Tell me about boots for the barefoot trail horse

[Spooks]

I have a 16 y/o TB gelding who is my retired hunter. I retired him 2 years ago due to calcification on old sesamoid injuries in his hinds that he had from racing many years ago. He is sound for light riding and enjoys trail rides. I recently built a new house on a fabulous network of trails, many of which are appropriate and safe for him, and would like to take him out for easy rides.

He is barefoot and is comfortable without shoes on the sand and dirt footing on these trails. The problem is that I have to go down our gravel road a bit (10 minute walk) to get to the trail head and he is understandably ouchy on that. I keep to the dirt/grass shoulder where there is one, but there are a couple of stretches where we have to be on the road. My first choice would be to shoe him in front, but the catch is that he also has shivers in his front legs and my farrier does not think he can safely get shoes on him anymore.

I was thinking maybe boots would be a good solution, but I know nothing about them. Any suggestions?

[katyb]

I like Easyboot Gloves, and a friend used the Trails last weekend, and they were nice. Getting them on might be a challenge too, if the shivers interfere with standing with a leg held up. I can get boots on mine in about a minute, but there was a learning curve to get to that - for me, at least.

[wylde_sage]

I’ve used the Easyboot Trails with success. Also pick up some ladies nylon knee highs to use over the hoof inside the boot, to protect coronet band, etc. from rubs. Works great!

[ehwaz]

From what I know, the easyboot backcountry boots would work well for you - easy to put on, very similar to the trails but with a decreased change of rubbing. If you can find a local dealer / easyboot team member, they are really helpful with sizing and figuring out the best model for you. The easycare website has a dealer locator on it, or you could just email easycare to find someone close to you.

[paulosey]

I use the Cavello boots for tral riding. The horses seem to like them and they are easy to get on and off. I have arthritis in my hands and these boots are super easy. I have used them for 2 seasons and they have stood up really well. I am definately getting more when these ones wear out.

[tabula_rashah]

I have Renegades for my one mare that needs them. I LOFF them, super easy on and off and the STAY put. Mine have lasted me a little over a year of pretty hard use- I’m just getting to the point now where I need to replace the hinds because the tread is wearing out.
Anyway, I would start by measuring your horse’s hooves just after a trim and then trying to find the boot that most closely fits those dimensions.

[shezabrazenmare]

I always ask my friends why they do not put shoes on their horses. Why have a barefoot horse that needs boots to go trail riding? Either have a barefoot horse with hard hooves, or have a horse with shoes.

[GaitedGloryRider]

[QUOTE=shezabrazenmare;7048074]
I always ask my friends why they do not put shoes on their horses. Why have a barefoot horse that needs boots to go trail riding? Either have a barefoot horse with hard hooves, or have a horse with shoes.[/QUOTE]

Because some horses are not good candidates to be shod (like the OP’s horse).

As to the boots, I’ve only tried them once (Easyboots, about 15 years ago). No luck, they lasted about three steps once I got in some mud. Last week I was riding with some folks that had boots on their horses and was impressed…they actually stayed on. I did notice they were avoiding the deep mud and one girl who’s horse was wearing the Easyboot Gloves lost one is some mud (shortly after telling me how she has no problem in the mud with them :lol:)

Overall I was very impressed with how well they held up, much better than the ones I tried all those years ago. I wouldn’t hesitate to give those Easyboot Gloves a whirl if I had a horse that needed some protection, I’d just do my best to stay out of deep mud with them.

[cnvh]

I adore my Cavallos; they are definitely super-easy to put on, and they STAY PUT. The only time I’ve ever had them come off was when I took my horse swimming in a lake, lol…

But there’s an easy solution-- just zip-tie the outer velcro straps closed. (I find the Cavallo “keepers” to be a huge P.I.T.A.; zip ties are 1000x easier.) if the outer straps can’t come undone, I honestly don’t see how these boots could POSSIBLY come off by accident, provided you have the correct size to begin with.

[candysgirl]

[QUOTE=shezabrazenmare;7048074]
I always ask my friends why they do not put shoes on their horses. Why have a barefoot horse that needs boots to go trail riding? Either have a barefoot horse with hard hooves, or have a horse with shoes.[/QUOTE]

I know several horses who need to be booted for trails, but do fine in an arena or playing around the farm barefoot. Since the horses spend a only handful of days a year on trails, what’s the sense in shoeing for that?

[candysgirl]

To the OP, I like Renegades or Easyboot Gloves.

[RedHorses]

Cavallo Simple boots on mine.

[katyb]

[QUOTE=shezabrazenmare;7048074]
I always ask my friends why they do not put shoes on their horses. Why have a barefoot horse that needs boots to go trail riding? Either have a barefoot horse with hard hooves, or have a horse with shoes.[/QUOTE]

The OP indicated why she doesn’t shoe this horse, so your response wasn’t very helpful.

I know a lot of horses that are fine barefoot the vast majority of the time, so why put on shoes when protection is only needed on unusual occasions? There are numerous reasons to avoid shoeing a horse if possible, so what’s the big deal with the occasional need for boots?

My difficult to transition to barefoot horse did 10 miles of road riding (benefit ride) on Saturday barefoot. We used boots as needed for more than a year, but I think we can call it done at this point. My friend who rode along put boots on her OTTB, just in case, but she hasn’t worn them in the last year of trails. Why would you shoe a horse in one of these cases?

[SharonA]

Renegades for my horse. The gloves didn’t fit well and required a rubber mallet to be put on, which was a dealbreaker for me. The Renegades go on in a matter of seconds, stay on, no rubs, etc., and then when it’s time to take them off, they come off in a matter of seconds.

Of course, every boot will fit differently; as another poster said, the “right” boot depends on the shape of your horse’s feet.

Also, do you know about Durasole? It’s a hoof-toughener that you paint on the soles of your horse’s feet a few times a week, and it can definitely make a difference.

[tabula_rashah]

[QUOTE=shezabrazenmare;7048074]
I always ask my friends why they do not put shoes on their horses. Why have a barefoot horse that needs boots to go trail riding? Either have a barefoot horse with hard hooves, or have a horse with shoes.[/QUOTE]

I like the boots because they offer more protection and traction than shoes do over super rocky ground. Now during competition season I do shoes with pads up front and boots behind because my mare does some funky twisting action with her left front when trotting or cantering downhill and the boot on that foot can rotate some.

[SAcres]

If you want something that will really stay on, I would recommend Old Mac boots. I’ve had mine for 5 (ish) years and not only are they still going strong, but I have never lost a boot. I’ve used them for all day trail rides going through water, deep mud, and everything in between.

[Attack]

[QUOTE=GaitedGloryRider;7048100]
Because some horses are not good candidates to be shod (like the OP’s horse).

As to the boots, I’ve only tried them once (Easyboots, about 15 years ago). No luck, they lasted about three steps once I got in some mud. Last week I was riding with some folks that had boots on their horses and was impressed…they actually stayed on. I did notice they were avoiding the deep mud and one girl who’s horse was wearing the Easyboot Gloves lost one is some mud (shortly after telling me how she has no problem in the mud with them :lol:)

Overall I was very impressed with how well they held up, much better than the ones I tried all those years ago. I wouldn’t hesitate to give those Easyboot Gloves a whirl if I had a horse that needed some protection, I’d just do my best to stay out of deep mud with them.[/QUOTE]

In regard to Gloves in the mud:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=rwWadP-A7ZY

[MrsMontana]

Piping in to say I also have Easyboot Gloves, and think they’re great. They really helped my mare as she was transitioning, and when we’d trail ride on (really) rocky terrain. I could tell they made her more comfortable. I’d never had boots before, but they really helped this mare.

[patti]

Easyboots have come a long way over the last decade or so, with a BUNCH of different varieties and styles, lots of good customer service and links to how to fit, what boot might be best for your horse, and videos about putting them on, fitting them, etc.

www.easycareinc.com

For my endurance horses, we began barefoot/booting about eight months ago – there’s been a learning curve involved, but so far, so good. We use Gloves for conditioning rides where we need them, and glued on our first pair of glue-on gloves for a 50 mile ride last weekend.

Good luck!

–Patti

[TheOtherHorse]

I love my Renegades and Vipers (new design from Renegade). Great fit, easy to use, no rubs, good at all gaits on all terrain. They are more tolerant of less frequent trim cycle than easyboot gloves, which are also good boots but do require a perfect fit.