Bellboots or other suggestions

[twcolabear]

My 4yo gelding is in the pasture board, but he always pulls his shoes so now he wears bellboots but he is also very rough on them too. I have to constantly keep buying new ones. as keeping him in the barn is not an option, do you guys have any better ideas to keep shoes on or brand of bell boots that would stand up to hard treatment? or even suggestions on where to buy them in bulk would be appreciated.

[Dune]

Professional choice. They're pricey, but can take a beating. They also used to have a warranty on them, not sure if they still do.

[tarynls]

I use the gum italian Alprima pull on bell boots (you can find them at Beval's). My guy is also hard on boots and wore his last pair for 2 years before they became brittle enough to crack. He wore them 24/7 without rubs.

Here they are: http://www.beval.com/Products/Italian-Pull-On-Bell-Boots/0004008.aspx

[Dirty Little Secret]

After 3 sets of bell boots and 3 lost shoes my farrier suggested wearing 2 pairs of bell boots at once. I use these on the bottom http://www.farmhousetack.com/servlet/the-1225/Eskadron-Velcro-Bell-Boots/Detail and these on the top http://www.farmhousetack.com/servlet/the-1677/Beval-Italian-Pull-dsh-On-Bell/Detail

No lost shoes in months!

[dwblover]

Professional's Choice Quick-Wrap bell boots. Put them on loosely so the back comes in contact with the ground and completely covers the back of the shoe. I've never found a better solution than this! My farrier jokes that they appear bulletproof (they are tough). :D

[cardicorgi]

I use the gum italian Alprima pull on bell boots (you can find them at Beval's). My guy is also hard on boots and wore his last pair for 2 years before they became brittle enough to crack. He wore them 24/7 without rubs.

Here they are: http://www.beval.com/Products/Italian-Pull-On-Bell-Boots/0004008.aspx

Ditto

[LuckOfTheIrish]

My mare used to go through 1 pair of bell boots each month. I finally tried the Davis boots, and we are going on 3 months now!

[BeastieSlave]

I always suggest petal boots. They're super tough, not very expensive, size adjustable, and you can replace parts that get damaged. I also think they don't trap as much moisture as rubber bell boots.
http://www.bitofbritain.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=petal+boots&Search.x=16&Search.y=3

[sublimequine]

I always suggest petal boots. They're super tough, not very expensive, size adjustable, and you can replace parts that get damaged. I also think they don't trap as much moisture as rubber bell boots.
http://www.bitofbritain.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=petal+boots&Search.x=16&Search.y=3

Can those be used for 24/7 turnout like pull ons can?

[BeastieSlave]

Can those be used for 24/7 turnout like pull ons can?

In my herd they sure can! I've had a couple beasties who had to wear them 'round the clock (for whatever reason) and all mine are out 24/7. Seriously, I love them WAY more than pull ons, and I tried a lot of pull ons before rediscovering petal boots :yes:

Back in the dark ages when I evented, petal boots were all the rage. The plastic petals just hold up better than rubber. We'd alternate petal colors to make 'cutom' boots. I still have some sort of flesh/pink colored petals and lots of dark grey ones :cool:

[sublimequine]

In my herd they sure can! I've had a couple beasties who had to wear them 'round the clock (for whatever reason) and all mine are out 24/7. Seriously, I love them WAY more than pull ons, and I tried a lot of pull ons before rediscovering petal boots :yes:

Back in the dark ages when I evented, petal boots were all the rage. The plastic petals just hold up better than rubber. We'd alternate petal colors to make 'cutom' boots. I still have some sort of flesh/pink colored petals and lots of dark grey ones :cool:

And they don't rub or anything? Really? I'm so interested in these boots now, I'm shopping for bells at the moment and am dreading the thought of wrestling with pull ons! :lol:

[CarolinaGirl]

I love these: http://www.westernshoppe.com/Products/productdetail.aspx?ProductID=1099

They last forever! Have kept them on horses 24/7. They take a lot of wear and tear. Mine have even have small rips in them and are still just as good (the ones I have right now are a few years old and have spent some extended time on a horse in 24/7 turnout).
I'm very much a pull on bell boot person. There is definitely an art to it though lol. Petal bell boots can get annoying to me.. clackity clackity clack.

Also has a note for pull on bell boots: Black doesn't have as much stretch, I generally get white.

[BumbleBee]

I buy the cheap gum pull-ons whenever they are on sale. I ofte find them for $5 sp buy lots at once.

To get them on easier put them in a bucket of hot water till they soften and oil the hoof so they slip on easier.

[BeastieSlave]

And they don't rub or anything? Really? I'm so interested in these boots now, I'm shopping for bells at the moment and am dreading the thought of wrestling with pull ons! :lol:

Nope, I've never had them rub. The beauty is that you really do customize the fit. You add or subtract petals to get the best coverage for the hoof. Then you buckle the strap where you need it. If a petal loses a chunk or happens to break off, you still have partial coverage because of the way they overlap. You just replace the petal and you're good to go again. The overlapping also lets the boot flap a bit and keep air circulating around the hoof. There is some noise (sort of a clack, clack that some people notice) when the beastie moves around, but I've never had any problems and really don't notice it.
They're not expensive, I really do use and recommend them :yes: