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Scoot Boots anyone?

Endurance and Trail Riding
#1

I will be putting hoof boots on my mare as soon as I find the ones I feel are correct for her. I ordered a pair of Cavallo Simple boots and while they appear to fit the length and width of the sole very well, they look too loose around the pastern and do not hug the hoof wall at all, leaving room for pebbles and debris to lodge itself there. So they are going back.

The new Scoot Boots look really interesting to me and there is an endurance rider on Youtube that sings the praises of the Scoot Boot to no end. Now this person never says that Scoot Boots is sponsoring her or paying in anyway, However, I do wonder.

The attractive parts of the boot, to me, are minimal material on the hoof that allows the hoof to breath and the flexible sole that allows the hoof to move, spread, contract, etc as naturally as possible.

Has anyone had experience with these boots and what are your thoughts?

#2

I bought a pair for my youngster because I liked the no velcro concept. I had the pastern strap rip within a few weeks, and one of the Chicago screws come out during a ride. This was with fairly light riding - no deep mud, etc.

There are several nice features, but overall I can’t recommend them. I am a big fan of the Renegade boots, and went back to them. I’ve also heard excellent things about the Gloves, but haven’t had personal experience with them.

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#3

Thank you. While the chicago screw issue could probably addressed with Loc-tite for screws or even a bit of super glue, the breaking strap is certainly an issue for concern. That may be the reason that Scoot Boots includes extra straps with each order…

I love chicago screws when needed as they are indispensable in the right application. However one needs to remember that the shaft of the screw part is quite shallow and will back out without some encouragement to stay in place.

I certainly have not written off the Renegades or the Easy Gloves. I have a friend that uses older Easy Boot Gloves that I don’t think are being manufactured anymore. I borrowed those just for a try on and I will say that Luna stepped out really comfortably with them.

#4

Haven’t had a chance to order a pair of Scoot boots - the price of close to $100 each throws me off since I already have a lot invested in Renegades (have 4 sets currently - 2 in use, two brand new, and they are tough boots that work really well) and the 2016 Gloves (with the new heavy duty pastern gaiter) of which I have 8 sets since I use them for my pair of Welsh driving ponies (8 boots right there) as well as my endurance horse (4 in use, 4 brand new waiting in the wings - I actually like them better than the Renegades but they wear out quicker).

I have yet to have any endurance friends try out the Scoots. Did have a driving friend order a pair for her small Welsh driving pony, but the boots were BADLY mismarked - they were supposed to be 000 but actually measured 0. The rep did eventually take the boots back after my friend sent photos verifying without a doubt that the boots were mis-marked with the wrong size, but by the time all was said and done my friend was so discouraged with the company that she wants nothing more to do with them. Shame. The boots looked really nice and would have been perfect for her needs.

So if you order, make darn sure you measure them to ensure you got the proper size.

#5

Thank you so much. Even if they proved to be a wonderful boot, I want still customer service to be good. The Easyboot Glove is looking good at this point. They are pretty much the lowest priced and as I am a light trail rider they should last me a long time. I may talk to Easyboot and ask them more questions as Luna is gaited and has a history of founder.

Thanks again for your input.

#6

I use the Easyboot Gloves on my mare but I ordered a pair of Scoot Boots (shhh don’t tell anyone) simply because they came in purple (yes, I know that’s crazy lol). I did not like them at all and returned them. They seemed kinda of cheaply made and their sizing was off. For light trail riding, I think you’d get a lot of use out of the Gloves. I go through 2-3 sets per year but I put a lot of miles on them

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#7

One or two (or more) personal observance from lots of heavy duty use of both Renegades and Gloves. Reminder: I’m on the East Coast so in some cases this does make a difference in the terrain where these boots are used. Also I use my boots on my endurance horse VERY hard, the riding pony just moderately hard, and the driving ponies fairly easy (they just trot down the road - I rarely go cross country with them because my carries are antiques):

  1. The most important rule is: You really need to ensure the hoof is trimmed/filed to fit the boot, NOT the other way around where we are always taught the metal shoe sould be shaped to match the hoof. (I’ve been a farrier for close to 40 years) Booting is a different philosophy. Aggressively - and I mean this seriously - file off any and all side flares. That hoof needs to be textbook perfect on the sides, and with a short rounded toe and low heel. Lightly file the bottom edges of the hoof to create a gentle bevel. The Renegades are made with an interior beveled edge - to match a farrier’s standard barefoot trim with a “mustang roll” - so the hoof will set itself best in that boot if it matches the interior of the boot. The Gloves are more forgiving and will accept a flat bottom trim.

  2. The Renegades are a bit more tolerant of accepting hoof growth than the Gloves. Meaning: if you use the Gloves you’d want to keep a rasp handy to touch-up the barefoot trim a bit more often because (by default) the Gloves work better with a tight tight TIGHT fit. The Renegades slip on fairly easily; the Gloves need to be pulled on. Renegades are taken off easily, too; the Gloves need to be pushed off the hoof with a firm hand. In the On/Off contest the Renegades win hands down. In the Staying On contest, the Gloves win (in my estimation). Needless to say, once again, the hoof needs to fit the boot as flawlessly as possible to give the boots the best chance of staying on, not rotating, and not twisting.

  3. The Renegades last longer with their composite plastic, but their big weakness is the cables. If you see any sign of those wires fraying, change them over immediately (if you can - I find the whole process just ridiculously complex, and when it comes right down to it, by the time I’d be changing cables, the boot has worn enough to make it not worth my while. At that point I’d buy a new set of boots). Also the velcro straps need to be kept spotlessly clean if you expect to get a reasonable life out of them. Just goes without saying to wash the Renegades back to showroom clean after any muddy use. Still, I end up replacing the velcro straps with a new pair after about 200 miles, and I change those rubber bands more often as they get “tired” quicker. The rubber bands that hold the ends of the velcro are problematic, but I haven’t found a better solution yet for keeping the velcro from giving way.

  4. The Gloves are vastly improved with the power strap. The best (and only) leather punch to use for punching the holes in the strap is the Herm Sprenger (from Germany). If you ride hard on difficult ground, fit the Gloves with the strap. It makes the Glove a whole new type of boot that says “use me anywhere and I’ll do the job”.

  5. By the time your Gloves are ready to be replaced, the gaiter will be, too. I keep the old gaiters as spare parts, just in case, but don’t reset them on new shells. By the time the original boot shell is worn down, the velcro will be “tired” and the fabric inside the gaiter maybe stretched and tired as well. The boots are about half the cost of the Renegades, so buying a new pair isn’t as much of a hit to the purse. The power straps can be reused, but new ones are fairly cheap.

  6. A well fitted pair of Gloves stays on (based on my experience) a bit better than the Renegades. Just saying. If the Renegades come off, they do so complately. Not often, but enough to slightly annoy me and keep me checking them every mile down the trail just in case so I’d know where to start hunting for them if they disappeared. The Gloves tend to stay attached to the foot via the ankle gaiter, giving you time to notice something is wrong, and to dismount to reset them on the hoof. I also routinely sew on a small additional length of velcro on my new Gloves to give the gaiters more closure-ability. For some reason EasyCare is a bit skimpy with the gaiter velcro.

  7. The Gloves don’t collect trail debris inside the boot. On gravel roads with small gravel you’ll want to check inside the gaiters periodically back behind the ankle to make sure bits of gravel aren’t finding their way through the side gap of the gaiter and migrating back to sit above the horse’s heel inside the gaiter. The Renegades are like garbage men - they pick up everything along the trail and store it in the toe. I really hate that about them, but…what ya gonna do. The benefits outweigh the small negatives.

Both boots work great for horses with a normal way of going and no serious gait issues. You will need to work with your farrier to shape the hoof for the boot, but you can also help out in that regard by using a decent rasp in-between the regular trims to keep the hoof wall very short, toes short, heels low, and the hoof balanced at the proper angle. It becomes very easy once you figure out what your role is, and you’ll find that hoof gets very healthy in a fairly short period of time - mostly because you are now proactively watching and caring for it.

Again, I can’t speak for the Scoots, but hopefully might find a reason to get a pair one day.

3 Likes
#8

Thanks so much Tabula Rasha and Go the Distance!

My farrier is great about working through issues of shaping a hoof in a way that will help insure the health and well being of the horse and is a proponent of hoof boots. If you insist on him doing something that is not in the horse’s best interest, he will insist you find another farrier. :lol: Luna is on a 4 week trim schedule at this time and if it appears that any additional rasping is required between, I am sure my farrier will be glad to give me some instructions.

Looking at $$ and my needs, I think the Glove will be next candidate to try. I also think it will be well worth the $12 to order the fit kit that Easyboot offers. And yes, Go the Distance, the Power Strap looks like a good idea to me as well.

Thanks to all that shared your experiences and thoughts here.:encouragement:

#9

Glad you have a good farrier that is willing to work with you. And a four week rotation on trimming is really ideal. You shouldn’t have any problems with boots that stop fitting mid-trim cycle.

Regarding your gaited horse and the founder issue:

I have a friend that has two gaited horses, and she loves her Gloves. I’d probably recommend them over the Renegades because I think the Gloves would be less impacted by the swinging/sliding/higher stepping movement of the gaited breeds. The whole boot moves with the hoof. The Renegades, because of their compartmentalized separated structure, seemed to be designed more for the long low daisy cutter distance movement of the Arab and Arab-based breeds, not necessarily with the loft seen with most gaited breeds.

Regarding founder - unless your horse suffered rotation of the coffin bone, you shouldn’t have to worry about founder unless you get an active case. If you are worried about “road founder” from too much concussion of the hoof on hard surface, grow the hoof wall out a bit more so that you have a buffer between the boot sole and the hoof sole, and avoid pounding the hoof on too much hard surfaces. You can also add - in the Gloves - a thin impact pad between the hoof and the boot, but realize this may slightly (negatively) affect the seating of the hoof as deeply as it should be into the boot.

I have found that the Gloves are less resistant to the hardness of the road than the Renegades, so if you have an extremely tender footed creature the Renegades will work better IF you ride on hard roads the majority of the time, and IF you don’t go at a hell-bent-for-leather speedy gait. Otherwise, I’d opt 100% for the Gloves for the gaited horse.

JMHO.

1 Like
#10

Tabula - Ha! Purple was the second reason I ordered them :). Great color, but I wish I had been as smart as you and returned them before using.

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#11

LOL that’s too funny :slight_smile: Renegade and Easyboot should take note- purple causes people to buy products willy nilly LMAO :smiley:

#12

LOL @ purple making you spend money. My wish is that the power straps on the Gloves were reflective. Not that I do any night riding but it looks cool! Especially on a gaited horse.

About the only time I would ride on pavement would be to cross a road to access a trail. However I am in NE Ga and the trails can be rocky or slick muddy clay. A trail can go from “my what a nice easy trail” to “OMG! I have to climb that?” as you go around the bend. I am not exactly a spring chicken and my hell bent for leather days are long gone. I prefer to remember the trail as something more than a blur that went whizzing by.

I do hope the gloves prove to be the right choice. It would be nice for the most economical option to be the best one for once. I may rename my mare to Princess Costalot. :winkgrin:

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#13

Can you believe that I actually have the purple power straps for my Gloves? LOL! They match my purple tack, and my purple shirt, and my britches with the purple stripe. AND my purple water bottle holders.

Yup, purple is the color to wear!

2 Likes
#14

I haven’t put my scoot boots to the test yet, so I can’t say much about durability.
I tried glove fit kit and I just can’t deal with having to hammer the boots on and my horse was none too thrilled on the amount of prying to get them off.
My new guy does not fall into a good range for Renegades, but I had those on two previous horses. One they worked great on, the other he constantly ripped them apart.
I like Renegades & Scoots for how they easy they are to get on. The last thing I want to do ride morning is have a fight with boots (and with the Rennys I even put those on the night before to limit this).

#15

Luna is a brown/black bay. At this time of year, she just looks black. Red is not my favorite color but that is the color that looks best on her. Little girls dress up their dolls, young women dress up their children, and old women dress up their horses. :lol:

1 Like
#16

I think that the whole Glove boot would be easier to remove as you would have the gaiter to help get the back of the boot started down over the heels. (Someone please correct me if I am wrong) The other boot I have not tossed out yet is the Easy Boot Back Country. It is advertised as built on the the Glove chassis but is much easier to put on and take off. It appears to fit better around the hoof wall than the Cavallos I tried. The velcro strap that goes around the back also appears to be easy to replace.

As I explained to a friend here, finding the right boot for your horse is as bad as finding that perfect bra. And a lot more expensive. :confused:

#17

saddle hunts are the worst for me! but I just have one of those “fun” backed horses.

Oh yes, the back country! I did use the EB Trail on one of my horses, super easy - just not the right fit for this guy. But, we are working on his hooves some so he might fall into better sizing now, but I have the scoots which are still working even with the shift of style in the hoof care.

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#18

Over the last 10 years I have used several versions of the easy boot on all my horses, even the Clydesdale, and generally like the epic and the trail. They do take some work getting them on and off. I am usually out of breath by the time I get all 4 on or off. When my current mare canters the back easy boots come flying off. Weeee - there goes $80. When you are riding a timed event the last thing you want to do is go searching for a boot. I decided to try scoot boots and have had them for 4 months and love them. I have never had a strap break but the screws that hold the front strap have broken several times on my mare’s back boots. I believe it is due to they very rocky steep terrain I ride in Colorado and she is gaited so she slides her back hooves more than anything else. All of her hind boots wear out quicker than her fronts. I took pictures of her hooves showing the measurement with a ruler and emailed the pictures to Scoot Boot. They confirmed the sizes she needed. They state that if you do this and the boots don’t fit they will take them back. I purchased them for $110 a PAIR. That is about $30 cheaper per boot vs the easy boots. Just like anything else in the horse world there is nothing that will work for all horses and there will always be some one that loves it and hates it.

2 Likes
#19

As a Scoot Boot retailer and user I can’t say enough good things about them. It takes less than 20 seconds to put them on and they stay on! My wife and I have tried Cavallos, Old Macs, Easyboot Gloves, and Easyboot Epics. We like the Scoot Boots the best. They can be a little bit tricky to size though. Check out tryscootboots.com we offer demos, sizing kits, and fast free shipping!

1 Like
#20

I just got my Scoot Boots, and haven’t ridden in them yet. But I love the way they fit. And I am a die hard Easyboot Glove user. I’ll try to find time to ride that horse and give a report!

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