Boots? Booting?

[Rhyadawn]

Can we talk about boots for a moment? When do you boot? What for? (and I mean *everytime* you boot, from shipping to Xcountry). What kind of boots do you use? have you used?

[Go Fish]

Can we talk about boots for a moment? When do you boot? What for? (and I mean *everytime* you boot, from shipping to Xcountry). What kind of boots do you use? have you used?

Eskadrons, open fronts and backs for jumping. No bows and flannels for shipping. That's it. I don't boot for turn out. I may stick on a pair of bell boots for shipping for long hauls.

[Dressage.For.Life.]

Eskadron open fronts along with Adelaide Sport Boots on the hind for jumping, brushing boots for cross country schooling, Adelaide Sport Boots on all four for dressage work. Nothing or some splint boots for trail riding. And I'll sometimes do bell boots for jumping/xc/dressage. Shipping boots or shipping wraps + bell boots. No boots for turnout.

[DP2000]

...I am a little over protective when it comes to horses legs...so, with that in mind...no horse I ever ride/work/play around with leaves cross ties or the stall without boots on. The only time a horse doesn't have anything on their legs is during turnout on pasture.

For my horses, they get Pro. choice leather boots (I LOVE them! worth every penny) on all 4 legs when riding in arenas/warming up at show. Woof boots on all 4 when turned out into arenas or on a light hack day. If the horse has a big step, they get bell boots...not worth risking. If leather boots are getting washed/too dirty or I have a clinic then I will polo wrap.

For shipping I use no bows and standing wraps, front feet get bell boots. If I am hauling in town I polo wrap for the trip.

[sublimequine]

Open front jumping boots (Romas, to be exact) when it's uncharacteristically cold, or for snowy trail rides, to keep the tendons warm.

Open front jumping boots or polos when working on a new trail class obstacle where the mare may bang against something.

Standing wraps and bell boots when trailered.

Hoof boots when barefoot and riding anywhere but the softest of surfaces.

I don't even jump, but need the open front boots because the mare has an old injury that is a lump on a front fetlock, so no regular boots fit her.

[yellowbritches]

My horse gets booted (or polo wrapped) almost every time I swing a leg over him. We have quite a collection- various brushing boots or polos for every day work and hacking, NEW boots for cross country, a fancy set of open fronts for show jumping at shows (though, if our sj doesn't improve soon, he may go bare legged for awhile). His legs are important to me, so I want to protect them as much as I can. He also wears bell boots for jumping and galloping. He has a tremendous stride and over reaches big time when really boogeying. Even WITH bell boots, I've had some interesting moments- http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2526697&l=88a663461c&id=840606599 This was the second time I used plain ol' rubber bell boots. He's going back to the No Turns from now on!

He gets shipped in shipping boots or standing bandages (usually bandages for the homeward journey after shows). If he stays in the night after jumping, I'll wrap him, as he does stock up in his stall after a big effort.

Don't boot for turnout for 2 reasons. 1) They can cause more problems than they are worth 2) Gives him a chance to learn what to do with his legs and feet and learn to stay out of his own way. A handy skill for a horse going xc.

The above is SOP for the majority of the horses in the barn.

[FraggleRock]

i never boot for turnout. if that was 'needed' i would think there was definately something wrong.
sometimes i use polos for lunging if they havent been worked in a while.
usually not boots or anything when riding.
sometimes i use bandages, just regular stall bandages for trailering. only when going to shows, otherwise i really dont worry about it.

i used to have a race horse, i exercised her every day without boots (yes even in winter with corks on). on race day she wore open front jumper boots and knee boots because she ocasionally hit her knees and legs going full out.

[Seven-up]

Open front Romas for working, polos in back. Occasionally I'll wrap all around instead of boots. Also bell boots.

Pillow wraps and standings for shipping, and maybe some bell boots.

Nothing for turnout, except maybe for pull on bell boots if the horse yanks their shoes off.

[LD1129]

Dover fleece boots for every ride (low level dressage - 5 year old Hanoverian) I throw those on for very short trailer rides. The occasional polo wraps when I am not being lazy. I no-bow/standing wraps for long rides in the trailer with bell boots. I do not boot for turn out.

[baysngreys]

Can't remember the last time I "booted"or used wraps. Probably couldn't even find them now if I wanted to.
Mine all live out 24/7, work and do trails with hills and water. Not one, out of 4 of them, ever clip or catch themselves and as far as I'm concerned if they bang their leg, maybe they'll pick it up higher next time!
I don't normally wrap to trailer any more. It's either a short ride to school, or a really long, cross country trip and every long distance shipper I've gone with advises not to wrap, 'cause if they slip, they're not going to fix them.

I started not wrapping several years ago when I flew my horses cross country for a move. Got to the barn and realised the box of wraps had been packed, so I had no choice but to send them "au natural" to the airport.
They arrived, just fine - well, except for the old guy who did an idiot dance and broke the front of the crate with his forhead during take-off. And no amount of wraps could have protected him from that!

[besttwtbever]

^^^baysngreys couldn't agree with you more. I used to wrap religiously on all fours. It got to the point of being ridiculous actually. I'm not sure exactly what happened but now I don't boot or wrap at all. I use bell boots but that's because tacking on shoes over and over again can get expensive.

[costco_muffins]

On loony toon OTTB:

Bell boots 24/7

As quoted by the farrier "I have never seen a horse more in need of bell boots than this one" while looking at the puncture holes and rips in his bells during a shoeing. Baby horse plays too hard and doesn't have the best feet (yet) and while farrier is working to get them right, we are trying very hard to keep shoes on.

Dover sport boots every ride

OTTB came back from a few rides with cuts and scrapes, I am not a big fan of a layup that could have been prevented, so he goes with boots now for the baby moments.

Shipping wraps over no-bows with bells on any shod food for any trailer ride over 10 minutes or where he stands near an unfamiliar horse.

He is on 24/7 turnout with no boots (except the bells).

All of our other horses go nekkid, save the small pony who gets polos on for little schooling shows because the girls thing it is "sooooooo cute".

[baysngreys]

^^^baysngreys couldn't agree with you more. I used to wrap religiously on all fours. It got to the point of being ridiculous actually. I'm not sure exactly what happened but now I don't boot or wrap at all. I use bell boots but that's because tacking on shoes over and over again can get expensive.

I have no hesitation to wrap an injury. I've got older guys who just don't leap around and bang themselves anymore. My youngsters live out 24/7, doing airs above the ground at will, so it's either nothing or bubble wrap! I'd prefer they learn to get out of their own way.

Had one get new shoes and farrier suggested bell boots for a week or two, no problem.

My DH likes to polo wrap when he rides, thinks it "looks" more professional. Then on the way back to the barn, he realises he can't ride in to the lake 'cause of the wraps. :(

[Equa]

I used to boot/wrap religiously with the right boots for all occasions. However I hardly boot anymore, having a young talented horse who believed his mission in life was to remove all forms of boots/bandages. He would take his splint boots off while tied up, remove wraps in the stable, bite off bell boots in the paddock. So all he gets are splint boots for dressage, open front Roma boots for sj, Dalmars for xc, and shipping boots only on a long haul. Hanging about with some experienced eventing people has shown me that boots can cause more problems than they solve.....

[Lavender Menace]

Most of our 30 or so horses don't wear boots or wraps at all, but a few wear cheapie splint boots for turnout, a few wear pull-on bell boots 24/7, a couple get polos for work, and one mare wears standing wraps overnight every night.

[kahjul]

Saratogas w/bandage liners behind if we're going to work hard, nothing if not. The same bandages all the way around if we're clinicing. Alot of my hauling is less than 10 miles, for that just bell boots, if we're going farther, she gets full shipping boots. I use standing wraps w/poltice after clinics, shows, etc. Nothing for trail rides.

[shakeytails]

Bell boots when riding almost everything. Young horses (and gaited horses) will wear neoprene splint boots behind to guard against brushing. If footing is deep or funky, or the horse is a baby just learning to carry a rider, they might wear splint boots or polos in front, but not usually. I never use anything but bell boots for turnout, and that's only for horses wearing show shoes to avoid catching a heel and yanking a shoe.

[gypsymare]

I ship nekkid. Have had and seen more problems with boots and wraps causing injury than bare legs. I haul in a slant load, the horses brace their butts against the back and the dividers support them well so there is no scrambling around. I haven't seen anyone in the hunt club wrap for shipping and that's a twice weekly hour and a half haul for most folks. I've hauled clear across the country several times. Only time I had a problem was when I used shipping boots.

Currently barefoot horse getting shoes this week. I only used hoof boots when I knew I'd encounter a lot of gravel for long distances like a hard trot down a gravel road. 95% of the time bare.

I polo wrap when training any sort of lateral movement on the flat. Prevents accidental hits.

She's been shod before and has not had problems with interference so I don't think it will be a problem this time but I'll boot as necessary if we encounter any. We weren't fox hunting before so I imagine she may have different requirements moving at speed with studs than just working on the flat around a ring.

[shakeytails]

Bell boots when riding almost everything. Young horses (and gaited horses) will wear neoprene splint boots behind to guard against brushing. If footing is deep or funky, or the horse is a baby just learning to carry a rider, they might wear splint boots or polos in front, but not usually. I never use anything but bell boots for turnout, and that's only for horses wearing show shoes to avoid catching a heel and yanking a shoe.

[Shiaway]

in the ring (dressage) I use equilibrium flex wrap boots (everything else gives my horse rubs if used on a regular basis).

on the trail-- woof splint boots (these would give rubs if used every day for my horse but once a week for a trail is ok, they offer more protection than the equi. wraps)

in the trailer,-- trailering boots, if it's a very long haul then just bell boots

nothing in the paddock.

I must admit, for dressage I often wonder if the boots do much more than cause heat build up. :/ But the flex wraps are very breathable so that's one good thing about them.

[Rhyadawn]

Thanks for your opinions everyone! Please, keep them coming

[starkissed]

I tend not to use boots much. I will try and remember to wrap the legs for long trailer rides (like 3 hours+) usually I just do the front.
But I have had some trailer accidents where my horses legs DID get cut and she wasn't wrapped. It was actually a hind leg. I don't really like shpping boots, I prefer quilts and wraps.

I generally don't use boots for riding. Sometimes I will throw some polos on, or I have a pair of Euro Pro fleece/leather boots that I put on. And sometimes I put on cheapy neoprene boots. But once they slipped down when XC schooling, so I usually use nothing.

My horses dont really hurt their legs. And I think it's silly to turn out in boots! They are horses!

[BrookdaleBay]

For dressage I use DSB's or polo's all around. For jumping Roma open fronts and polo's in the back, and for XC Boogalo's all around. For hacking I use Woof boots, and shipping anywhere I wrap all four with no bows and standing wraps. Nothing for turnout.

[tBHj]

I wrap all injuries. Or after a hard jumping lesson, or show.

Bell boots & recently starting using open fronts for turnout (my horse got a nasty little cut last week).

Schooling I either use polo's or Eskadron boots. If I'm doing a lot of laterial work I tend to use polo's. Sometimes I use bell boots.

[circusponydreams]

Bell boots all the time except while I'm riding (I take them off to brush underneath and clean them off).

Shipping boots any time he gets on a trailer.

Brushing/Woof boots for jumping lessons, XC or trail rides through the woods. Other than that, he's barelegged.

[toxicity]

For jumping, open front and ankle boots, or polo wraps. Same for lunging, but add bell boots. Just hacking on the flat, nothing unless he's acting especially silly that day.

Trailering, no-bows and track bandages, and bell boots on the front. Pressure wrapped at shows.