They popped up on my FB recommended likes today. They seem like a really cool design and really make me consider getting some. My barn has a ton of gravel. We have to go over gravel to get to the barn, to his pen, to the pasture, to the arenas, to the round pen, to the trails, etc. Also the arena that has ground poles in it is pretty rocky. Working ground poles is so good for him (especially since he has KS) but we can’t do it because of his feet. I’m just not sure if hoof boots would be suitable in an arena (mostly trot with some canter work). My gelding is barefoot but is a total wimp and just can’t handle gravel well. He has thin soles that bruise easily. He’s on a very high quality diet that takes into account his soft white feet and has a good farrier. I’ve also started applying keratex just a few days ago so no report on how well that works yet. I’ve come to the conclusion he’s going to need shoes or boots. I like that shoes are basically no-maintenance. He had shoes with special pads on while he was recovering from a HORRIBLE abscess a while back and was SO happy in them. He seemed more sure footed and it made me worry less. BUT, I have always believed that if a horse can be kept barefoot, they should. Also the idea of spending a few hundred to outfit him for a year, maybe more (he’s not an endurance horse and doesn’t do many long miles on the trail) is much cheaper than a new set of shoes every 6 weeks (yes, he needs his tootsies done every 6 weeks).
