Hoof Boots for Dales/cob feet

[NFK Dumpling]

Any updates on boots in the last year as I'm thinking of trying some on Musk as I think his feet are getting too short and he gets stroppy if he doesn't go out for exercise as well as doing stuff on the field which is understandable.

[harveydales]

Jan 10, 2014 16:14:31 GMT -1 NFK Dumpling said:

Any updates on boots in the last year as I'm thinking of trying some on Musk as I think his feet are getting too short and he gets stroppy if he doesn't go out for exercise as well as doing stuff on the field which is understandable.

Are you sure his feet are getting too short? If he is sound and happy on all surfaces, that may just be the way his feet work best. Harvey's feet are very short now and he doesn't wear them evenly but he is sound and happy and I feel he is wearing his feet in a way that is best for him and his conformation. Some people say his feet are worryingly short but I think that is because they are so used to seeing shod horses feet. I do many miles hacking and used hoof boots only a couple of times last year and that was for endurance rides where I knew we would be doing fast work on very stoney tracks for a couple of hours.

As for boots, I've got Easyboot Trails for Harvey now. He takes the largest size they do (size 10) and they are a perfect fit, never moving and don't rub. If his feet were smaller, I would have liked to try some Renegades.

[dalesnfellfan]

I have a pair of Fusion jogging shoes for Em in size 15, they fit well and are easy to put on, I haven't ridden in them yet as she just doesn't seem to need them.
My daughters bare foot trimmer recommends these especially for difficult to fit feet, will update if I ever need to use them.

I had easy boot Grips and Epics for Briallen, quite liked both, Grips gave pretty good grip in mud but the tread wore down very quickly when used on the road (Easyboot don't recommend them for road work for this reason) the epics were good but she did trash one when she had a shoot forward with lots of spooking and sudden changes of direction, the boot twisted on her foot and the gaiter completely ripped off.

I worry about Em's feet wearing down too short as well but she never appears sore and stomps over most surfaces happily, she also wears her feet unevenly and develops a bit of flair slightly to the inside on her fronts about halfway between trims, which I just rasp down a bit. My farrier says they are fine and its natural for them to wear them down shorter than shod horses and not to worry as long as she's coping.

[NFK Dumpling]

He is getting a bit footy on more abrasive surfaces but is fine on the smoother bits of road and on grass. The trouble is that we have to go over some abrasive stuff to go anywhere. It was more a case of looking more carefully at his feet because he felt a bit tentative rather than noticing that they were short while picking them out. The back feet are fine so it would be a case of trying them out until his feet have grown a little rather than having front shoes put on. The farrier isn't at all keen to shoe him although he always has his feet balanced when James is shod.

His feet are almost a perfect circle at 147mm atm

[harveydales]

That size should give you plenty of options. Harvey has round feet 152mm which makes him oversized for most boots.

[nedales]

Jan 11, 2014 13:41:50 GMT -1 dalesnfellfan said:

I have a pair of Fusion jogging shoes for Em in size 15, they fit well and are easy to put on, I haven't ridden in them yet as she just doesn't seem to need them.
My daughters bare foot trimmer recommends these especially for difficult to fit feet, will update if I ever need them."

OOOh I've been looking at the Fusions. Lad is barefoot but we do cover very rocky ground for long periods sometimes which can be a challenge to his low sole. It would be nice to have a little more traction in the snow, as well especially if there's an icy patch. I also worry a bit about doing cross country in eventing when there is a slide downhill and most horses are wearing cleats.

Lad's feet are too big for anything but Easy Boot Epics which I dislike for clunkiness and difficulty in putting on. I have a friend whose ponies wear them and we are always stopping to retrieve them or untwist them after a good canter. His feet are truly round as well and the Fusions seem to be designed for that, and advertise as being "made for snow" but they have yet to make a size 16. Do let me know when you use them, how they work--they're pretty pricey and I would have to import them from Canada. The Fusion people say a 16 is coming soon.

Thanks,

Meg

[dalesnfellfan]

I was lucky to get a nearly new pair in red on Ebay for £50 including pads, but I know they are expensive new.
All our bridle paths are getting very muddy and slippery and we're having to do an increasing amount of roadwork at the moment so I may have reason to try them out soon.

[heathera]

Updating again. I still like the Trails but they've worn out faster than the other boots The Velcro is pretty worn out and we've lost boots during long, fast, canters a couple of times. I will replace them for the summer though as they are so easy to put on and have done us well.

The Back Country I have are still going strong but I do have to rasp Tola's feet every couple of weeks in order to keep them fitting. They've also broken all the hair off really short around the bulbs of the heels.

It's also good to read about other people using the Fusions as that's what I now have Merlin in. I bought a second hand pair of the original design very cheaply but he does slip badly on anything other than Tarmac or rough stone track. Once the latest design was announced I bought two sets of the current design with better grip for half price. They are harder to put on than Trails but far easier than most of the other Easycare boots. I've walk, trot and cantered Merlin in them and gone through streams too without him altering his gait at all and they stayed firmly in place.

[harveydales]

Heather, good to hear another report about the Fusions. They don't come big enough for Harvey yet but I believe they are bringing out a bigger size. I was worried about the slipping and the fact they are a bit fiddly to put on. I don't use boots very often so hopefully my trails will last a while yet but when they wear out I might have anther look at the new fusions.

[NFK Dumpling]

Can anyone recommend an Easyboots supplier, I can't see them on Hey Farm Saddlery?

[Fi]

I've used www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/

for boots etc, recommended to me by my foot trimmer. Always had good service from them myself.

Fi

[harveydales]

I've used the saddlery shop before too and found them helpful. I now tend to use Cannock Chase because they attend some of our local rides and seem to offer good value and service: www.cannockchaseequine.co.uk/

[NFK Dumpling]

OK I'll have a look, thank you

[dalesnfellfan]

I use Urban Horse, they offer really god service and advice and their prices are good too

[katiekynoch]

Feb 3, 2014 19:13:08 GMT -1 Fi said:

I've used www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/

for boots etc, recommended to me by my foot trimmer. Always had good service from them myself.

Fi

A quick heads up on the Saddlery Shop . . . they've just announced a range of larger sizes in Old Mac G2's and Easyboot Trails . . . for those of us whose four legged friends have larger than average feet! The downside is the expense . . .