And why?
I put hoof boots on just because I have them. Then long float boots, which stay on much better with the hoof boots.
Why?
At pony club during my lesson a horse float came in and the horse had a cut on his artery on his leg. My instructor had to hold pressure on it to stop the arterial spray while the vet was called and coming.
She told me out of the earshot of the owners that this was probably a career ending injury for the horse and why you should always put float boots on a horse while floating. Boots may have minimized the cut and the injury.
Like Susie Q I have seen some nasty trailering injuries. From simple lacerations, to torn tendons, and deglovings. Fortunately not mine.
I used to use pillow wraps and knit bandages-some I had to make extralong for the bigger horses. Nowaday it’s either the Lende’s or Dover boots depending on the horse.
If I’m going to put anything on, it’s the tall, durable shipping boots. The beefy ones, that cover the knees and hocks and stand up on their own.
I had a horse scramble up into the manger wearing them and come out unscathed. He CERTAINLY would not have come out of that so well naked, and standing wraps wouldn’t have provided the same coverage. That experience really made a believer out of me.
I like the back on track quick wraps for trailering.
If a boot or wrap is not put on correctly it can slip, horse can tread on it and cause worse. When I shipped a horse to WSU for vet work, they told me they preferred the horses not to be bandaged. The shipper was a professional driver, tho.
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Of course improperly wrapped horses may well be at as much risk as unwrapped horses, if not more.
I think for this conversation we’re speaking of properly wrapped or booted horses.
I preferred shipping boots, pricey but worth it. My (different) employers used bell boots and bandages over cotton quilts or full coverage boots.
Not one injury in the trailer over the years, even with a scrambler.
Lucky ? Perhaps. However naked would not have been advisable. You can see the difference in the leg protection after loading and off loading.
Full shipping boots that cover the knees/hocks. I’ve known a couple of horses who suffered career ending injuries from being trailered naked. I’ve also seen other nasty injuries that cost a pretty vet bill but thankfully not career ending.
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I like taller then normal standing wraps with thick neoprean bell boots on all four. I know how much tension to apply, the horses don’t seem to mind them, and the wraps that I use on the front become my standing wraps for the hinds over night once I am at the venue which means that my combined shipping and stable wraps are only six pairs.
I like the thick bell boots because when I used to use the big shipping boots the scuff marks I always found were around the coronary band. I like using the bell boot instead of the full over the bulbs shipping wrap because I think the wraps stay in place better as a modified standing wrap.
I used to put proffesional choice boots boots on the legs under the big tall shipping boots that go up over the knees and hocks because I really wanted good protection. Unloading my horse at UC Davis thus wrapped they said that they had a horse come in who had been wrapped the same way but got into a trailer accident on the way to Davis. Apparently the horse came out of the accident without a scratch on him. I stopped using this method because I became concerned about the amount of heat I was creating under all that padding during summer transport.
I also use a foam pad that I place over the tail and wrap on with a polo wrap. I think a little tail padding in case they need to brace against the back is not the worst thing.
I used to use fleece over my shipping halter but no longer do so since I started to wonder if the decrease in visibility produced some anxiety.
I use the Premier Equine quick wraps. They’re like BOT quick wraps without the ceramic. You can get ceramic pillow inserts for them, but I just use the regular ones.
Before I got those, I shipped in plain pillow/standing wraps.
My horse hates hind wraps/boots enough as it is, so I think actual shipping boots that cover his hocks and go to the floor would send him over the edge.
I used to ship in bell boots but don’t anymore since I switched his front shoes to glue ons.
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This - and hooves. Those of us who haul know that no matter how careful you are, there are plenty of other drivers who are not careful and may cause you to have to sit hard on the brakes or otherwise take action you may not normally take in order to avoid an accident. And those durn short yellows!!
If horse wears bells for normal work, then we put bells on in the trailer.
Other than that, nothing.
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My horses go naked. I had more issues when using wraps than not using them.
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Shorter and/or cooler rides, shipping boots which cover from the ground to above the knees and hocks (ie Dover Pro).
Warmer rides, standard standing wraps with bell boots up front (though not opposed to bells on all 4).
Why? Not because I don’t trust my horses, but because I don’t trust other drivers and just plain “crap happens” situations. I’ve seen horses slip off the side of a ramp and badly skin legs. I’ve seen a horse slip and get his leg badly mangled by slipping under a step-up.
No boot will protect against all issues, but well-fitting boots will totally protect against a lot, and minimize damage against a lot more.
I like the extra-tall, good-coverage style shipping boots - but my horses don’t. One won’t load in them, one stomps at them.
So instead, I use Back on Track Quick Wraps or Zandona Stable Boots with bell boots for shorts trips, and stable wraps with bell boots for longer trips. *caveat, I can wrap well.
I usually trailer my horses legs naked. Shipping boots can potentially shift plus they tend to get the legs hot.
I usually wait until im home to wrap my horses after an event, but if its a long ride and I get back late, then ill wrap and trailer home.
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I use professional choice smb’s and bell boots. Gives me some protection against scrapes and whatnot but my horse also can walk normally in them.
I love the Dover boots.
Shipping wraps after a show or jump outing.
Bell boots
I will use regular back tall Heidi boots for horses that take exception to hind wraps or shipping boots.
I will ship naked if it’s a long haul or picking a baby ojt
of a field.
Bell boots and good quality, well fitting over the knee/hock travel boots on top. Ones you can get tight enough, constructed stiffly enough to prevent sagging. The bell boots help with that.
If it’s extremely hot, for short trips, bell boots and galloping boots.
Its cheap insurance. I’ve never had a wrap or boot cause issues in 35 years. I have however seem some very nasty and preventable injuries on horses shipped naked.
Some airlines will not ship unless a veterinarian has applied the wraps - Do not want to risk bandage bows. It is a fine line between too loose and too tight. My good travellers have survived all these years and I used to ship several times a week to lessons, hunts, events, etc. The shipping boots I have are barely used.
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