Rethinking protective boots for the trail

[Auventera_Two]

Two recent incidents have caused me to rethink my position on protective boots for trail riding.

1. Horse was shod but no pads. Rider moved him off the trail to let another rider pass, and he stepped down on a broken off sapling. It pierced the frog, and came out the opposite heel bulb. :eek: I came up to the incident after he was bandaged up and the rider was walking him back to camp. He was in SO much pain.

2. Endurance horse I know and have ridden with was trotting down the trail and somehow a sharp stick pierced his leg and came out the other side. It went all the way through the leg at the back of the canon area, between the tendons.

Typically I use front hoof boots (Edge) for trail riding. Hinds are bare, and I don’t usually use any kind of splints, SMBs, etc.

But after these two incidents, it made me think that maybe it’s a good idea to have hooves and lower limbs covered since they are most likely to suffer injuries out on the trail.

We ride through some pretty thick stuff, and go up and down steep rocky hills. I have been taught it’s better to NOT boot legs so you aren’t trapping heat in the soft tissue, but then again I know some people who always have all 4 legs booted for protection.

I personally haven’t had any major limb or hoof injuries with my horses but I guess it can happen to anybody at any time.

So what does everyone else trail ride their horses in? I’m thinking I’ll go back to hoof boots on every foot, and some type of splint boot.

[PRS]

Hoof boots and splint boots on the fronts only. I like hoof boots because they do protect the entire hoof/foot and not just the edges of the hoof as a metal shoe does. Because of the type of boot I use SMB don’t work BUT I use the splint boots which offer minimal protection to the lower leg.

[Beverley]

I use shoes, not boots, and no leg protection unless needed for interference issues. In 50 years of trail riding (with hairier trails as I get older, oddly enough) and 40 years of foxhunting, I’ve had precisely one injury- stick in frog while hunting. But I have seen a fair number of issues associated with boots causing irritation, hoof boots rubbing or being lost, etc, that necessitated the rider calling it a day (or at end of day having a sore horse). So for me, on a risk assessment basis, less is better.

[ChocoMare]

Ever EVER so thankful my primary trail horse has feet like concrete, so no hoof boots needed no matter what terrain she goes over.

In over 20+ years of riding, I’ve never put on SMBs or other leg protection either. For me, less is more…

Besides, I follow my own advice: When in doubt, don’t.

I doubt about 'em, so don’t use 'em.

[katarine]

I’m with Beverly on this one. Unless the horse has interference issues, I leave the legs bare. The sand that gets in there, the heat that’s generated, the rubs, and in some places the nasty burrs and prickly passengers they are prone to pick get picked up, not for me. I ride in some hairy scary places from time to time and -knock wood- haven’t remotely had one issue like those noted above. I understand precaution, hence wearing a helmet and using gear and horses that are in good shape- but what’s listed in the OP is entirely random freak stuff, IMO.

The worst trail-specific wreck that I know of from personal experience involved a nice gelding coming down a steep stretch on leaf covered hills in the woods. He stepped on a long, gnarled limb with a forefoot and rolled it into a dangerous position, and managed to spear himself with it, up through his lower abdomen to one side of his groin. An absolutely horrific injury that ultimately resulted in his death a year later, when the subsequent adhesions around his intestines strangulated them and he had to be put down.

So in my experience a horse needs a Kevlar apron in order to avoid a similar accident.

[jeano]

The most any of my horses have been shod is fronts only. Currently no shoes, no boots, no leg protection, many many trail miles through all kinds of thick nasty cutover logging trash and the only injury related to trailriding was a soft tissue swelling, no lameness, on one leg. Leg was fine after a day or two of cold hosing. I think my mare must’ve clunked that on a log jumping or stepping or playing Snowy River downhill plunging. The leg was hot the next day but she never gave any sign she was hurt, and the injury, such as it was, seemed to be well above any part of her leg that wouldve been covered by any leg protection short of a pastern to hip joint plaster cast.

The day Sadie got mired up to her belly in the swamp she sustained a few lacerations to her belly and inside her thighs. Leg protection wouldnt have done doodly.

My riding buddygot her horse and herself in some quicksand once and his back got scraped up pretty good by the sand that worked in there. And her horse got a small dogbite once. And once she forgot about a wire across the trail and horse whanged his front shins pretty good on it (smooth wire, fortunately, and no cuts sustained.)

Personally, I think the horse will do a better job of protecting his own darn legs if he can feel what he’s going thru.

[Trakehner]

I’ll use Renegade boots on my mule when the footing is going to be sharp rocks and fairly hard stuff…other than that, he’s barefoot.

There are always odd accidents with horses…it’s just what they do. I think the simpler they can be kept and ridden, the less the have to try and kill themselves.

[Painted_Horse]

As you can see in the post above, Most horses do just fine with out any protection. Yes there will be the rare occassion when a horse gets hurt. But you can’t avoid every possibility.

There are just certain risk in life that we agree ( either by formal acknowledgement or ignorant consent) to tolerate. I mean a horse could be hurt in the trailer if another car runs a stop sign and broadsides you. Do we not trailer any more?

The point being is that we evaluate how probable the risk is and take precautions if we feel the risk is genuine. Horses travel millions of miles each year on trail rides. Yes a few get hurt. But like most of the posters above, I feel the risk of injury doesn’t justify the precautions you are suggesting.

[CosMonster]

I agree with others that those are pretty freak accidents. I’ve had one horse get his frog punctured out of years of serious trail riding on many horses, and no serious injuries that would have been prevented by splint boots. To me, it just isn’t a big enough risk to justify the many problems that can come with boots on long distances and rough terrain.

[Bogie]

Last year, hacking back down the road from a hunt, the horse in front of me stepped on a nail.

He was lucky. First, it didn’t go in very deep and second, there was a farrier at the trailers who helped remove the nail properly.

The horse recovered fine.

However, I was very glad my horse was wearing hoof boots. He doesn’t seem to mind them at all and they do offer a lot protection.

[Bank_of_Dad]

This spring, my sister’s endurance horse got a twig/stick up thru the coronet band and it caused an abscess, but I don’t think any kind of boot would have protected that.

[twofatponies]

I’m not much of a bushwhacker - my mantra is “stay on the darn trail, it’s there for a reason!!” Times we’ve strayed off the trail have led to too many close calls (rocks, holes, bees, tree branches, old wire, etc. A friend of mine’s gelding even managed to snag his leg in a grapevine once, and fortunately was not prone to panic and waved his leg around until it came loose.) And I do count wild animal trails - the deer walk a certain path for a reason, and they walk it every day. It’s likely to be a decent way to get somewhere.

[anon68314200]

I also only use leg boots on horses for interference. And I ride two different warmbloods that need hind brushing boots. Perhaps bell boots if I am planning on going fast, or doing any serious climbing when their shoes are getting close to due.

I use hoof boots on barefoot horses when I am in rocky areas. And NJ has some ROCKS let me tell ya’ !!

I am more concerned about the stuff that gets stuck inside boots and the heat generated than about random accidents. I know other people who feel very differently. But I really feel that the all around fetlock sling type neoprene boot is the work of the devil. Try sticking your finger down inside there when the horse has been wearing a pair for an hour on a 90 degree day. The heat is almost unbelievable.

I am sure there are situations where someone has an unusually clumsy horse that bonks into something every time he nears a rock or broken branch. And maybe in that situation some type of very breathable boot would be in order. But really, most folks nowadays WAY overboot their horses. WAY over ‘supplement’ their horses. And don’t log enough hours of ‘cardio’ work themselves.

OP don’t let yourself get scared by random incidents. In my opinion way more damage is done by boots than prevented by them.

[SabalPalm]

I was a non-boot user when I started endurance 10 or so years ago. Worried about sand/rubs/heat. However, that has changed due to 2 klutzy horses, both who have managed to stumble during competion and whack themselves in a front tendon, ending our day. Once was at 70 miles of a 100 with the horse pulling my arms out, still ready to roll. Unfortunately, the first “whack” occurred about 3 years ago but it wasn’t until the final one on a 2nd horse this past March that has had me mandating front boots for all! I hope the boots lessen the whack and resulting time off from a very bruised tendon. #1 horse Boomer always wears hind ankle boots as he sometimes brushes.

Finding boots that don’t rub is trail and error. I have a pair of Pro Equine splint boots that do fine as well as a pair of Lami-Cell splint boots. I wish I could find a boot that covers more of the back of the fetlock for a bit more protection. I like the Professional Choice Quick Wrap splint boots but I can’t get the darn things to stay in place, especially once wet. And I’ve found they will rub the back of the joint where they nicely wrap around.

For Tevis this year, I wanted more hind leg protection but ran out of time finding something that would stay in place and not rub so Boomer wore his usual setup of Lami-Cell splints in the front and Pro Choice ankle boots behind. He had some good scrapes above the ankle boots where rocks alongside the trail scratched him as we passed. A higher boot would have spared him of that problem. He did not have any rubs despite the long day (over 23.5 hours on the trail). The boots were removed twice for an hour during the day.

I can’t say I’ve noticed great heat buildup or problems from such things. I don’t know if a more traditional leather type boot would be better regarding heat. They are a bit too expensive to experiment with. I hope to find a higher hind boot that works–stays in place and doesn’t rub. I’ve yet to try any of the Woof boots and they are reasonably enough priced to warrant a try.

Bottom line: an ounce of prevention is worth the pound of cure in my book. Getting pulled during a ride on Sir Trips-Alot or Princess Stumblebum isn’t fun. And they stubbornly refused to show me this tendancy on shorter rides although my mare funnily stumbles in the first 15 miles or so and then is fine after that (I think she’s just not paying attention to her feet early on; silly girl).

As far as hoof protection, I will also pad for rocky rides. The FL climate and soil does not lend itself to developing tough hard hooves like more drier areas. Boomer is prone to bruising and has been padded all around for over a year. If I compete on a barefoot horse, I’ll boot at least the fronts (Bares or Epics; tried glue-ons once and will try Gloves at some point on my barefoot horse). While I have competed barefoot, I prefer to boot as most of the places we compete have sections of trail “improved” with limerock. Plus there are often hard roots with knobby points on them sticking out. Those gotta hurt if stepped on.

What you can get away with at slower shorter distances is often out the window as you go longer and faster. It’s all about a matter of experimenting to find out what works best for you and your horses. I hate dealing with boots during competition. I forget to pull them before walking up to the vet and they are just one more thing to keep track off once I pull them off. But I hate dealing with an injury that some boot protection could have prevented. That’s far worse.

Debbie

[Auventera_Two]

Debbie! I just read your awesome blog post yesterday on your 2010 Tevis ride! GREAT story I was on the edge of my seat through the whole thing. You have an amazing talent with the written word. Congratulations on your finish, and thank you for sharing a part of it with all of us!

I’ve never had rubs or sand/heat issues with boots, so I’ve decided that bare legging it just isn’t worth the risk. When I first started trail riding I used boots quite frequently and even going through mud and water, I had no problems with the boots. You have to get boots that are fitted correctly and don’t rub the horse, just like any other piece of tack. I was riding with a guy on a grey one time and after about 15 miles I saw a trickle of blood running down the front of each leg. I told him the horse is bleeding and he kind of shrugged it off saying - yeah that always happens. Wow, that really blew me away. I’ve never had any kind of issue with a boot before.

The two stories I mentioned above are by far the only leg injuries I’ve heard of or seen on horses out on the trail. Those were just the two most recent. I saw a horse stumble and go down, cutting his leg up pretty good with the opposite hoof. Boots would have prevented it. I always saw a horse get into some wire on the edge of a trail and thankfully the mare stopped dead in her tracks and didn’t move a muscle while her rider untangled her. My horse wouldn’t have been so patient and if it were her bare legs wrapped up, there would have been carnage.

[Beverley]

A friendly note to the OP

This is a funny thread. Seemingly, you didn’t really want to know what ‘everyone else’ does- constituting many decades and many thousands of hours of experience- you just wanted someone to ‘validate’ the decision you had made. Next time, how about saving most of us the trouble of typing by clarifying when you start the thread that you ‘only’ want posts from ‘anyone out there’ who agrees with you!

[Candle]

She stated her position pretty clearly in her OP, and the word “rethinking” would lead one to believe that she’s recently changed her mind and is deciding to do something else. I’m not sure where it came as a surprise to you what her opinion was.

I seem to be a haven for suicidal horses, and I hate not booting for pretty much anything. It gives me anxiety. My roommate’s horse goes bare-legged for EVERYTHING, and he’s always fine. She never worries, either. I have the woof knock-offs, the boots with the tendon guard (Nunn Finer Style boots, LOVE them), and an assortment of other boots that make me feel better and therefore ride better when they’re on. I don’t spend a lot of trail time on this new horse, but I’ll boot all around when I do.

[Thomas_1]

I don’t go through life tooled up because I think occasional disasters or rare3 things could or might happen.

It’s about doing proper hazard analysis and risk prevention.

So consider the likelihood and probability and then the consequence.

For sure I don’t go booting and wrapping horses and ponies who are just out on daily rides out. That’s all a bit micro-managing and neurotic for me!

http://www.wetanz.com/holics/media/workshop_projects/prince_caspian/Nick_Keller_Armour.jpg

[goeslikestink]

it depends on the circumstances of the individual horse and disipline

if going x/c then i bandaged up properly and remove once done as if going through water with bandages then they constrict when wet so its important to dry the legs off properly and change bandages or boots
as boots can also harbour irrirtants like dirt and sand which cuses rubbing or simple wounds so its important to change the boots or bandages after each eliment or to change boots bandages during each into clean ones remembering to wipe / brush legs off and dry them to include ht jumping, endurance whatever

if however the horse is hacking out then it depends on the horse
m cob might trip but doesnt go ouchy ouchy it a stone flicked up and hit in thesides of the leg as she got plenty of bone and is thick and chunky
but an arab or tb might as the legs are not made up int he same way as in thick and chunky so for those types i boot up all round before a hack or bandaged them up before a hack

in general when riding my little natives no i dont boot up as they are very strong and very sure footed be that barefoot or shod as they do both as and when

but on the other hand if its the wb or tb they are booted up as i said
but not booted up in the pasture none are as you want the horse to strengthen there legs and over protecting them can go the other way if booted all the time
as then there legs when exposed to the enviroment can then get other issues
like stratches / mud fever cracked heals etc and they can also get those types of injuries being booted as the sweaty legs are not cleaned often enough
like when a perosn is at work and the horse is out all day in the sun or wet etc
as boots and bandages constrict when wet and harbour dirt etc

so its really important if booted or bandaged you take them off when done and clean the legs throughly and dry them throughly before putting new freash clean boots or bandages on or any traval gear on the legs until home

then take off completely and let the horses dry naturally do nt keep washing legs as your taking all the nateral oils out of the legs which cannot fight against things like mud fever straches to you
if drying at shows etc then take a towel and rub dry and brush out the dirt

[ThreeFigs]

Hey! That horse isn’t wearing leg protection!