while you hunt, no boots at all? I ride barefoot all over except when I hit rocky trails which is really the only time I use the epics. I used to fox hunt and most was over fields and along old farm roads, maybe some rocks but not as much as a real rocky path at some of our trail heads. Or are you more concerned with slipping?

[Lifting_Chickk]

[QUOTE=pines4equines;3634859]
Is there anyway she can go barefoot while you hunt, no boots at all? I ride barefoot all over except when I hit rocky trails which is really the only time I use the epics. I used to fox hunt and most was over fields and along old farm roads, maybe some rocks but not as much as a real rocky path at some of our trail heads. Or are you more concerned with slipping?[/QUOTE]

We did do the first hunt of the season sans boots. I found out quickly that the territory is EXTREMELY rocky in many places and she was quite footsore by the time we got back. I’m talking roads made of rocks the size of golf balls. Trails strewn with the pointy tips of rocks protruding above the ground. Lots of stuff an equine foot just isn’t made to step on bare…

She can work bare, but not at speed and not on terrain like that.

So, in all fairness to her, I feel I must provide her some hoof protection so she can keep up with the hunt and maintain comfortable hooves. When the hunt is moving, we can’t slow down to negotiate a rocky road! We have to keep up with the pack.

Traction isn’t a concern…it’s about the same bare as it is with boots. The studs in the easyboots seem to help a little, but they’re fine without them as well. (I think they’re more for ice than anything. :))

If our territory was all fields and sandy bridle paths, then yes, she could hunt bare. But the rocks are just everywhere…it is the Granite State after all.

[pines4equines]

Hay

Gotcha! Sounds like fun!

[matryoshka]

Rocks = bad

Friesians have relatively flat feet, but their walls and soles are extremely hard. I think the flat feet contribute to soreness on rocks, hence the need for boots out on rocky trails.

I just trimmed some of the Friesians again today, and they’ve got one mare who loves to jump (she’s for sale, BTW), and her feet have decent concavity and wear beautifully. She only needs to be shaped each trim. I told the owner about your horse and the fox hunting. I think this mare might make it totally bare. We’re going to try her out on the trail in a few weeks, so I’ll know how she handles rocks at that point.

When they are in steady work, the feet are great. It’s when they get to loaf around that the trimming gets tough. I can barely close my nippers on those walls! It’s almost as hard as trimming draft horses.

Let me know if you go with Bares–I’d like to know if you get better traction and can forego the studs. If I were you, I’d order EasyUp Buckles and replace the bungee. My OTTB used to step on his heels, which I’d managed by cutting down the back of the boot. When I got Bares with the bungee closures, he’d consistenly catch the boot in muddy conditions, pulling off he boot and ripping the gaitor. So I replaced the bungees and am much happier with the boots.

[Lifting_Chickk]

[QUOTE=matryoshka;3635405]
Friesians have relatively flat feet, but their walls and soles are extremely hard. I think the flat feet contribute to soreness on rocks, hence the need for boots out on rocky trails.[/QUOTE]

I think the larger the hoof, the flatter it appears…something about the coffin bone being in the same location in a pony as it is in a draft. Can’t remember the details tho…

I just trimmed some of the Friesians again today, and they’ve got one mare who loves to jump (she’s for sale, BTW), and her feet have decent concavity and wear beautifully. She only needs to be shaped each trim.

Awesome! It’s the same with my mare. I only shape every 3-4 weeks. Not much more than that is needed and her hooves stay in pretty good shape.
It’s only one angle, but here’s the bottom of the left front 2 weeks after last trim.
http://www.freewebs.com/daatje2008/easycare%20bare%20hoof.jpg

I told the owner about your horse and the fox hunting. I think this mare might make it totally bare. We’re going to try her out on the trail in a few weeks, so I’ll know how she handles rocks at that point.

That’s awesome! She should try it. I LOVE seeing Friesian owners doing more with their horses than saddleseat and driving. (nothing against those disciplines, it’s just nice to see more diversity. :))

When they are in steady work, the feet are great. It’s when they get to loaf around that the trimming gets tough. I can barely close my nippers on those walls! It’s almost as hard as trimming draft horses.

You’re not kidding! If I don’t keep up with her 3-4 week shaping schedule, I actually need help to close the nippers on her hinds. The wall at the toe can get over 5/8" thick! Yup, regular attention is key to ease of trimming.

Let me know if you go with Bares–I’d like to know if you get better traction and can forego the studs.

Will do.

If I were you, I’d order EasyUp Buckles and replace the bungee.

You know, I was going to order the Easyup buckles for my Epics, but the rep at Easycare told me that they have more instances of opening than the regular “down” buckles. I definitely wouldn’t go with the bungee. I just don’t think they would stay on.

I’m very interested to see what tomorrows hunting brings with these Cavallo Simple Boots…I have customized a set of Old Mac Gaitors to use with them and they are quite broken in with the leather being soft and pliable.

I’ll be sure to report on their performance on Monday.

[JackSprats_Mom]

Excellent thread as I’m trying to decide which boots to buy for my guy as I’ve decided to go back to barefoot (he was barefoot till 4 years old then I put shoes on this year).

Sounds like the epics would do fine for conditioning rides, my only concern is I don’t see how they can’t rub

[Lifting_Chickk]

UPDATE

Well, the Cavallo Easy Boots never made it out of the starting gate, so to speak.

I tried them on that morning, and was really not happy with the way they fit her. Way too tight around the heel bulbs…recipe for disaster in my book.

So…given the recent rain and soft footing (aka…mud) we decided to hunt totally bare yesterday.

And she was 100% totally comfortable! She also had GREAT traction, more so than the shod horses, and more than she would have had wearing boots.

I’m very happy. We’re going to keep the Epics, as they are the best boot we’ve used so far, but now we know their limitations. I’m going to save them for extra protection when the ground freezes…

The Cavallos would work better on a horse with a less developed heel…her’s are just too robust for the correct size boot.

[Lifting_Chickk]

[QUOTE=JackSprats Mom;3638655]
Excellent thread as I’m trying to decide which boots to buy for my guy as I’ve decided to go back to barefoot (he was barefoot till 4 years old then I put shoes on this year).

Sounds like the epics would do fine for conditioning rides, my only concern is I don’t see how they can’t rub [/QUOTE]

With the epics, the parts that make contact with the soft tissues are made of padded neoprene and stretchy elastic. The solid rubber parts stay below the hairline, therefore the boots do not rub.

Epics should be modified for use slightly. I recommend removing the heel strap and replacing with the tapers (no metal spikes and no strap to fiddle with) Also, using the 12mm comfort pads will give your horse the greatest benefit from using boots.

I give the Epics two thumbs up for performance…they can take a BEATING and only come off in extreme situations. Normal riding and they stay right where you put them.

[Painted_Horse]

First off, I can ride my barefoot horses on any trail, anywhere for a one day ride. I just can’t ride them for 2-3-4 days straight on they type of terrain that I ride here in Utah and Wyoming. I only need protection for the longer rides.

I destoryed too many buckles on the Epics and have switched to the BAREs. But I still have trouble keeping them on on long hard trail rides. If I do a 25 mile ride, I know I will not keep the boots on all day. And when they come off it usually tears the gaiter.

So I have tried the Vettec Sole Guard this fall on two of my mares. They did great with it. It lasted a little over two weeks. We rode them hard on very rocky terrain and the horses kept up with my shod geldings and never missed a step. In fact the canyon we rode for hunting season had a flash flood in August and was very tore up.

I’m impressed enough with it, that I will buy some more and try it again next summer. I just applied it after a trim while the hoof was clean. It is a little pricy, but still cheaper than a set of shoes. I keep the horses barefoot and just add protection when I plan on tough trails.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2008/Cow%20Hollow/100_0003.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2008/Granite%20Basin/100_0071.jpg

[irishcas]

Nice pix Painted Horse and cute horse.

Can you share in detail how you prepared the foot for the Sole Guard. I tried it on my more flat footed gelding and it popped out after a few steps.

I have a bare since birth Holsteiner who could use the SG for rocky mountain riding.

Did you put denatured alcohol or just cleaned the sole really well?

Thanks

[matryoshka]

Wow, that’s some trail! You are the first person I’ve heard talk positively about the sole guard–others talk of it popping out when it gets wet. It’s good to know it can stay in. I want to do some CTR, and boots that go over the coronet are not allowed, so Sole Guard would be an interesting alternative.

Do please share how you prepared the hoof. I noticed at the farrier shop that they show pics of it being applied to the entire sole, and they rim the hoof with duct tape so they can cover the edge of the wall, too. Did you do it that way or more just keep it to the collateral grooves?

[Lifting_Chickk]

[QUOTE=Painted Horse;3641659]
First off, I can ride my barefoot horses on any trail, anywhere for a one day ride. I just can’t ride them for 2-3-4 days straight on they type of terrain that I ride here in Utah and Wyoming. I only need protection for the longer rides.

I destoryed too many buckles on the Epics and have switched to the BAREs. But I still have trouble keeping them on on long hard trail rides. If I do a 25 mile ride, I know I will not keep the boots on all day. And when they come off it usually tears the gaiter.

So I have tried the Vettec Sole Guard this fall on two of my mares. They did great with it. It lasted a little over two weeks. We rode them hard on very rocky terrain and the horses kept up with my shod geldings and never missed a step. In fact the canyon we rode for hunting season had a flash flood in August and was very tore up.

I’m impressed enough with it, that I will buy some more and try it again next summer. I just applied it after a trim while the hoof was clean. It is a little pricy, but still cheaper than a set of shoes. I keep the horses barefoot and just add protection when I plan on tough trails.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2008/Cow%20Hollow/100_0003.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2008/Granite%20Basin/100_0071.jpg[/QUOTE]

That is very interesting. I’ve been thinking about Sole Guard, but was concerned that it would decrease traction on wet grass…

How have you found the traction to be with the Sole Guard?

We have a minitaure horse who drives…I was thinking of using Sole Guard on her when we do the 10 mile carriage drive next summer.