Shipping Boots v. Wraps, Bandages, and Bells

[Inverness]

I apologize if this has been asked and answered a million times already.

What are the advantages/disadvantages? Are there “favorite” brands of shipping boots out there in horse land?

thanx in advance.

“The optimist fell ten stories,
And at each window bar,
He shouted to the folks inside,
‘Doing alright so far!’”

 --Anonymous

[wadino]

I use no bows, standing wraps, and bell boots up front. If you are not an experienced wrapper get no bows and even if you are I would still get them. They make an a lot nicer picture and aren’t as bulky. I wrap even if it is just 20 minutes down the road.

But that’s just my opinion.

Ryan

[Natalie]

I usually wrap shipping bandage style (with the wrap coming up under the heel). As for shipping boots, I’ve heard that the Lende boots are the best of the best; but they ain’t cheap!

“Throw your heart over the fence and your horse will follow.”

[rescuemom]

I used standing wraps and bell boots quite happily until the day we went from old barn to second opinion vet to new barn. Wraps are a PITA, and I won’t ship without a boot since “someone” likes to kick the s*** out of the trailer sometimes. Love my shipping boots.

[Cactuskate]

I like tall quilts with the extra long wide bandages. Don’t like the pre fab boots. Too stiff and they can slip and start to come out of them, could cause panic if they were to get goosed or step on part of them.

I wrap if I am going around the block, literally!

Case in point going to clinic 1 mile away. Wrapped horse, thank god, travelling by myself. Got distracted while starting to unload. Got out of my rythmn so to speak. Opened front door, old miley 2h straight load, went to back un did butt chain, opened back door. Horse starts to come back, hesitates then goes ballistic. It seem his idiot mother FORGOT to un do the tie. HELLO!!!

Well after he was half in and half out pulling with all his 17 hand TB might he jumped back in. Got him undone, he goes shooting out, duh.

Pulled a hind shoe off in the process, dented the door, popped a lens out of the rear light. And put a gash in my old track knits.

So as I say if I didn’t before then, I ALWAYS WRAP WHEN THEY GET IN THE TRAILER.

Hope sharing my idiocy prevents someone else from doing the same.

But you know that sweet horse loaded right up and came out quietly when we got home. I really should be nicer to him and not try to kill him, what a ya think?

“The older I get, the better I used to be, but who the heck cares!”

[gwen]

I ship in Dovers big shipping boots!!! They are awesome and protect the whole leg basically and the fetlock area and hoof which some injuries occur!! They are awesome!!!

Barb

[PMJ]

I wrap. My mare has rather small legs and I have never been able to find shipping wraps that fit just right. The Pony Club has an excellent book on bandages by the way.

[COgrayhorse]

I used to wrap-and-bellboot religiously, but upon moving west of the Mississippi, got in the habit of wanting to just be able to load up and go chase cows, coyote hunt, or trail ride. The whole wrap-and-bellboot thing got to be such a chore that I started shipping naked, but I didn’t like that either.

Now I use some really snazzy PLAID Rambo shipping boots which are easy to put on and look great on my almost-white horse. They offer the protection I’m looking for, and take about 5 minutes to put on. I use them on short and long trips, and if they get any little dings, I bring them home and wash them and stitch the ding up myself. I’ve been converted!

[Inverness]

I apologize if this has been asked and answered a million times already.

What are the advantages/disadvantages? Are there “favorite” brands of shipping boots out there in horse land?

thanx in advance.

“The optimist fell ten stories,
And at each window bar,
He shouted to the folks inside,
‘Doing alright so far!’”

 --Anonymous

[matt3443]

im w/ cactuskate – taller quilts is better than shorter and long standing wraps (I have a passionate distaste for flannels for anything). The no-bows are nice, but I just wrap better with quilts. And those ProChoice bell boots are cool for shipping, they cover more area and you can make them a little baggier for longer trailer rides.

[Duramax]

I have a Pony Club background, so I do believe in wrapping, but only for trips longer than three hours usually. And even then, I usually just do shipping wraps coupled with bell boots (it saves your wraps that way!) Anything less than that and I use shipping boots, b/c they save time and effort. I have the shipping boots from Dover that are shaped and cover from hoof and knees/hocks (about $80 I think), and have three large velcro straps. They stay put unlike many shipping boots and provide wonderful coverage and protection. The most important thing with any leg covering is for it to cover the vulnerable coronet band and the bulbs of the heels, so keep that in mind when looking for shipping boots.