Boots

PasoBaby_CarolU · Boots

I decided to go barefoot with boots to save money, so yesterday I went to Salt Lake to invest in footware for Zar and Rosie. The Glove won't work on either of them, so the only thing I found were Cavellas in Zar's size. So this morning I put them on her....OMG, I should have video taped it! ROFL

When I put the first one on her she cocked her head at it and **SNORTED** letting me know it was an alien attached to her foot. She wouldn't step on it at first and kept picking up her foot, so I put the other front one on. Then had her walk. She picked her feet up like a parade horse, stepped real carefully, **SNORTING** at me the whole time. Trembling and tense as a taunt wire. I put the back ones on and she stood for them, but when I went to walk her, she FREAKED right out, even trying to kick them off. **SNORT** **SNORT** **SNORT** "I'm going to DIE!!!" Anyway, 15 minutes later she was walking OK in them, if stepping REALLY high!

I'm thinking they might work instead of hill therapy.

kristie

whisperingwindfarms

OMG! I can just picture that in my mind. Doodle did some of the same gyrations when I put hers on for the first time. Absolutely hysterical!

calatar

that is too funny! So were the gloves the wrong shape or just not small enough?

PasoBaby_CarolU

They said the gloves had to match exactly the shape, and neither of my horse's feet are the sizes they came in. If the glove was long enough, it was too wide, or if it was that wide, the glove was too long or short...

calatar

Oh that's not entirely true. My guy didn't match exactly but I ordered the fit kit anyway and found a size that worked fine.

Clarissa

OH YES Snort snort kick shake !!! I remember those days so well. Thankyou Carol for reminding me of when I introduced easyboots to all of my horses

PasoBaby_CarolU

Day two didn't go as planned. She freaked out when I picked her foot up! Scared to death I'd put the boots back on.

I put them on Rosie instead...she was like, "Oh, another costume." She picked her feet up a bit, but that was all.

Horses are SOOO different.

knunes · Boots

Oh Carol that is too funny! We have been using them on our mule since he foundered a couple times. He is pretty use to them by now and actually likes them. But boy do they stink after he has them on! They still stink even after washing them. We have the Cavallo's for him but they are not the right type for his foot. He has a different shaped foot but for the corral they work fine.

Let me know if you take them out for a spin on the trail. My vet friend really likes them on the trail. I am shopping for my little TWH filly for a pair. SHe has small feet.

Next time keep your camera out!
karen

Newfman

That is very funny. Animals can be pretty silly.

Years ago, My Wife and I took our 3 Newfoundlands and 1 Doberman camping on Bucks Lake in California. We had a Zodiac inflateable boat that we used for water rescue training. We have a rule, even water rescue Newfies have to wear life jackets while we are motoring in the boat. So, at the camp site, we put the 'Ruff Wear' Life jackets on everyone. James our 120 lb., one year old puppy, got to wear his new life jacket for the very first time. So, having put his on last, we all started trotting down to the water where the boat was. Next thing we new, we heard Jame's pitiful crying. We looked back and low and behold, he hadn't moved a step! He just stood there crying because we had 'locked him up' in this vest and he wasn't going to get to go along! It was so pitiful, but funny. We had to go back and encourage him to take a few steps just so he could see that he was able to walk in his life vest. Then he got real happy and bounded down to the boat with the other three.

Funny boy.

James:

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oldmac_donald

Newfman:

I see your Newfie, and raise you a Standie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HKgbUmfpDU

Annie

Carol this was too funny!!! I remember when I put shipping boots on my horses for the first time.. it was as tho someone stuck a basket of corn cobs up my haflingers butt and she was trying to spit them out..LOL She was walking as tho her butt was stuck up in the air and her legs were stuck on the ground until she lifted one up ( accidentally ) of course ..that leg went so high up in the air I think she cleared the stall door ...lol I wished I had video taped that one too..

OMG Dennis, your dog is just a cutie and a half... what a sweet baby face!!!!! I laughed as I could picture that cute lil ( not so little) baby just standing there thinking... "life really sucks right about now" LOL

Annie

PasoBaby_CarolU

Well, here is my boot report.

For the first two hours the boots worked great. I think Rosie was delighted with them and went well on the rocks, even better then the shod horses. But, after that, they started chaffing her pasterns and I got some tender spots, she started limping, and I took them off. We were high in Hickman canyon then and going across the upper bowel, so the trail was fine and she did fine with it barefoot....UNTIL we started down and were back in the rocks and shale. She limped and was ouchie all the way down. I put the boots back on but that was worse. So, we walked to last two hours back, keeping as much off the trail and in the grass as possible. Everyone else rode.

Soooooo, I think I'll keep the boots for spring and fall short rides, but in the summer when I do serious trail riding, no....I'll shoe. I have a very sore horse tonight. I gave her aspirin and soaked her feet. Will do so again tomorrow.

Then I'm calling my farrier to get her shod again.

oldmac_donald

I feel your pain Paso. I use Old Mac boots as they fit my horse's "wonky" feet the best (though I'm breaking in a pair of Epics on the fronts now, the Bares would not stay on. Since we don't have access to an arena, when I DO get to use a mate's sand arena, the mare prefers to use boots. The Mac boots don't get sand in them.

I'm waiting for the day we get rubs. I use pastern wraps on the Macs, and touchwood I've never had a rub from ANY boot, but... This is a horse who rubs if the rug is a combo, or if the bridleleather is a bit stiff. She loses her coat over the tiniest infraction of "her" rules. The day we get rubs... I have no idea what I will do. She lives on pasture, and is ridden on both pasture and road.

As for "stable your horse on what it works on", right now, not possible. We live in a very bad area for barefooting horses.

calatar

Sorry to hear that Carol

. Fit is so key. I am very lucky that the Gloves fit Calatar so well, we can go for miles and have thankfully never had rubs.

Leah

Did you use the pastern wraps with the boots?

I know others have just put knee his over the hoof then booted and ride without chaffing.

vettec would also be an option for long rides.

With cavallos or Old Macs you MUST have some kind of pastern wrap or you will get rubs on long rides.

PasoBaby_CarolU

There were gaiters there for the boas, but no wraps for the Cavellos.

Playenatural

http://www.choicetack.com/catalog/item/4106609/3959348.htm

Are these it?

Sorry about the rubs Carol, we had the same thing happen with the Old Macs originals, then they came out with the wraps, by then we had gone totally barefoot.

PasoBaby_CarolU

Thanks Shannon. I think I'll buy a set. BUT I'm still going to shoe in the summer. Being 12 miles up a mountain is no place to find you're having problems with your boots. I think I'll confine my boot use to fall and spring (and maybe winter) rides when I'm only going a short distance in not very challenging terrain. I think the steepness of the trail had a lot to do with the pain, especially going downhill where the boot hits the back of the pastern. Having it wrapped would ease the chafe, but not the interference.

Leah

PasoBaby_CarolU

Yes Leah, where I bought them there were no wraps or gaiters for anything but the Boa boots.

The interference happens between the heel bulb and the fetlock when the horse is going down a very steep face. We almost had a disaster until I took the boots off. It was only a problem on the back feet.

calatar

That might explain why I have never had a problem. Cal's back feet are awesome so I only have to boot the fronts. Hope she is feeling better.

Leah

ew. I really dislike hind boots.

Hopefully the gators can still help you out for shorter rides.

knunes · Boots

IS there any way to try the bots without a commitment to buy? I couldnt afford to go through a couple pair of boots to find what fits the best.

karen

bit

Leah, why do you dislike back boots? My road isn't just gravel, it's more like small rocks. They are sharp and the horses have a tough time with them. I got gloves for front and back because I don't want her to bruise a back foot when gaiting on the road.

creekwood

Usually horses don't need hoof boots on the hinds unless you want more traction, like in mud.

Duct tape works great for putting on the pasterns & coronet band to keep boots from rubbing.

Leah

So does vetwrap!

PasoBaby_CarolU

Unfortunately, where I ride, it is so rocky you'd need all 4's....otherwise you'll chip and stonebruise the back feet.

samfern

I have to ride in 4 old macs (with pastern wraps), we are on very rocky hill terrain, I started this way but other barefoot converts at my yard did not and only got fronts, they all now have hinds!

I don't find them a problem and gallop, go up and down steep hills.

On the easyboot glove front they don't seem to fit many horses, not one of our 8 barefoot horses could get near them so we stick to macs.

appellativo

did you actually try to fit gloves on eight horses and none of them fit?? (I have easyboot epics, need to go down a size so want to try the gloves so it scares me that out of 8 horses, the gloves wouldnt fit so forgive me, I'm just wanting to know if you gave a concerted effort to fit eight horses in gloves and none would fit any of the nine sizes?)