I usually resort to no boots at all for my horse when traveling in the hot summer months since I feel like my Lende boots are too bulky and hot for this time of year. I was wondering if there are any other shipping boot or wrap options out there that will provide some protection but will not cause a massive amount of excess heat on my horse’s legs. How does everyone ship their horses in the summer?
I just put ice inside his regular shipping boots. His legs are nice and cool after trailering 2 hours…
I always ship mine with bare legs unless it’s on the way home from a strenuous show, then I wrap him with clay and standing bandages. I’m usually hauling alone, have shavings on the floor and a seasoned traveler in the trailer. I hardly know he’s back there.
Now, if you’re talking about cross country shipping in a big rig, I might do something different but you didn’t say how far you’re going.
Used to haul the Western breed shows in Texas and surrounding states so lots of “hot miles”. 2 horse BP back in the day, single pole divider swung over and latched behind so horse had lots of room, windows closed, vents (we installed extra side and roof) open, storm doors closed. Hauls ranged from 2 to 12 hours, average was probably 4-5. Average temps hi 90-104f evening lows in the 70s. Road surface temp probably ran 90-140 so it was hot on the road even at midnite.
I tried all sorts of combinations available at the time and ended up just using thin cotton quilts with track bandages on the front only, set a bit low to cover the back of the fetlock in case of a sudden stop. Left even those off a few times. Never had a problem.
Only problem I ever had was trying a shipping boot with some kind of latex on a white legged horse that ended up actually blistering the pink skin, no idea if there was a residue of something on the boot or the horse, didn’t care, never used anything but the cotton next to the skin or went naked after that.
I agree with thin quilts or nothing. I do like putting bells on them, and those aren’t hot. I love the coverage of the big shipping boots but in dead of summer it is just too hot for them.
I like to hose off my horses before I put them on the trailer as well, they seem to appreciate it. Make sure there is some air flow so it doesn’t just make the inside of the trailer humid.
I do always use my shipping boots – I figure it’s a balanced risk and for mine, stepping on themselves is more likely. I agree, I don’t like the heat though. I do really like the idea of stuffing ice in there!
I have alternatively just put on galloping boots and bells instead of my big shipping boots. I also have stock sides on my trailer so there is always LOTS of airflow.
My guy’s a very good traveler, very quiet and i drive like a grandma (read very carefully) when hauling… In this heat, he’ll get bells in the front but nothing else…
If you’re talking about using a commercial shipper, do not bandage/ boot. They (usually) don’t want you to, as bandages/ boots getting loose/ slipping etc can cause more problems than they prevent. I’ve shipped horses commercially to/ from TX - VA - TX, TX - MO - TX and LA - TX with different shippers and they’ve all requested no leg coverage…
When its hot I just put his regular boots on. Usually open fronts in front and the Woof-type brushing boots in back and maybe I’ll throw on bell boots for good measure. Maybe not as much coverage as shipping boots or standing wraps give but at least its something without all of that heat.
For those who put ice in the boots…doesn’t the ice melt and leak out all over the trailer floor or just turn into hot water in the boot after a couple of hours? I’d be concerned about the leg staying wet under the boot for hours after the ice melts as well.
I generally only trailer short distances in the summer in a well ventilated trailer so I use either regular shipping boots or bells plus galloping boots. I like the adding ice idea.
Ever since I watched a horse without any boots on clip the back of her front pastern backing off a trailer and sever an artery and stood there for the longest 10 minutes of my life holding her leg and pressing on her artery while the trainer went in search of something to bandage it with, I never go anywhere with bare legs. According to the vets, if we had not had someone able to do vet quality pressure bandages on site to bandage her, she might not have survived even the relatively short trip to the vet. We were lucky that Max Corcoran was around and could do that- I cannot, so I boot no matter what.
Everyone’s experience and risk assessment is different, but because of that personal experience I never ship in bare legs even for short distances.
I’m sort of a believer in not shipping with bare legs for the most part. I’m not as dilligent as I would like to be, but I try to as much as possible. Then again, I also avoid trailering in this kind of heat - my horse and I rarely go, if at all, anywhere in July, and when we do I still use extra long standing wraps w/ bell boots with a lot of air flow in the trailer (all windows open, usually) and I’ve never had a problem with legs getting too hot… yes a little warm, but nothing scary.
However, I’m in MD, where it’s a little more temperate (though a lot more humid) than some of the South/West states.
I am a believer in leg protection while hauling, but do make an exception for long trips in very hot weather. Weighing one risk vs. the other, keeping the horse comfortable and the legs cool (particularly AFTER an event) wins, usually, if the heat is bad. If I think the horse is going to swell or needs the protection, I’ll go with light stable bandages after icing the legs.
I’ve tried putting ice in shipping boots–yecch, what a mess. Yes, the legs are cool but they are also wet and grungy. I’d rather do cold-water bandages with regular quilts and just dump more ice water on them every couple of hours, but that seems like an awful lot of fussing and an opportunity for making things worse if a wet, soggy bandage starts coming down or is pulled out of place by a scrambling horse.
It’s a few hours in the lifetime of the horse. Choose which seems like the better idea and go with it. 
I will not ship without good shipping boot OR wraps that actually go down below the heel bulbs, as we used to do before the big boots were invented. It makes me nuts to see standing wraps, fetlock-knee, and bell boots as an excuse for hauling protection. As BamBam just pointed out, what about those pasterns?
I was hauling my horse home from the clinic last week. Apparently a hornet got into the trailer when we stopped for gas. I felt a little rock and roll but certainly not significant. When I got home (10 miles from the gas stop), and went to take my horse down, the top door on his side was punched almost completely out of its frame. Jagged sheet metal all twisted everywhere. The horse was dripping sweat/foam, the shipping boots had all sorts of new abrasions on them. God only knows what I could have found had I decided it was too warm for the boots…
The standing wraps I use are a good four inches longer than true standing wraps, and do reach down to where the bell boot starts. I guess they’re technically called shipping wraps but I stopped using that term when people assumed I meant boots…
What works for me: picnic ice mats (they’re sealed - not leaky) on a freshly hosed off horse, under shipping boots. Trailer with great air flow (windows in front with bars, open, ramp up but top flap (Brenderup) open.
Come to think, you could soak boots in water and freeze overnight before putting on. Messy but on an extremely hot day might work.
I think there are two separate “heat issues” here.
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Are you worried about the horse being uncomfortable in terms of “feeling hot?” In that case I don’t worry at all about it. The is not much blood flow in the lower extremities which means that bandaging legs has little to no effect on core temperature. We certainly don’t worry about the legs in the cold of winter when we bundle them up in blankets to keep the warm–it’s the same thing.
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Are you worried about the connective tissue retaining heat? It was my understanding that as the worry de jour the “holding heat in the connective tissue–so buy our really expensive galloping boots” is related to heat WHILE at the same time the tissue is under significant stress and possibly holding the heat makes that tissue more fragile and susceptible to damage. I’m not sure that the stress of standing in the trailer is a part of that. Now DW brings up the only point I might consider–are you returning from an activity where the horse’s extremities were stressed and might have micro damage that would not be helped by the application of heat.
The upshot is I don’t spend much energy worrying about hot bandages and would rather have their legs protected.
Thanks everyone for your replies!
To clarify on some of the points some of you touched on that I was vague about in my original post, for the time being I’m not using a professional shipper, just wondering about personal trailering usually with a standard 2 horse. Good to know though that they do not want them booted or wrapped. Also, my main concern is the return trip home after a show, so it’s the actual leg tissue enduring excess heat after the comp that I’m worried about. The trailer is well ventilated so body temp-wise we make them as comfortable as possible.
I’m so sorry to hear about the accidents some of you reported. I know accidents like that can happen when you least expect it even with a horse who ships well which is why I feel very uncomfortable leaving them bare.
Of course I know it all comes down to personal preference and what you feel is best for your horse on any given day. I just wanted to reach out for any options or ideas I may not have thought of or seen before
I think some of the ice ideas are interesting and might be worth a go.
I also know people who will normally pultice their horse’s legs after XC or an XC school, and leave that on for the trip home. Any thoughts on that? Obviously they are wrapping up their horse’s legs to do that, and that seems like it would help from keeping any hot connective tissue warm…?
Timely discussion – I am going on about an 4.5 hour haul next week – I will ship after 6 pm, which will hopefully be cooler, but I think I will err on the side of protected legs, as the Princess is not a good and happy hauler – she wants an xw/xtall straight load trailer, and even when she gets a stall and a half in the quite nice trailer we have, she still isn’t happy and kicks. A lot. So, boots it will be!
