velcro bell boots that last?

[OTTBs]

The Velcro came unstitched from one of my bell boots in about a month. Horse wears them 24/7 as she doesn’t have a stall. I’ve had other bell boots come unstitched over a longer period of time–but that was before I needed to use them 24/7. Any suggestions for bell boots that last longer? I’ve been buying cheaper ones, but are more expensive boots any better?

This horse came to me wearing pull-on bell boots and I had to have someone else take them off since I couldn’t. I am considering slicing them partway and adding a Velcro strap at the top only–it might have less pressure on it than double Velcro?

[IPEsq]

Nope. You need pull ons. Some are stretchier than others.

[sassy45]

Leave the bell boots off,i see no need to leave bell boots on a horse 24/7.

[Pally]

Yes, more expensive is better. More pliable rubber in addition to a sturdier velcro attachment. Walsh are very durable. At work we had an unmarked pair with very soft rubber (a big plus in very cold weather, as the cheap stiff ones literally freeze and crack). I saw them in the tack shop - still with no identifying brand mark - and they were $22.95…more than double the cheapies, but the pair we had lasted about 5X as long.

I am that wierdo who LOVES the pull ons. When I started grooming I was mucho intimidated by them, but once I figured it out, it’s a 0.5 second process. There is a technique, but the biggest factor is once again, quality of the boot. The $$ Italian ones are best, but as long as your horse doesn’t have ginormous feet, you can get by with mid $ ones if they feel soft and stretchy. Look for natural gum color. Some black ones are ok, but white is impossible.

[retrofit]

If the bell boots are on the horse 24x7, why do you need velcro?

[kelsey97]

I like Perris and the fleece top, Velcro ones from SmartPak. Both have held up well for riding and turnout, but I’ve never used them 24/7.

[Obsidian_Fire]

I buy the Eskadron & the Davis brands and they have worked well for me. I don’t like the pull on’s no matter how much $$.

Number one issue with bell boots is if you are not diligent about pulling them up or off and cleaning them AND your horses coronet band area, you will end up with a fungal infection due to the moisture/heat that congregates there.

Just keeping the area cleaned up and spray with some listerine, and I’ve had no (more) trouble with mine wearing them 24/7.

[PNWjumper]

I agree that pull-ons are the best way to go. The more expensive ones are generally better, and see if you can find someone to show you the trick to putting them on and taking them off. Once you figure that out they’re not hard to work with. Also make sure you’ve got the right size. The bell boot should touch the ground in the back. If it doesn’t, the bell boot is probably too small, and too-small-pull-ons are a huge pain!

With that being said, my TB recently shredded his pull-ons and I had a couple of pairs of velcro boots that I typically use for shipping. I tossed my set of Professional Choice Ballistic bell boots on him and he’s been living in them for the last couple of months. They’re easy to take on/off and seem to be doing the job nicely.

[Trails]

I have 3 horses at the barn who live in bell boots; all wear the soft pliable pull-ons. Velcro bell boots just don’t last.

[Skip_s_Rider]

My horse wears these Centaur bell boots. They’re rubber, soft and pliable, and last longer than any of the other bell boots I’ve used. My current pair is going on at least 5-6 months. I don’t know how they’d be 24/7. My horse does not wear them in his stall, and I clean them almost every day.

[TheJenners]

I’m about to switch back to velcro, because the pull ons he somehow flips upside down. He doesn’t flip up the velcros. And he also lives in bells 24/7.

I order the ones from sstack. They are great, and I deal with a horse who shred bells, rips shoes, and even takes off hoof boots. The velcro never randomly unstitches, he has ripped exactly two, one flipping out in the trailer and the other reversing in fear from a puddle in the arena :lol:. Both were stepped on and ripped, but protected the foot.

[one1horse]

My horse lives in bells 24/7 and is VERY hard on them. I seriously think he went through almost 10 pairs in 2015. I was set on using velcro ones for the longest time because I wanted to be able to take them on/off easily to coordinate colors with my saddle pads (priorities). We were using the Davis PVC bells because they seemed to last the longest, but the velcro would always eventually rip off, rendering the boot useless. Then he started getting rubs from the velcro/seam where the two sides of the boots met, and this eventually developed into scratches.

I took him out of the boots while the scratches healed except for riding, and then I rode him in the Acavallo pull-on gel bell boots which are awesome, but not for 24/7 use. Once his scratches healed, I used fleece lined Perris bells, but those lasted about a month before the velcro/fleece bit the dust. Then I tried Perris regular pull-ons because the rubber was really soft, but they were too thin and lasted about two weeks before they were shredded. I finally got a random brand at a small tack store (I’m 95% sure the brand is Equi-Pure) and he has been in this pair since October and they look brand new. They are pretty easy to pull on/off when necessary, but mostly I just flip them up to clean/dry underneath them regularly. They were relatively inexpensive, $22.95 I think, and are easily the longest lasting boots he’s had. He also hasn’t pulled a shoe since he’s been wearing these ones either! Knock on wood- my farrier just came today, haha.

[OTTBs]

Thanks for the brand suggestions! I spent some time sewing the Velcro back on with dental floss, we’ll see how long that lasts…

[QUOTE=sassy45;8496571]
Leave the bell boots off,i see no need to leave bell boots on a horse 24/7.[/QUOTE]Horse is wearing them because she was losing shoes. Former owner kept her in bell boots, I took them off until she started losing shoes last year. I think her pull-ons from her last owner were XL size and I could NOT remove them myself.

[QUOTE=retrofit;8496830]If the bell boots are on the horse 24x7, why do you need velcro?[/QUOTE]Because being completely unable to remove them for a dressage test would be a problem.

Ironically, she got scratches on her naked hind pasterns, but not on her bell booted fronts.

I like the Professional’s Choice no-turns, but my gelding wears them and they freeze into weird shapes. They are the only boots that help him keep his shoes on. I have NOT had Velcro problems with those.

[retrofit]

[QUOTE=OTTBs;8502476]
Because being completely unable to remove them for a dressage test would be a problem.[/QUOTE]

Gotcha! Well these are my favorite:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/centaur-pvc-jelly-glitter-bell-boots/p/X1-04486/?eid=X18A00U1000&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=CSE&utm_campaign=MerchantAdv&zmam=1460880&zmas=1&zmac=114&zmap=0004486319992X1-04486&mkwid=stkcEbkdc&crid=75877013767&mp_kw=&mp_mt=&pdv=c&gclid=CO-FvaSgysoCFUUTHwodHpsPNw

followed closely by these:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/davis-traditional-colors-bell-boots/p/X1-04253/?ids=pee0de44it5ain50upra2uat

Just a note, the Centaur run REALLY big so go down a size. However I swear they are more durable and the velcro is better placed to avoid getting saturated with mud, which is the first step toward bell boot demise. I put up with “funky colors” (I’m a DQ too, and tend toward black & white everything) for durability. But these are for turnout only. For riding I like the Pro Choice Quick Wrap bell boots. In black or white please. :yes:

[joiedevie99]

The ribbed Walsh bell boots are the only ones I will buy.

[one1horse]

[QUOTE=one1horse;8499664]
I finally got a random brand at a small tack store (I’m 95% sure the brand is Equi-Pure) and he has been in this pair since October and they look brand new.[/QUOTE]

I lied, the brand is called Equus, and they are here: https://www.horseloverz.com/horse-equipment/horse-bell-boots/equus-ribbed-bell-boots-made-in-england Definitely the best pull-ons for the price.

[Rikerkv6]

[QUOTE=Skip’s Rider;8499202]
My horse wears these Centaur bell boots. They’re rubber, soft and pliable, and last longer than any of the other bell boots I’ve used. My current pair is going on at least 5-6 months. I don’t know how they’d be 24/7. My horse does not wear them in his stall, and I clean them almost every day.[/QUOTE]

These are what my horse wears 24/7 outside, and has for years.

I get around 6-8 months out of one pair, which I consider pretty good. I usually keep a few pairs around so I can rotate if they get too nasty.

My mare has a spot where the hair is missing (but not really a rub) but otherwise no issues with these. They are a soft rubber and I think that’s important to not rubbing too badly. I can’t use pull-ons because they don’t fit right and also my mare has two different size feet- Velcro allows for more adjustability.

Good luck! I highly recommend the Centaur. Plus they come in fun colors

[Chimera]

I also recommend the Centaur velcro ones. My horse use to live in the 24/7 and until he figured out how to remove them with his teeth, thus destroying the boot, a pair would last a few months at least (and he was very hard on them). Then I moved to these http://www.doversaddlery.com/italian-jumper-bell-boots/p/X1-0439/ and those he can’t destroy and they are not too hard to get on and off (and I have limited hand function so if I can do it, hopefully you can as well!).

[Renn_aissance]

My horse wears his bells 12 hours of the day in turnout, but his favorite pastimes include chewing the velcro off and taking the bells off with his teeth. I have had great luck with Centaur bell boots- I can keep them for 5-6 months- but recently have had good luck with SmartPak’s, also. I don’t know if SmartPak has changed their construction, because it used to be that I could get two weeks out of theirs before Tip would chew them in half, but he is going on about 3 months with his current pair and they are going strong.

[dexhol]

As a barn manager, I require all my boarders that want bell boots get these: https://www.horseloverz.com/horse-equipment/horse-bell-boots/toklat-heavy-rubber-black-bell-boots?gdftrk=gdfV27555_a_7c1161_a_7c2883_a_7c5_d_638909&ev_pid=200-188031&ev_ppid=18283950120&ev_adtype=pla&ev_cmpg=Shopping&gclid=CLrj2rDR1coCFZIkgQod9sEGZQ

They have held up great for us, well over a year while the Davis boots tend to blow out a velcro strap once a month or so. The big plus for me is that I can undo them one handed since it’s one big attachment rather than the two foldy over straps (one handed, you undo one and it reattaches itself when you move to the other, big benefit of just one big strap).

They seem to be pretty dang durable compared to anything else we’ve tried, but I do remove them when they come in for the night, so they only wear them half the day. Though they still seem to pull plenty of shoes even though they are properly fitted, never had much luck with bell boots keeping shoes on, but that’s just IME.