spin-off: steel-toed boots

[Risk-Averse Rider]

I saw the side discussion on the "do you wear your vest when not jumping?" thread about steel-toed boots/shoes.

I, too, have heard the argument that you don't want to have steel-toed boots because you can get your toes caught/cut off if the metal collapses.

I asked our company's safety officer about this, figuring he might have some insights. (We're primarily a training/performance improvement company, but a lot of our training is delivered in factory settings.)

His reply (after checking with some other safety dudes) was that the amount of force necessary to buckle the steel toes to the point of severing your toes would be such that your toes would get severed/crushed anyway.

So there are apparently 3 things that can happen when you get stepped on:

1. The force is insufficient to do damage if you've got some kind of "normal" foot covering on.
2. The force is insufficient to crush the steel toes, so the boots do provide protection.
3. The force is sufficient to crush the steel toes, but in this case, it's going to cause massive damage to your toes no matter what.

Bottom line is - you're better off with the steel toes. They'll protect your feet up to the point where it doesn't matter what you've got on, you're gonna lose some toes.

[poltroon]

Mythbusters covered this with a lot of quite convincing video.

[Eventaholic]

What about that grey area where the force isn't sufficient enough to severe, but to pin down, cut, break bones? Because even if my toes are only PARTIALLY severed or in any other way mutilated by the steel toe, I'm still going to be FULLY upset.

And having to have my feet separated from the steel toe after Scenario #3 doesn't sound like fun either.

I've known several people who have sustained injuries in this way... no severed toes though.

[nadasy]

I ride in breeches every time I ride. I always have done. I used to wear my tall boots, until my young horse and I had the same idea at the same time, "oh, I think I'll just step in to tighten this girth, and he says" Oh I think I'll just step back.......he stood on my toes, crunching the large joint on my big toe and the next three.

Yes, I WAS A DUMMY, and should have known better than to get into the path of a foot, and YES, THIS WAS AN EXPECTED RESULT. I'm not avoiding responsibility, but when I found gaitors that fit my tall, wide calfed legs, I started wearing my blunnies with steel toes. I wear them basically all the time every day, because these are the only shoes that actually fit my shoe box feet-7 D's and don't bother my crunched joint.

I've heard lots of people say that steel toed boots aren't safe, and I disagree. It's been 4 years since the toe crushing incident, and yet this Winter I was getting ready to get on and (watch the toes), went to tighten the girth, and the horse was stung by a wasp. He jumped enough to stand on my good foot which was not under him, but close. He landed and immediately got off. I sustained a very faint bruise ABOVE where the end of the steel was, and it was gone in two days. The boots were not compromised, or crushed nor did they cut off my toes or cave in.

I work around horses every day, and I'd never be any where near ANY without my STBoots. You just never know.

[Vesper Sparrow]

My tall boots (Equitectors from the UK) have steel toes and, although I didn't get them for that reason, they certainly have made a difference. I've been stepped on a number of times with no ill effects whatsoever.

[jnel]

There really isn't a gray area on this. If you believe the results of the Mythbusters episode, the force required to crush or in any way bend the steel cap would demolish your toes to mush. I was convinced and I wear steel toe Timberlines all the time now.

[Ajierene]

I have been stomped on and have never had a major injury. I have also seen steel toe related injuries. All these injuries were sustained by forces probably greater than a horse standing on them, so that should be taken into account.

However, all the steel toe testing that I am aware of tests the central part of the steel toe - over your actual toes - where you are most likely to get hit. The steel toe injuries I am aware of occurred in such a way that the brunt of the force was not on the toes, but further up on the foot causing the steel to curl and cut off or injury the toe greatly.

Hopefully I described that well enough to get a visual. Since horses do not have as much force to actually crush toes on their own but do potentially have enough to bend the steel if they step on you higher on your foot, I don't find benefits to steel toes outweighing the risks.

[poltroon]

ASTM has standards for steel-toed boots just as they make one for helmets, and they have set the required strength to be at a level where the steel is always much much stronger than your foot. Any force, regardless of the location of its application, sufficient to crush the steel box, is sufficient to crush the bones in your foot anyway.

Remember, these boots are intended for environments where several tons of steel might fall on a foot. A typical horse only weighs a half ton, and is unlikely to have all his weight land on your one foot.

[Hilary]

I saw that Mythbusters as well, but anectdotally: my dad's business was manufacturing oceanographic equipment - anchors, buoys - BIG heavy things. Tons of iron every day, and swore by steel toed boots. He dropped extremely heavy things on his feet and never had an injury. Sliced the leather many times off the tops of the toes, but the steel caps never bent. (he needed steel reinforced gloves, but that's another story)

I'm always surprised at how much more regular leather riding boots protect than canvas sneakers though.

[citydog]

I think it's important to make sure you're buying steel toes that have actually been tested. It's not as much of a fashion now, but for a while there were lots of shoes/boots that looked like steel toes and had something in there but weren't designed to be functional. Not sure if some of the cheaper "work" shoes are up to standard, either. Something to check. :yes:

[Risk-Averse Rider]

There really isn't a gray area on this. If you believe the results of the Mythbusters episode, the force required to crush or in any way bend the steel cap would demolish your toes to mush. I was convinced and I wear steel toe Timberlines all the time now.That's what the safety guy was saying... if the steel toes are giving way, your toes would already be borscht anyway.

[Gnep]

Mythbuster.

If you use a Steeltoe shoe or boot which is tested no horse will crush it. I stoped a sligly roling F650 last week with the toe of my Redwings, that is 10,000 pounds, was the front tire so lets say a Ton.
One Problem with steeltoes, your pinky toe is not realy protected. So if a horse steps on the side of your boot it might just slip of the stealcap and than crush your toe.
But honestly that is a rather slim chance, very slim.
Around horses and in the shop its Redwings. Same for my shoer, she would never get under a horse with out her steeltoes and you should see the scares on those, leather cut to the metal and grooves in the metal.

[Classic Melody]

I always thought this Kids in the Hall sketch about steel toed boots really said it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3oPWQUOcm8

[Vesper Sparrow]

I always thought this Kids in the Hall sketch about steel toed boots really said it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3oPWQUOcm8

Great! Hadn't seen that particular one.

[besttwtbever]

To the OP,

My trainer at my old barn thought it would be a great idea to get steel toed boots. That was, of course before she had been stepped on while wearing them. She had them for quite sometime and loved them.

Eventually she did get stepped on. The steel crushed on her toes and she said it was nearly impossible to get her feet out of the boot. In fact, she had to cut the boots off and pull the smashed steel off her foot, all the while the steel was still crushing her toes.

She did not have any major injuries but she said she would have much rather just have had her foot stepped on briefly, than having continuing pain for about 20 minutes while she got them off.

She has not had steel toed boots since and refuses to let any of us get them because of the painful scenario she went through.

[Hilary]

Then she got some bad boots.

[JER]

She has not had steel toed boots since and refuses to let any of us get them because of the painful scenario she went through.

Wow. That's really bad advice.

You can test it out yourself:
Go outside wearing one regular boot and one boot with a steel toe
Ask your horse to stomp on each foot
Compare

(Tip: have your horse test the steel-toe foot first. Otherwise, you might not be able to stand for the second stomp.)

[Risk-Averse Rider]

Then she got some bad boots.What Hilary said :yes:

[DinkDunk]

She has not had steel toed boots since and refuses to let any of us get them because of the painful scenario she went through.

I agree, this is absolutely ridiculous. Her shoes were either old as crap or unrated to ASTM/ANSI standards.

Do you really think OSHA would require the use of protective equipment that was REALLY more dangerous than going without? :lol:

[RAyers]

Now expand this concept out to the Woof Wear EXO. The force to crush the magnesium, pinning you, would have KILLED you without it.

I have heard of a few trainers who are saying that the EXO is dangerous for the same reasons that besttwttever's trainer is using. Their justifications are flawed and specious.

Reed

[JER]

I have heard of a few trainers who are saying that the EXO is dangerous for the same reasons that besttwttever's trainer is using. Their justifications are flawed and specious.


How incredibly unintelligent.

Seriously, I wouldn't ride with someone that stupid. I'd wonder what other nonsense they were 'teaching' me.