# Horse boots and leg wraps



## Senneth (Nov 19, 2013)

I'm new to horse ownership (I've only owned my first horse since February and was pregnant for the majority of that) so I'm not sure what's what when it comes to the necessary gear for trail horses. My boy is barefoot and I would love to keep him that way but I have a few questions about it. His feet are fairly strong but the previous owner had him shoed 24/7. Does he need shoes for trails or will he be fine staying as is? Are horse boots like Cavallo or Easyboot worth looking into or is this just more of a fad? None of the trails he'll be going on are rough or really rocky, mostly just dirt and weeds. 

The second half of my question(s): although it's cold right now and isn't a problem, once spring comes around the area where we live has been known to have rattlesnakes. There aren't a crazy amount of them around but they aren't uncommon either. Do I need to provide him with any kind of leg protection just in case or am I just worrying too much about it? 

I know these are probably just dumb newbie questions but it's confusing and a bit overwhelming at times trying to figure them out when there are so many options out there...


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## UpNorthEq (Oct 7, 2013)

If he has good hooves there is really no reason to shoe him. If he starts chipping and cracking you might want to look into it. If his walls are too weak for shoes Cavallos or something will work. You will have to see how much wear and tear his feet have from the trails you want to go on and then decide  Sorry i dont know about the second question their are no rattlesnakes where i live.


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## DocIsMyPony (Oct 21, 2013)

Senneth said:


> I'm new to horse ownership (I've only owned my first horse since February and was pregnant for the majority of that) so I'm not sure what's what when it comes to the necessary gear for trail horses. My boy is barefoot and I would love to keep him that way but I have a few questions about it. His feet are fairly strong but the previous owner had him shoed 24/7. Does he need shoes for trails or will he be fine staying as is? Are horse boots like Cavallo or Easyboot worth looking into or is this just more of a fad? None of the trails he'll be going on are rough or really rocky, mostly just dirt and weeds.
> 
> The second half of my question(s): although it's cold right now and isn't a problem, once spring comes around the area where we live has been known to have rattlesnakes. There aren't a crazy amount of them around but they aren't uncommon either. Do I need to provide him with any kind of leg protection just in case or am I just worrying too much about it?
> 
> I know these are probably just dumb newbie questions but it's confusing and a bit overwhelming at times trying to figure them out when there are so many options out there...


 
I don't think your boy needs shoes for only trail riding unless your instructed by your farrier and/or vet. As for trail boots if your just going on a trail with dirt I don't think they are necessary, but I would put smb boots on all 4 legs for protection against any low hanging branches,sticks,snakes etc... If you have anymore questions just ask hope I helped


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Is he ouchy when you're out riding?

I'm looking at shoes or boots for my lease right now because he's incredibly sensitive, but I've also ridden other horses for whom it would be unnecessary.


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Senneth said:


> I'm new to horse ownership (I've only owned my first horse since February and was pregnant for the majority of that) so I'm not sure what's what when it comes to the necessary gear for trail horses. My boy is barefoot and I would love to keep him that way but I have a few questions about it. His feet are fairly strong but the previous owner had him shoed 24/7. Does he need shoes for trails or will he be fine staying as is? Are horse boots like Cavallo or Easyboot worth looking into or is this just more of a fad? None of the trails he'll be going on are rough or really rocky, mostly just dirt and weeds.
> 
> The second half of my question(s): although it's cold right now and isn't a problem, once spring comes around the area where we live has been known to have rattlesnakes. There aren't a crazy amount of them around but they aren't uncommon either. Do I need to provide him with any kind of leg protection just in case or am I just worrying too much about it?
> 
> I know these are probably just dumb newbie questions but it's confusing and a bit overwhelming at times trying to figure them out when there are so many options out there...


 
First, there are no dumb questions (I wish I could say the same was true for answers :lol whether you're new to something or have years under your belt.

The short answer to whether you need to have your horse shod is no. Contrary to what some preach horses do not need to be shod. In point of fact being shod is not good for their feet. But that's a lengthy subject and you can likely find excessive amounts of information on it today along with medical tests and results that weren't available to my grandfather (who never had his horses shod 100 years ago)

HOWEVER........

A horse that has spent it's life shod is likely to have some foot issues when you switch it to being unshod (there's more blood flow, the foot expands naturally when they walk, etc.....these are all things that will not feel right and in some cases can be painful ). Given time and proper care their feet can return to normal, but it can take a year in many cases.

ALSO....

A horse that has been shod or spent it's life on soft, easy ground will not have feet conditioned to hard, unforgiving surfaces. It takes time to get the feet conditioned to hard ground so it's not always as simple as taking the shoes off and going (unless the trails are soft which might be your case). This is a bit over simplified, but think of it as you walking barefoot on the ground. If you have to walk on hard, uncomfortable surfaces after wearing shoes for years it won't feel good and you'll limit the amount you do. But if you continue your feet will start to toughen up (in our case the skin gets harder and becomes a bit thicker......it's not a perfect comparison).
Eventually you can have a horse with feet that will go pretty much anywhere. Certainly will handle pavement and stony trails. Once mine are conditioned the only thing I worry about is a stone being the size needed to bruise the sole (and being shod won't prevent that). My family hasn't had shod horses since long before I was born and I've ridden 100 miles over a few days without any problems.
(also you might hear that dark hooves are harder than light.....don't believe it. Color has nothing to do with it).

Part 2: Snakes.

I've never wrapped the legs of any of mine. None of the family ever did. I've never been on a horse that really worried much about snakes beyond appearing to be curious, but I'm sure that like people, different horses may react differently. My QH from the 70's would almost ride over a rattlesnake if I didn't stop her. I've found that snakes seem to prefer not being in the path of an oncoming horse :lol: (imagine being the size of a snake and only being able to slither along the ground....then have a 1,000+ lb animal with large, hard feet coming at you...if it were me I'd want to be far, far away)
We have quite a variety of snakes here and I ride my horses with the same gear no matter what time of year.


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## Senneth (Nov 19, 2013)

Thanks for the responses  He's not sensitive after a ride, I'm more concerned about wear and damage to his feet. 

its lbs not miles: everything you said makes sense to me. I've been working with my farrier to get his feet conditioned to barefoot and he seems to be taking to it beautifully so far. But my farrier still leans more toward the "all horses should be shod" type regardless of the condition. My horse's previous job was rounding up buffalo on Antelope Island located on the Great Salt Lake and there are some fairly unforgiving areas out there. He probably feels pretty pampered compared to how he had it a year ago. 

I tried talking to someone at the local tack shop but he was a lot more concerned about selling me a lot of expensive stuff without spending much time explaining why I needed any of it. Luckily, I'm not that naïve.


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## Oreos Girl (May 24, 2011)

I agree with pretty much everything others have said. Putting shoes on a horse is a personal preference/necessity depending on horse and owner. My boy is very tender and never seemed to toughen up so I went with shoes in the front and boots in the back for when I ride.

Snakes, I have never had a horse get bitten. It does happen. However most snake bites are not lethal to horses unless they get bitten on the face and the swelling will cut off their breathing. I do have rattlesnakes in my pasture, one spring I found 2 baby rattle snakes running around my yard. The best protection for your horse against rattlesnakes is to make sure that your water trough is level and there isn't a place for the snake to get under. In the summer they seek out cooler places to lay like under the trough.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

You live near or close to the Rockies, and I always shoe when I take my horses on trail rides in CO. I'd tt your farrier about this. If you are riding where there are rocks and shale you can rip up hooves pretty quickly and then you'll have to wait until they grow back, so an hiatus from riding. Where I live, in IL, which is REALLY a reclaimed swamp, the soil is soft and I keep mine barefoot all year.
Regarding snakes, they can feel the vibrations of >1,000 pounds coming their way and if you stick to the trails, you probably won't meet up with any in person. I don't use boots or wraps when trail riding. Those are best used for arena training.


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

I agree with what you have been told so far. 

A lot of us keep barefoot horses. One of mine needs no hoof protection at all but he is part mustang and has nice feet. My other one is transitioning off of shoes. I bought him a set of Easyboot Gloves Back Country (see my review in the tack review section) and we use them for trail riding. They make all the difference in the world. I would buy them again, they work really well. 

As far as leg wraps go I never use them. We have snakes also and from what I can tell they can "hear" the horses from a distance and so they get out of the way. Also from my experience horses don't suffer badly from a snake bite on the legs. It is when they get bit on the head and neck that it is a problem.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I vote no shoes, no boots.

As everyone said, if he has tough feet, there is no reason to shoe him. I shoe my horses all the way around but I work them hard in preparation to show. If they were just trail horses, I would pull the shoes.

As for leg wraps or boots, I don't use them on trails. They get snagged on things, get burs, sticks, etc stuck in them, and I'm not really a fan. I've come across rattlers before and generally they will leave you alone.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

If you are not riding on rocks, you may be ok without shoes. I ride on such rocky trails that I always shoe horses that I ride more than just occasionally.


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## Senneth (Nov 19, 2013)

I live at the base of the Wasatch Front and just before you get to the rough mountain part, there are foothills with numerous trails for gentle hiking and trail riding and if I head in the opposite direction there are open plains to ride through. Those are the areas I was thinking of riding in more so than in the mountains themselves. 

There must be a lot of shoe happy people around here because the reaction is usually *gasp* You have him barefoot out _here??_ Poor horse must be sore! (He's never been sensitive after a ride) 

I've certainly gotten better advice asking all of you, it makes all of it seem less confusing than figuring it out all on my own.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

No, I believe that your horse possibly has tougher hooves than mine bc mine LIVE on soft soil. People used to travel barefoot, but I don't have the callouses to do that, so I wear shoes. I just offer opinions.


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## Senneth (Nov 19, 2013)

I was meaning people are like that around here where I live, not in the forum


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Senneth said:


> Thanks for the responses  He's not sensitive after a ride, I'm more concerned about wear and damage to his feet.
> 
> its lbs not miles: everything you said makes sense to me. I've been working with my farrier to get his feet conditioned to barefoot and he seems to be taking to it beautifully so far. But my farrier still leans more toward the "all horses should be shod" type regardless of the condition.


 
:rofl: Thank you. This was not the
greatest of days so the laugh was really good.

A farrier saying that all horses should be shod is a bit like an auto mechanic saying everyone should have a automobile :rofl:
or pig farmer saying everyone should eat pork (or any number of other examples that would apply).
Putting shoes on horses is their job. If everyone wised up, took some time to get the horses condition and went unshod they'd lose a lot of work.

When I was a teen I rode pretty much everywhere. Town was 15 miles away so I'd ride to see my girlfriend. Result was some folks from other areas found out I (and my entire family) kept unshod horses. Oh, the rants I endured (and often just rode off from) with people telling me we were going to ruin my horse's feet. One of the farriers spoke with our vet so that we had to listen to him tell us that we needed to get our horses shod (especially mine, since she was white :lol. He'd never said anything about it before then, but I the rest of the family used horses more for work and not as a means of visiting and going to town.
My grandfather told him he didn't think it was necessary . The vet said to the effect of "alright, their your horses, but you're going to have problems....especially that white one. You should at least shoe her because she has those softer white hooves".
Around 5 or 6 years went by before the vet finally commented one day on how we've managed to not have any foot issues with our horses and noted that or family never did have any. He pointedly ask me how I was managing with my white mare since her feet looked as good as all the others. He was a bit shocked when I told him I still ride to town when I can. All the horses get ridden on the at least part of the time on the hwy.

My grandfather was a wealth of information and a good mentor when it came to having stock. Many things that people are talking about today from the results of studies, he was doing for as long as I remember (e.g. avoid feeding horses grain, especially corn, keeping horses unshod, keep them in the field but leave the stall doors open, etc.....). Now he did some things that I always found a bit shocking (but they worked great, so what can I say), like putting burnt oil from a crank case (he always kept it in jugs when we changed the oil) on any cuts and open wounds on the livestock after treating it. But none ever got infected and the flies left it alone so he might have known what he was doing. :lol:

Back on the subject though....your horse's feet 
If you feel you're going to ride on some terrain that the horse is not ready for I'd recommend tying out boots. They can give you the protection you might need for those rides while you work on getting the feet toughened up. The concept is sound and it does allow for the feet to work normally (something being shod does not) while still providing protection for unconditioned feet. (and you probably won't be able to get a stone bruise which even being shod can't prevent). :lol:
I don't use boots (for riding....but have used them for medical treatment), so I'm not the person to recommend any at this time. When I get a horse that doesn't already have tough feet I take a year or so and toughen them up. But someday I might try a pair. Could end up with a new horse and want to do some riding on tough ground sooner than feet are ready. Boots make a good interim solution if that day ever comes.


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## Viranh (Apr 7, 2013)

Hoof boots can be wonderful for trail riding if you get a good fit. When my mare was in the correct size, they never once came off, and were much cheaper than shoeing for the time they lasted. They also allowed her heels to expand and her hooves to become healthier since she had spent several years poorly shod. There's nothing wrong with a well applied shoe, but there seem to be just as many bad farriers as good ones. However, do spend some time getting the right size and type of boot. I tore a gaiter on my boots and borrowed some Easyboot gloves a half size larger than the old ones for a trail ride, and I probably got off and put them back on 10 times! This is how boots get a reputation for being difficult. 

In terms of leg wrapping/leg boots, I did use some brushing boots this year on the really rough trails, and they collected quite a few nasty gashes. However, they can trap sand and heat up legs, so I'd say you have to be doing rough enough stuff to justify it. Parts of our trails turned in to a natural cross country course after all the flooding this year... I figure if we're going to jump or scramble over logs, embankments, and flooded creek beds, I probably ought to protect my mare's legs. If I still had open areas or maintained trails, I would not use leg protection.


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## Senneth (Nov 19, 2013)

Well I'm glad I could help give you a good laugh 'cause I was a bit irritated when he told me that and I didn't hide my irritation very well so he hasn't said much about it since. 

My grandfather was a wealth of knowledge about the animals too but sadly, he died when I was only 6 so I wasn't able to learn much from him. Mostly I learned about smelly old cows and airheaded chickens. But I do remember him telling me stories about a plow horse they had that he used to ride to school and leave in the school yard for the day and working as a sheep herder out on the range. He was even struck by lightening as a teenager while looking for his lost lamb. His stories belong in a book in my opinion. It's because of him that I've always loved horses. 

I think my best bet is to give boots a try until his feet are better conditioned. Any suggestions about how to go about conditioning them properly?


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## Viranh (Apr 7, 2013)

I used to introduce short periods of rough ground, gradually increasing the amount we rode on it. I usually rode on the gravel road in front of my property. This encourages the sole to callus and toughen. A good trim and time are what really do it though. I like the barefoot specific trims particularly to transition the horse. I have had it take 6 months-1 year to get a horse gravel sound without boots. My last horse had such contracted heels when I bought her that even a year later she still needed boots for gravel. I figure she was still 6 months from gravel sound at least. I think some horses may always need at least front boots, depending on foot quality, conformation, and their history.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

SorrelHorse said:


> I shoe my horses all the way around but I work them hard in preparation to show. If they were just trail horses, I would pull the shoes.


I guess that all depends on what your "just" trail horse is traveling on and how often. :wink:

The bottom line of barefoot vs shoe/boot is does the hoof wear exceed the hoof growth and is the horse comfortable.

Personally, our "just" trail horses rapidly outwear their growth during the season due to the terrain we ride on and need protection to be comfortable. We choose to shoe, and then go barefoot during the winter when we aren't riding as much and the snow makes the footing less abrasive.



To the OP, are you in an area that has multiple farriers, so that you can perhaps look for one with a different attitude about barefoot? A _good_ farrier, imo, should have the best interest of the horse at heart, not his or her pocketbook. Our farrier (who is worth his weight in gold), is just as happy to care for our horses' feet in the winter when they are barefoot and "only" being trimmed as during the season when they are shod. A good trim is the foundation of a good foot, whether a shoe is applied afterwards or not!!


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## Senneth (Nov 19, 2013)

phantomhorse13: Yes and no, there are pockets of them around but the problem with Utah is that it's big enough that everyone is spread out so often times they're too far away to consider. He's a good enough farrier to keep around, I had the trainer at our barn critique his work and now she uses him for her own horses. He's just biased and didn't quite expect me to be less than open to his personal habit.


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

phantomhorse13 said:


> The bottom line of barefoot vs shoe/boot is does the hoof wear exceed the hoof growth and is the horse comfortable.
> 
> Personally, our "just" trail horses rapidly outwear their growth during the season due to the terrain we ride on and need protection to be comfortable. We choose to shoe, and then go barefoot during the winter when we aren't riding as much and the snow makes the footing less abrasive.


 
I hear all the time that this or that terrain is too tough to ride unshod horses on (and the like). And yet back in the early 70's a competitive equine Scotsman rode unshod from South Africa into the central Europe. I'd say that pretty much disproved all that BS about how far and how rough a terrain an unshod horse can handle if their feet are properly conditioned. What it did prove is that if their feet are properly conditioned horses can successfully be ridden very long way (close to 10,000 miles in this case....which is more than more brutal than any trail riding anyone could hope to do) over virtually any terrain (excluding places that might be covered in jagged volcanic rock or similar, but even being shod won't help in those cases....boots might though).
I'm sure he was told a lot of the same things, but managed to ignore them and go on to prove them wrong


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

its lbs not miles said:


> I hear all the time that this or that terrain is too tough to ride unshod horses on (and the like). And yet back in the early 70's a competitive equine Scotsman rode unshod from South Africa into the central Europe. I'd say that pretty much disproved all that BS about how far and how rough a terrain an unshod horse can handle if their feet are properly conditioned.


Nothing I said goes against this.

I said a horse is fine barefoot until the hoof wear exceeds the hoof growth, which would cause a sore horse. That might be 2 steps for some horses and 1000s of miles for another.

I think every horse owner needs to make the decision that is right for their own animals. No one thing works for all.


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