# Hoofboot questions, and how to survive a flopping boot



## Shdfx1 (Oct 27, 2017)

I am planning on getting hoof boots for my Arabian gelding, and have a few questions. 

1. Many hoof boots, like Renegades, have a gator. It looks like the horse could over reach and pop off the boot, which would still be attached by the gator. That would probably look like an equicidal predator he couldn't shake off, or he could step on the floppy boot and then trip. How do you desensitize a horse to a boot that's only holding on by a gator? I have heard about lunging your horse with a beat up, spare boot purposely loose to create this scenario. However, a horse I had experienced a career ending injury goofing off on a lunge line. I don't want to recreate that scenario, or encourage my sound horse to go tearing around a round pen. Do you guys have any stories on if, or how, you got your horse used to a boot that's hanging on by a gator? Or does the gator tend to pop off with the boot, and that's not even a problem?
2. I am considering Easyboot (probably Gloves) or Renegades. Any input? What shape hoof is best for either? My horse is already barefoot. 
3. I ride in the arena, and also on trail. The trails out here are extremely hard, with loose sand here and there on top that is easy to slip on. Shod horses out here especially slip and slide on the hard ground up hills. We also have rocky sections, which is why I want the boots. I want a boot with really good traction. 

I would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks!


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

When I need boots I used Cavallo Trek boots. No tools or insane amounts of muscle needed. I've never had one come off and I use them in the mountains on rock, scree, deep sand, crossing streams, snow and ice. Mine are three years old and just need an occasional hosing off if we happen to get in some deep clay. The staff at Cavallo are very helpful. You can trace the hooves on paper (after a fresh trim) and they will help you with the correct size and shape.


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## Hondo (Sep 29, 2014)

I finally gave up on Gloves for Hondo. Renegades are working for him. Rimmey on the other hand, does great in Gloves, even when the fit is poor. Rimmey moves in such a way that his metal shoes wore forever and never came off. That translated to his boots. Very little wear compared to Hondo and they stay on.

I've concluded from this experience that the horse presents one of the big variables to which boot is best. I'm supposing that is why there are so many people swearing by different brands. The terrain and type of riding matters some also of course.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I recently bought some Scoot Boots for one of our horses who needs to wear boots for turnout on her fronts - I'm really liking them. 
If a horse did tread on the back of them I think they'd come off as the holding strap isn't that sturdy, just enough to keep them in place under normal conditions


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

I second @Hondo - boots seem to be very individual for each horse and I think lots has to do with their natural hoof shape and the way they travel. 

My mare is a Peruvian with rather little termino (the swinging out of the front legs), but apparently it still poses quite a challenge for most boots to stay where they belong. I am using Renegades (very easy to put on and take off), and after some trial and error in terms of adjusting them just right, they seem to stay on.
The first time one came off, it remained on the leg, held on by the pastern strap, happily flopping around. The only reason I knew it was off was the lack of sound of that boot (you can hear if they are still on or not :wink. My mare didn't even bat an eyelid regarding that flapping boot on her leg... But then again, she also was very accepting from the beginning...


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

jaydee said:


> I recently bought some Scoot Boots for one of our horses who needs to wear boots for turnout on her fronts - I'm really liking them.
> If a horse did tread on the back of them I think they'd come off as the holding strap isn't that sturdy, just enough to keep them in place under normal conditions


Agree with what people are saying about how much the individual horse influences what you select.

I too am using the Scoot Boots. They have been serving us well. Right now, I am primarily riding on hard dirt roads, though I have also used them hacking in fields and on woods trails. The longest I've gone in them is about 8 miles though, so I don't have first hand experience on how well they (and the horse) hold up on longer distances. If you look on Facebook, reviews from endurance riders seem to be fairly positive, though of course you will hear both good and bad experiences.

I have had one experience with loosing a boot in deep, sucking mud. Not totally sure how it came off or if it was caught on my horse's leg at any point in the process, but when I found it, the pastern strap had broken. Not sure if that happened first and the boot came off without hanging up, or if the boot got hung up and the strap broke when the boot dragged and was stepped on. Regardless of what happened, it was clearly not a big deal to my horse because I didn't even know the boot was gone until my friend riding behind me saw that it was missing. 

My biggest complaint with these boots is that the plastic tabs on the front become somewhat hard to work with in cold weather- they have less "give" and are tough to stretch enough to fasten.


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## dogpatch (Dec 26, 2017)

Forward thinker!  I've never had a horse freak out about a loose, dangling boot. But if you want to prepare for it, I'd just start with a little something around the pastern like a light hankie or something, and when that was a no brainer, dangle something light like a short piece of baling twine, so on and so forth, increasng the "annoyance" until you can hang a boot and walk around without drama.


I like Cavallo Treks as well for no-drama application and removal. They may not be a good choice for a horse that has particularly high heels, because the back of the foot won't fit into the shaped heel of the boot.


Treks are also "ambidextrous" meaning they can be used on either side, which is good for keeping the wear pattern even. The similar Cavallo Simple Boot is not ambidextrous. 



I also find that the hind hooves need gaiters, but they are not attached to the boots in any way. I like to use the EasyCare gaiters with them. It's difficult, but not impossible, to get over-the-hairline boots to come off in use - they're more liable to twist if the fit is poor. When that's happened to one of mine, they didn't seem to notice.



A boot that you'd play the absolute devil to get off is the Old Mac G2 boot. They're a bit clumsy, IMO, but they're really functional and have an internal pastern strap that makes it pretty hard for the horse to toss a boot. I think you could get a higher heel into the OM easier than the Trek. The OM is a little slimmer than some other boots. Trek has a slim sole option, but for some odd reason, has only half the tread of the regular boot.


Old Macs are another non-ambidextrous boot. They are either right- or left-hand.



Best of luck finding some that work!


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

I also use the Cavallo Treks. I have used them in tough terrain, and I only ever pulled one loose one time. My horse dropped a leg in a badger hole going across a creek. I think it pulled loose there, and then he caught the foot right after in a grouping of rocks at a higher speed when we went to turn some cows. The boot pulled off then, but a shoe could have as easily. 

They do not have a way to get stuck dragging. I would be afraid of that too. They have Velcro. The Velcro is awful to get foxtail seeds stuck into it, but they eventually clean out. They really are great. I have a larger pair I’ve used on the older horses who have lost a shoe or are barefoot at some time we need them. They all seem to love them. One of those old guys thinks he’s something rather special when he gets the boots on and walks around all proud. He doesn’t want to let me take them off. Hahahaha


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## Hondo (Sep 29, 2014)

I'll add that another reason Hondo had problems with the glove is his foot is as wide as it is long. So when he twists his foot, the rather flexible glove lowers plus the flexible gaiter allows his foot to twist within the boot. The Renegades have a more rigid structure plus the bulb captivator is difficult to spin or twist out of. 

So that's something to think about. Rimmey's foot is the normal longer than wide which probably contributes to his success in gloves.

And to the topic, Hondo has experienced boots flopping on the gaiter many times without a complaint. But that's Hondo. I like the posters suggestion of step wise training.


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## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

I agree with those who have mentioned that some horses do better on some boots than on others. We have 3 Arabians we use for trail riding in the rough, rocky Ozark hills. My wife's Arabian never did well on Cavallos. They stayed on alright, but he also developed sores. The folks are Cavallos know of this problem and they sell an insert that is supposed to prevent those sores. In my wife's case, they didn't work worth a darn. We now use Renegades Vipers on all. On our three Arabians, when the boot has been hanging on from the gator, none of our horses has ever spooked. The one warning I would offer about Renegades is that there is a learning curve on how to adjust them. And that may also depend on the horse, some may require more adjusting and experimenting than others.


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