# Scoot Boots & Other types of Boots vs Barefoot vs Classic Shoes Vs Composite shoes



## fireandicehorse (Nov 21, 2020)

Hello, what does everyone think of scoot boots? Also, if anyone has gaited horses, are they a good option for them? Also, have you found anything better at protecting a horse's feet during long rides and reducing shock to the joints?


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

The shape of your horse's feet and its way of traveling will have the biggest impact on what boots - if any - work for your horse. 

I believe @egrogan and maybe @QueenofFrance08 have used Scoots so perhaps will give you their opinions.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Yeah, not only different work you might want to do in the boots(eg in arena or marathons) but shape & size of your horses feet, whether they get trimmed ultra often, whether they need pads... Etc all have a bearing on which boots will be best. Bit like human shoes - different strokes. So saying, scoots, easies and renegades are the top brands. Not to say others are necessarily bad - most are good these days. Not all horses/situations are suitable for hoof boots, but the vast majority are. Hoof boots can be exxy to buy, but as they're only put on 'as needed' they can last literally years.

Composite shoes are flexible, they cover a far greater area under the foot that peripheral loading(conventional) shoes, often including frog support too. So they actually protect & support the bottom of the foot. Flexibility means(assuming good, frequent trimming) the hoofs function is not inhibited. Composite shoes don't last as well as steel shoes if on abrasive footing.

Conventional steel rims are not always a bad choice imo, but due that they only attach to the walls, peripheral loading, and lack of protection/support under the foot are huge issues, as is their rigidity, further compromising hoof function & adding shock. They are a generally effective palliative though, reducing feeling in the hoof to allow an otherwise 'gimpy' horse to go 'sound', or work on rough footing it otherwise couldn't. I think the peripheral loading squeezing both coronary & circumflex arteries is the likeliest reason for this. Sometimes palliative measures trump other factors. Sometimes, careful use on appropriate footing can minimise 'side effects' adequately to make it worth it. But imo in the vast majority of cases, the compromises & potential further damage isn't worth it.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Thanks for the tag @phantomhorse13 . Scoots have worked out really well for my horse- we rode 500+ miles in them this season over terrain that is a combo of gravel roads/hardpacked dirt roads/trails with mixed footing, and open fields. I boot all the way around primarily because we spend a lot of time on roads, and it's unpredictable whether they will be covered in really rough gravel or softer dirt. I have never had one come off, though recently my riding buddy had a couple get sucked off in what I would call pretty extreme mud/bog conditions around a small stream we had tried to stop at for a drink (when I say extreme bog, to retrieve the boots, my friend had to get down on her hands and knees and reach shoulder-deep into the hoof holes her horse made scrambling out of it).

I did have some rubbing issues with the hind boots in the spring, where my horse got a couple of bare patches right above the hairline on her hind pasterns. Scoot recently came out with a new "trail gaiter" accessory (it's a neoprene protector that sits under their hoof and wraps up/velcros around the pastern), which has made all the difference for her- no more rubs at all, and the hair has grown back in. No problems like that on the fronts.

Scoots were the first type of boot I tried, so I can't compare to the other brands. What I hear from other people who have tried the other types is that Scoots are much easier to get on and off, and much more sensitive to hoof shape and trim than the others, so a bit harder to fit. My farrier carries fitting pairs of most of the major brands on his truck, so before I purchased, I was able to try them on and figure out sizing so I knew what to order. @gottatrot just had an experience where she followed the measurement instructions from the company and ended up with a pair too big. If you have the chance to try different kinds/sizes on in person, that seems beneficial. If you don't, I'd recommend two people on FB who are very good at "virtual fittings" and are both endurance/long distance riders who have put a lot of miles on their own boots on several horses: look up either Stacy Pratt-Heartland Scoot Boots or Karen Timcoe Cox on Facebook (we're not allowed to post links here). They are both knowledgeable and not high-pressure sales types, they genuinely want to help people. I know Stacy is having a Black Friday special on boots this weekend.

If @QueenofFrance08 sees this, she can chime in with the opposing perspective, as I know she didn't have a good experience with them.

The last thing I'll say is that the fun colors are a great outlet for our inner little girl matchy-matchy desires


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

A woman I've ridden with uses Renegades on her Icelandic. However, the Scoot boot page on FB has examples of Icelandics wearing Scoot boots. Most likely either boot would work if fitted well.


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

A little late to the discussion but I didn't like Scoot Boots. I probably gave up on them too quickly but I was pretty frustrated.

I bought a pair for the fronts and a few months later requested the hind pair (same size). Unfortunately they sent me 2 regulars for the rear instead of the 2 slims I needed and I lost one the first ride so I waved goodbye to $170. 

I finally got the correct sizes, did a few test rides, and used them for a 25 mile Limited Distance ride which went great, no issues. The next weekend I took my mare to a 10 mile mock ride and she got bleeding rubs on all of her feet. I asked the rep what to do and they told me they were too small. I couldn't figure out how they were too small when the week before she had done 25 miles in them with no issue. I couldn't ride her in them and I was tired of spending money on boots/sizing/shipping so I gave up and put her shoes back on. I kept the boots as backup which came in handy since she ended up injured so I pulled her shoes. A friend invited us to ride in a parade (on pavement) so I pulled out the boots from the tack room and the straps had rotted away (in 3 months!). I sold the remaining boots I had after that.

I stick to shoes now for the horses that are ridden regularly although I keep backup Renegades (my 1st choice) or Easy Boots for emergencies and off season riding occasions. I think Renegades are better quality and more forgiving in their fit.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

QoF What do you shoe with? Conventional steel rims or otherwise? I reckon using Easyshoes or Eponas or such give the best of both worlds - a horse who is shod for whatever crops up, but their flexibility & sole/frog coverage give more protection & support while avoiding/minimising the major issues of conventional peripheral rims.


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

We do steel, composites are very popular and work very well out west but with our terrain the traction on composites has caused more issues with people who have tried them than they help. I wish they worked better and maybe they can make some changes in future models but everyone I know in this area sticks to steel. 

They're all barefoot the other 6 months of the year and we don't shoe the two that have perfect feet or any of the ones that aren't competing. That's where the Renegades come in handy!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I've only used regular steel shoes and Renegades. My horse has good feet but she kept bruising her soles on the punishing gravel roads where i used to live -- logging-road gravel is huge sharp stones. Shoes didn't help her with that. She didn't start stepping out smartly until she was booted all four. 

That said, my Renegades here in New England do not last for years. It is so stony that they start wearing out about at best two years. But that would probably be true of any boot. They still are cost effective. They have never come off except when she stepped on herself and broke a strap -- and the other strap held! They are moderately forgiving in terms of fit -- I usually need to do a little rasping at the end of a trim cycle. 

Boots are fiddly. They add time to your tack up. They must be washed after every ride or you'll be sorry you put it off. And it's frustrating to try to get boots on a dancing restless horse at a trail head with all the new horses milling about. So she wears hers in the trailer. You may not have one of those ants in her pants horses though. 

But, they work! And all the time your horse is not under saddle, they are enjoying the benefits of being barefoot.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

loosie said:


> I reckon using Easyshoes or Eponas or such give the best of both worlds - a horse who is shod for whatever crops up, but their flexibility & sole/frog coverage give more protection & support while avoiding/minimising the major issues of conventional peripheral rims.


The problem I have had with easyshoes is they are slicker than snot on wet grass! I think they may have an option for studs but then you are stuck with them on other surfaces like rocks, not to mention the hassle of trying to screw in studs before every ride and then having to remove them after. 

Normally, our competition horses are shod in quarter-clipped, steel rim shoes with pour-in pads for support and protection. Because my young horse is not in consistent work yet, I have been using boots with him so far. He is going in Renegade Vipers in the front and Easyboot Gloves in the back because that I what I found used that fit him. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the Vipers were to put on and how well they stay on, but they are bulkier than the gloves so trying to stuff them into a saddle bag as a spare tire would be more hassle.


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