# Horse boot recommendations



## lexrucker (May 11, 2017)

I've heard really good things about renegades and I loved both the easyboot originals and trail boots for my quarter horse mare. 

I'd probably recommend the originals or renegades for any mud and better traction.

Here's a pic of my girl in her easyboot trails which are probably the clunkiest of the three but they worked really well for walk trot.









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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

There are a fair few brands & types of boot out there these days, which are great, depending on your horse, your management, etc. So first & foremost, you need to measure your horse's newly trimmed hooves, before looking at which brands/types will suit her hoof form & size - some suit different conformations. Then look at how much riding you do, how often you trim etc, as some are not so suitable for say, endurance miles, but are perfectly fine for 20+kms a week riding for eg. Some, like Gloves are GREAT IMO, but only if you're trimming frequently/can 'brush up' between farrier visits, because without a fastening system, they need to fit tightly & pretty near perfectly.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

loosie gives great advice, again.
Fit is paramount to using and not soring the horse or losing the boots.


I have Easyboot Back Country and the Easyboot Trail.
Luckily my horses wear the same size boot so I can choose if only taking one horse out to ride which boot to use.
Both have a similar base, but the height of the "sock" is different on mine and that means a bit different in coverage of the hoof and surrounding structures.
I like both boots equally and have ridden through sand, dirt, mud, water both ankle deep and chest deep {no idea what bottom was like to step on} and not lost a boot.
I find they are easy to put on as they open wide..

They are not cheap as price is for each individual item, but...that also allows me to order different sizes if I need to for optimum fit too.
For me, to purchase my boots was not as ridiculous as for others. 

Front shoes, trim behind is $165 every 5 weeks ...
Now with boots my horse is comfortable no matter the trail surface with just a trim of his hooves done which is $35 per horse...
After one "no-shoes needed cycle" my boots are paid for. 


I have _not_ used or tried any other brand.
My farrier recommended this brand for the fit, shape of my horses hooves and the style of riding we do he said would be a great choice.

:runninghorse2:...


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## gottaquarter (Jun 8, 2012)

Ok shoes are off my girl and it’s evident she is not comfortable.....so I’m ready to bite the bullet. I am a low mileage trail rider, some arena work to keep her pleasure gaits tuned up, but basically on-site light riding 3, 4 hours a week. I’m finding so many mixed reviews on some of the boots mentioned- great, not so great, slip off, Velcro didn’t last etc. 
I had my farrier measure her last week and she’s falling under a size 2 in easy boot sizing. Will need to order something soon, I miss riding and I know she’s not happy! Thank you all for your suggestions and comments, just have to figure out what would do best under for our needs.


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

Is she uncomfortable all of the time or just when riding?

I have horses in shoes, I have horses that do boots. My horses who are used the most/have sensitive feet get shoes. My horses who have great feet get boots if it is really rocky or they're riding on gravel or other things that might make them hurt.

I usually like Renegades the best but I have Easyboot gloves for my mare (she has super dinky feet and I came across tiny sizes for her for cheap) that she likes a lot. I tried Scoot Boots and I wasn't a fan of the quality or the fit although @egrogan has had success with them.


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## gottaquarter (Jun 8, 2012)

I had written on another post my issue with my horse pawing the fence. I’m at a boarding barn and she kept pulling her shoes off so rather than risk a bad outcome I had her shoes pulled last week. Not my choice really, she’s had shoes for 20 years, but I can’t get out of my barn until summer so I’m having to make the best of it. Yes, very ouchy. Even in her paddock/pasture which has some dirt clods from all the dried mud leftover from the weeks of rain we had. She does have what I would call a small hoof for an average sized horse.... I looked online at the glove boot and I kept coming back to the easy rides. There’s the trail and there’s the original, I’m not sure what the difference is unless the trail is just an updated version. I was all ready to buy but you know, you read a couple of neg. reviews about a piece of tack and it makes me go look at another option. One thing I don’t have is a lot of $$$- I can spring for something basic and comfortable for the horse that will do the job, just reviews about material and Velcro that made me hold off. Of course, I really only do light riding so I won’t be scaling any rough terrain, but there are low areas where I ride, which means mud, and I just wondered if being exposed to muddy trails every time wears out the stitching. Would always wash them off after a ride so I’m probably overthinking things!


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

If you plan on letting her wear them in the pasture I would not get the easy boot trails/original, make sure you're taking them off and cleaning out her foot and letting it dry out though if you plan to leave them on. They're not very sturdy and they're very bulky. If it was just for real casual riding they would probably be okay but I would definitely get something of better quality if you wanted her to wear them more often. I've left Renegades and gloves on in the pasture when a horse throws a shoe and not had an issue. The Fury would also be an option but I haven't heard great things about their quality yet (they're new). If you're on Facebook there's used hoof boot groups where you might be able to save some money on a slightly used pair, I've bought most of my boots used. Ebay occasionally has options as well.


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## mysticalgirrafffe (Oct 3, 2018)

I use Cavallo Trek Hoof Boots and they work really well for my TB mare. They did rub ever so slightly so I use the Cavallo socks with them and they fit perfectly and dont rub


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

QueenofFrance08 said:


> Is she uncomfortable all of the time or just when riding?
> 
> I have horses in shoes, I have horses that do boots. My horses who are used the most/have sensitive feet get shoes.


Good question. That also can matter, as some boots are more or less appropriate for wearing long term &/or adding padding, should you need it.

And while I'm not dead against fixed shoes, if they have sensitive feet, something's not right, so I'd be LESS inclined to put shoes on them. I'd not generally use conventional steel rims, esp if they're on often/long term or ridden on hard ground, but something like Eponas or Easyshoes are good.


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

loosie said:


> Good question. That also can matter, as some boots are more or less appropriate for wearing long term &/or adding padding, should you need it.
> 
> And while I'm not dead against fixed shoes, if they have sensitive feet, something's not right, so I'd be LESS inclined to put shoes on them. I'd not generally use conventional steel rims, esp if they're on often/long term or ridden on hard ground, but something like Eponas or Easyshoes are good.


We have issues here with the composite shoes having too much traction and causing strain/injuries so I prefer steel. It's happened to at least 3 friends that I know of so I'm too wary to try them myself.

I suppose sensitive is not the word I meant. I don't have any that aren't sound in the pasture/have issues without heavy work. My horses that are in shoes are ridden 15-50 miles a week on gravel/rocks/etc so their hooves just get worn too much and that causes sensitivity. Wrong choice of words on my part! I've seen the wear they put on steel shoes over the period they're on and would never want them to be doing that to their hooves!


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

gottaquarter said:


> she’s had shoes for 20 years, but I can’t get out of my barn until summer so I’m having to make the best of it. Yes, very ouchy. Even in her paddock/pasture


She has had conventional rim shoes on without respite, for 20 years?? Yeah, no wonder she is sensitive!

First & foremost, for the time being, until you get her some boots, even duct taping foam pads to her feet will help. This of course won't last long, you'd have to redo daily. If you can get fibreglass casting tape(type they use in hospital for broken limbs instead of plaster these days), you can make a sturdier affair, and while still not a long term thing, I've found they can stand up to an hour or so walk/trot on gravel(& then only the toe wore through, it was still useable otherwise for longer), and they can last a week or so just in paddock/rehab conditions. You'd still have to take off & clean/dry her feet daily, but I found if you carefully cut down either side of the heel, you can then duct tape them back on - not a sturdy solution but generally ok in the paddock.




> I looked online at the glove boot and I kept coming back to the easy rides. There’s the trail and there’s the original,


Gloves are good boots but would not be suitable in your situation - they're not appropriate for adding padding, and without using a heatgun to distort them, they aren't likely to fit distorted hooves well. Which without pics, only guessing, but likely with a horse that's been shod extremely long term without respite. If you want boots suitable for rehab/paddock use AND riding, that narrows your choice greatly, as most types can be problematic left on long term, and most rehab/paddock boots aren't wonderful for riding in.

Not sure if you mean Soft Rides or Easy Boots, but I haven't heard of & can't find an 'Easy Ride' brand. 

Dunno about Soft Rides personally, but Easycare have a great range, including the Trails. And their Back Country Gloves are Glove base, but with a Trail-like upper, so they are a 'freer' fit & could be appropriate to ride in. Trails & others with those 'uppers' can be problematic for paddock rehab tho, as they can rub. I'd go for Epics, as a good riding boot but as all but the 'gaiter' sits below the hoof, they can be OK for long term use. Or a dedicated rehab boot. Or Clouds, which are designed for rehab and light riding.

But as said, you need to measure the horse's feet (under 2 in Easyboots doesn't tell much - which type & how much under, for a start??) and the shape/confo will have a bit of a bearing too.



> One thing I don’t have is a lot of $$$


Yeah, hazard a guess that most of us in that boat. But hoof boots last for ages generally(I've had some sets for literally years, with still a lot of wear left). You can replace gaiters etc, without buying whole new boots too. And depending what you need & where you are in the world, there may be a good second hand supply. Look them up on Ebay or FB or such...


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## 282999 (Jan 6, 2020)

Did you find some boots for your horse? There is another product you can try while your horse is adjusting to being barefoot. It's called Hoof Armour. It's a liquid coating that you or your farrier applies to the bottom of your horses foot. It sets up like an invisible pad and I've seen it help several horses in their transition to going sound barefoot (being used by itsself or being used with boot therapy). My barefoot trimmer told me it's like kevlar . Hope you find something that will work!


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