Jet's Boots...

ElaineW · Jet's Boots...

Well I got Jet's boots today.. Went this evening to try them out..
This is my first dealings with boots. so it was a bit stressful for ME.
Jet was a brilliant patient man. Stood quietly while I tugged, pulled twisted on and off,, velcroed the gator... Now some observations..
First of all I was very conserned with fit. I measured carefully, 3 times!
I chose the the Easy Boot Epic's. So I read and re read the directions..
These things are tight. no wiggle at all. That's good right?

I folded gator, got the hoof started good and let him step down,, that pushed it down and on.. then i pulled the nylon strap to finish it .. wall-laa.. first boot on. I sat there, trying to feel any spot that was touching the hair line. Nothing was touching that I could feel.
Got the second boot on the same.. damn it's tight. I worked up a sweat too!

The back of the boot is what i am worried about the most. don't want any rub,,
Now,, It's time for that first step.. he's so good, he just walked off.
No limp. Bigger stride even. No freaking out either.
I am just worried they are to tight..
He really did move better. I even rode a little bit. did great! Even did a bit faster of a walk..

..That was HIS idea too!
Sometimes I think I am to paranoid lol..

alva

Elaine,

I just got some Epic's for Rosie a couple of days ago. They fit good but like you, I worry about rubbing. I wrap her hooves in vet wrap and so far, no rubbing problems. I am letting her wear hers as much as possible because she needs them. If you go to easy care website, look up the epics and go to the "Tips" tab (I think) and you will find some videos and tips.

Gotta run, check in with you later.

Clarissa

They should be tight. If they are the right size & you have just done a hoof trim you should be able to do the cable up into the second or third notch in the lever. If a few weeks have passed since a trim you will find you have to use the top or second notch to hold the cable & pushing it closed will take a good deal of effort.

I'm assuming you've bought the ones with a cable fitting not the dialup closures.

You will need a screwdriver or very strong hoof pick to undo the lever & release the cables from their hooks at the front of the boot & also to lever the boot off the hoof. I have a special long handled blade screwdriver just for this job. The blade fits neatly into the last notch of the closure lever for releasing it. Then I use it to undo the cables from the hooks under the closure lever, then I use it to prise the boots off the hoof.

I'd think that vet wrap would increase the size of the hoof & make fitting harder. Mine have never rubbed any of my horses & I've been using easy boots for many years. The epics are just so easy to put on & do up once you get the knack. Elaine, I wouldn't worry about using vet wrap.

My boots come right up to the hairline around the front. Even the older style boots without gators should come to the hairline all around the hoof. The claws of my new epics made scratches on the walls of Sonny's hooves because they were too big. I stopped using them when I saw that & went back to his old plain easyboots. The newer boots don't even need claws at the sides to stay on as they are better designed.

ElaineW

Thanks for the replies!
These boots don't have claws in them..
I measured for the boots 2 days after his trim.. but it took a bit for me to get the boots ordered and here though.
As for rubbing the back I seen on one of the tips where they used a bit of duct tape on the back of the heels too.
Theres no way I could get them on with to much stuff wrapped around his hoof!
Thanks again for the help!
Elaine

Newfman

After two months of rain, my warmblood had developed a little caudal foot tenderness on stone as the ground dried out much faster than his poor feet. He is still in the long process of recovering from a lifetime of pasture trimming, and he is just over halfway to his "final" foot conformation. I ended up having to buy him a set of EPICS to get him a little more comfortable on the gravel that is strewn about.

Results....

His size 2's arrived, and fit nice and snug. The plan is to keep him in them for a couple weeks to let his frog and D.-cushions toughen up. A 2 hour break/day for cleaning and drying, ofcourse. After a couple high steps, he took right too them. In no time he was back to lovely heel first landings (what a relief). He seemed to actually 'like' them! In fact...he liked them so much...he tried to eat one of the gators!! Grrrrrrr! KIDS!

So, no more gators on unsupervised youngsters. Especially that one, whom I caught running around with the muck fork in his mouth the other day trying to hit his big sisters with it. He had to reach through an electric fence to get it. Don't know what I am going to do with that boy.......

I have orded an new gator for his boot, and his next set of boots will likely be just plain ol' easyboots. He will get Gloves when his feet are finished, but that will be for riding only.

ElaineW

Evening 2 with boots..
This time I put tape on the back of his heel, just to see if there's a rub going on. There was , but it was below the hair line.
He had the bigger stride still though, even walked a bit faster at some points. There was some opinion about the boots this evening too. He looked at me like,, oh darn, not THAT again.. shuffled to the side..
The next week is going to tell the tale.. I am going to start riding out..
Nothing over a walk,, and no marathon's either. But we have access to some nice wooded trails that we are going to start on..
I am keeping my fingers crossed!!