# Any trail riders ever tried Sole Guard?



## crimson88 (Aug 29, 2009)

Has anyone ever used Sole Guard on there horses before? My POA is now retired from the show ring and in her golden years I'd like too do some serious trail ridding before she gets too up there in age! She's 16 right now. Anyways, she has tough pony feet but I want to give her a little extra protection so I am considering using Sole Guard. Does it really last 3 weeks? Does it provide good protection? Is it hard to apply?


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I've used it a couple of times on my mares. I keep them barefoot, but during the fall hunting season, I'm asking a lot from them. So I used Sole Guard to give them a little extra padding.

No it's not hard to apply. You do need a clean hoof. I apply after a fresh trim. I wipe out the sole/frog with a little alcohol wipe. Dry the foot well. If you can, use a hair dryer or heat gun and blow hot air on the sole.
The natural oils and moisture are what prevents the sole guard from sticking. Do a poor job of prep and the stuff won't last.

Once the hoof is prep'd, squirt the sole guard onto the hoof. Hold the hoof up until it sets. About 2 min. Put something under the hoof as you set it down until it's fully cured. I use some saran wrap or a piece of paper. Make sure when you apply it, that you don't leave high spots that would bear weight. It's somewhat self leveling. But it cures so fast, that if you leave a high spot, it will create a pressure point. Vettec sells a pink plastic that you can use to spread the sole guard. The sole guard doesn't stick to their plastic. So it peels off once the stuff is cured. I use some paper and don't worry about it getting stuck. It will wear off the first few miles of muddy trail.

It usually last me about 15 days. But my horses are being used heavy during that period. Up and down rocky canyons hauling hunters in and deer and elk off the mountain. Standing in mud on highlines, where they are pawing and stomping their feet. I apply it in Oct, so we all all kinds of fall weather. Snow, rain, mud and goop.

One tube will do 4 hooves. If I get two horses ready and have them standing side by side. I apply Soleguard to one and have a friend apply to the second while I hold the first hoof up. I can get about 6 hooves out of tube. My mares wear 0 and 00 shoes. If your horses have bigger feet you will use more. So it's not a cheap solution. $30 for two-three weeks of protection. (I'm only paying my farrier $60 for a full set of 4 shoes that last me 7-8 weeks) But it does keep my mares comfortable and barefoot.

I put shoes on my geldings that I was riding and sole guard on the mares that I was packing. The mares kept up with the geldings and didn't really show any ouchie signs of being sore. So I think it does the job. at least for my mares that have never been shod and I just needed something extra for two weeks of hard work.


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## WesternLifestyle (Jan 6, 2010)

*Sole Guard vs Boots*

Hi,

Our horses are barefoot - and we use the Easy Boot Epic if more protection is needed. They last for years, and you only need to put them on when needed. 

Our horses live on soft ground, so if we ride for more than a couple of days in the mountains, in rocky areas, they start to get tender. We just put the boots on (usually just on the fronts), and they're good to go!

Sounds like the Sole Guard is very expensive compared to years of use from the boots!


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## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

I love vettec products. THe problem with boots is, if you are just going barefoot you may need to buy a few pairs, as the feet change.

You cant keep boots on 24/7, most are not ment for turnout. So for me sole guard will be the solution. I use equipack right now, Its like sole guard for horses with shoes on. You need to get the gun about $50 and mixing tips every time, about $10 for 12 of them. You need a new tip w/ each foot, sometimes more then one because the stuff cures fast sometimes.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

They often have specials where if you buy 6 tubes you get the gun for free.


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