Post by heathera on Jul 27, 2011 6:13:57 GMT -1
I thought it might be handy to have a hoof boots thread as I know a few of us use them now.
For the rounder or wider than long hoof I've found the best boots for my lot are the Old Mac G2s and I'm now trying out the new EasyBoot Trails.
Most of the Easyboot range are not the right shape as they are designed for hooves that are a lot longer than they are wide. The only time these fitted any of my Dales was when we first took the shoes off one who had worn shoes from being 4yrs to 9yrs old. Once his heels expanded and his digital cushion expanded his feet became a lot healthier and sturdier but his original hoof boots no longer fitted. One of the range, Easyboot Gloves, has just been launched in wide sizes and might work but the fit for this only has a 2-3mm leeway and I wonder if that means you need to be able to rasp your own horses feet on a week to two weekly basis to keep them the right shape for the boots.
The original Old Mac boots just twirled round on the feet and rubbed badly, needing constant adjustment on every ride I tired them on.
The Old Mac G2s don't do this and I've used them on severely stony tracks, roads, wet grass and deep mud as well as a wood chip canter track. They never rubbed (I don't use inner gaiters as the hair seems to do that job on the Dales) and never came off although I didn't ever gallop in them which is when most boots come off.
The main problem with the G2s is they have an outer strap that usually involved swearing and has resulted in tears on a couple of occasions. Most people struggle with it a bit and, with the CFS, I have to use a set of fencing pliers to grab and pull on the strap to get it tight enough to hold the boots securely. For some bizarre reason this strap is leather so it swells and becomes stiff on the wet and cold and then doesn't always fit through the buckle.
In response to demand and complaints the company have brought out what are called Easyboot Trails. They are heavily based on the G2 but don't have the cursed outer strap
I've only used them twice so far but I think these will revolutionise my hacking. They are light to put on and I can put six of these on in the time it takes to do two G2s. I don't think they'll be as secure as the G2s under extreme conditions and I need to check them out more thoroughly before I'd think of jumping in them at all but the manufacturer doesn't claim that they will be fine for this. They are recommended for trail riding of up to 25 miles a week. I think if I was going on a hack that involved jumping I'd put the G2s on but the Trails will be fine for 90% of our rides which are on roads, tracks or grass.
I tried Boa boots but they just fell off all the time and rotated round on the foot. A friend with Dales found the same and we both gave up on them very quickly.
I also tried the Cavallo boots but they were large and altered the ponies stride as they changed the shape and size of the horses foot too much for me to be happy with them. I think they work well with horses who have properly round feet though and other people have had success with them. When I sold on the ones I bought to try they sold really fast and are very popular among barefoot people. They just didn't look or feel right for us.
The other ones I've tried have been the Marquis ones. These theoretically fit but I had to put a lot of air in which made the bags quite firm. They are the only ones to ever rub as well. Very footery and time consuming to put on as well. I noted, when finding this link, that they now have a glue on version which I might well investigate if I started competing a lot or doing over 25miles a week of hacking.
A friend has Renegades which she imported from the USA. These can be good for the smaller foot and can also be made shorter for the rounder foot if you send measurements when ordering. They are dead easy to put, stay on well in all sorts of terrain and activities. The caveat is I know two people who say their horses tripped badly on the UK tarmac when wearing them which has put me off trying them, that and the fuss and expense of having to order and import them from the USA. They do come in lots of colours though.
I've recently started using Hey Farm Saddlery to buy them from and have been very impressed with the fast, efficient and knowledgeable service, they are also cheaper than the other main supplier in the UK who I had really poor service from.
For the rounder or wider than long hoof I've found the best boots for my lot are the Old Mac G2s and I'm now trying out the new EasyBoot Trails.
Most of the Easyboot range are not the right shape as they are designed for hooves that are a lot longer than they are wide. The only time these fitted any of my Dales was when we first took the shoes off one who had worn shoes from being 4yrs to 9yrs old. Once his heels expanded and his digital cushion expanded his feet became a lot healthier and sturdier but his original hoof boots no longer fitted. One of the range, Easyboot Gloves, has just been launched in wide sizes and might work but the fit for this only has a 2-3mm leeway and I wonder if that means you need to be able to rasp your own horses feet on a week to two weekly basis to keep them the right shape for the boots.
The original Old Mac boots just twirled round on the feet and rubbed badly, needing constant adjustment on every ride I tired them on.
The Old Mac G2s don't do this and I've used them on severely stony tracks, roads, wet grass and deep mud as well as a wood chip canter track. They never rubbed (I don't use inner gaiters as the hair seems to do that job on the Dales) and never came off although I didn't ever gallop in them which is when most boots come off.
The main problem with the G2s is they have an outer strap that usually involved swearing and has resulted in tears on a couple of occasions. Most people struggle with it a bit and, with the CFS, I have to use a set of fencing pliers to grab and pull on the strap to get it tight enough to hold the boots securely. For some bizarre reason this strap is leather so it swells and becomes stiff on the wet and cold and then doesn't always fit through the buckle.
In response to demand and complaints the company have brought out what are called Easyboot Trails. They are heavily based on the G2 but don't have the cursed outer strap
I've only used them twice so far but I think these will revolutionise my hacking. They are light to put on and I can put six of these on in the time it takes to do two G2s. I don't think they'll be as secure as the G2s under extreme conditions and I need to check them out more thoroughly before I'd think of jumping in them at all but the manufacturer doesn't claim that they will be fine for this. They are recommended for trail riding of up to 25 miles a week. I think if I was going on a hack that involved jumping I'd put the G2s on but the Trails will be fine for 90% of our rides which are on roads, tracks or grass. I tried Boa boots but they just fell off all the time and rotated round on the foot. A friend with Dales found the same and we both gave up on them very quickly.
I also tried the Cavallo boots but they were large and altered the ponies stride as they changed the shape and size of the horses foot too much for me to be happy with them. I think they work well with horses who have properly round feet though and other people have had success with them. When I sold on the ones I bought to try they sold really fast and are very popular among barefoot people. They just didn't look or feel right for us.
The other ones I've tried have been the Marquis ones. These theoretically fit but I had to put a lot of air in which made the bags quite firm. They are the only ones to ever rub as well. Very footery and time consuming to put on as well. I noted, when finding this link, that they now have a glue on version which I might well investigate if I started competing a lot or doing over 25miles a week of hacking.
A friend has Renegades which she imported from the USA. These can be good for the smaller foot and can also be made shorter for the rounder foot if you send measurements when ordering. They are dead easy to put, stay on well in all sorts of terrain and activities. The caveat is I know two people who say their horses tripped badly on the UK tarmac when wearing them which has put me off trying them, that and the fuss and expense of having to order and import them from the USA. They do come in lots of colours though.
I've recently started using Hey Farm Saddlery to buy them from and have been very impressed with the fast, efficient and knowledgeable service, they are also cheaper than the other main supplier in the UK who I had really poor service from.
Thankfully, so far, neither have needed boots but I think Legs might once we start hacking. 
