What Are Hoof Boots and Why We Use Them

#horses #hoofcare #hoofboots
I've been asked this so many times that it's time to finally talk about this! So, now we're going to talk about hoof boots, what they are and how and why we use them here. Hoof boots are a very useful tool in your toolbox for taking care of your horse. Well worth knowing about and trying if you haven't already. We have an online course available too for hoof trimming 101 with over 4 hours of material to learn from! myhorsecoach.com/courses/hors... Where you can learn how to start trimming hooves and learning all about hoof health and good practices for trimming!
Here the links to the three main companies I talked about:
Easy Care
www.easycareinc.com/
Renegade Hoof Boots
www.renegadehoofboots.com/
Cavallo
www.cavallo-inc.com/
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[@StableHorseTraining]

We have an online course available too for hoof trimming 101 with over 4 hours of material to learn from! myhorsecoach.com/courses/horse-hoof-trimming-101/ Where you can learn how to start trimming hooves and learning all about hoof health and good practices for trimming!

[@chrisyonkers7686]

Ty.. bcuz I've been pulling molds for renegade here in Kingman Arizona.. your video was very informative. There was a lot more than I understood. Thumbs up bud.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks!

[@danielablettner7158]

Thanks a lot, Graeme! This is very helpful!

[@StableHorseTraining]

You're welcome! Let me know if you ever have any questions

[@Laurieb2851]

As luck would have it, I've seen reference to boots for horses quite often, but they were never explained. I was getting ready to ask you about horse boots. I saw your video where you discussed horse shoes and the fact that you don't use them. Then I had a question regarding protecting hooves - especially those that are compromised for what ever reason. This video just answered my questions regarding boots. Thank you! Now I won't have to ask. When I think of it, pretty much since the first time I was aware of horses, I never had a very good feeling about horse shoes. We only have to look to our own feet to know why they would be bad for the horse's feet.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks great Laurie! I am glad you found the video. If you do have any extra questions or thoughts feel free to ask.

[@naomisawyer1555]

Interesting and informative. Thank you.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Judten1]

Hoping you can help...I have a horse with very LOW soles in front! Can you recommend a boot for front for her to just be comfortable in pasture? She isn’t ever ridden. She’s always sore unless ground is extremely soft. Thank you!

[@StableHorseTraining]

There are a couple of options. I personally would probably do a glue on hoof boot. Here's a video I did about them a while back: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpSyYpygpJd2n7M Your other option is to use casts. They are handy for sure but like glue on boots require a bit of care to put them on. I haven't done a video on them but here is a link to maybe give you a bit of information: www.hoofrehab.com/Hoofcast.html

[@VictorGarcia-dv6rn]

Is there any type of hoof boot I can put over horse shoe? My horse has soft hood and I want to put them ok for light workout

[@StableHorseTraining]

Not that I'm aware of. It's best to remove shoes

[@MsGroovalicious]

Would you refer me to a video of yours where you talk about glue on shoes primarily? Love your channel. Let's chitty-chat!

[@StableHorseTraining]

I don't have one yet, I do talk about hoof boots here and there but haven't gone into detail about glue on boots. Is there something you're curious about?

[@MsGroovalicious]

@@StableHorseTraining I guess I'd like to find out what products have positive/negative results in performance, ease of use, hoof care accessibility. I live in the Pacific Northwest and have access to horses who only stand in wet, soft areas. I'm a big believer in the Paddock Paradise systems approach, but want to help the horse that I can ride and the other (Gracie look-alike, just older) that I get to do ground work with and maybe ride later, after I get more experienced.

[@StableHorseTraining]

@@MsGroovalicious I answered your question today, here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXTakGBpgqaVarM

[@newpathshorsesanctuary5852]

Good info *:D

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks!

[@PattiShawFlorida]

Can any of these be left on the horse for a more extended period, than just working or riding? Which can they be left in a pasture with?

[@StableHorseTraining]

As long as they fit well, yes. The one thing to think about though is that like our own feet, being in them too long can cause growth of bacteria with the moisture.

[@PattiShawFlorida]

@@StableHorseTraining Thank you for your response! do they (or any of them) have drain holes to prevent them from filling with water in the rain?

[@StableHorseTraining]

@@PattiShawFlorida some people will drill holes or even drill a large hole with a hole saw drill bit and make a big hole in the bottom in the middle. I don't know if either are effective as I've never done that. I imagine they just fill up with mud and the big hole might be most effective as long as it doesn't allow material to just push up and under. Likely it wouldn't if the boot fits well.

[@louisevella2351]

Wondering........ If using boots for the first time, ie: removing shoes and trying to switch to barefoot, if riding in fairly deep footing what do you do about the sand and or other arena footing getting inside the boot? I’m thinking this could be rather uncomfortable for the horse, as well as potentially damaging to the hoof itself.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Sometimes it does. The boot needs to fit tight. If you do have issues you can wrap the foot with vetwrap and that will keep sand/dirt off of the foot. Yes, if a boot does not fit properly, it can cause rubbing and chaffing on the bulbs mainly. If way too loose then the boot comes off. Some people put an actual sock on the foot/leg then boot it.

[@louisevella2351]

Stable Horse Training Thanks, A sock? Interesting? Meaning a human sock? Lol Please forgive my ignorance 😳

[@StableHorseTraining]

yes, exactly that

[@cathybrown8617]

You're so polite.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks Cathy 😊

[@teresajohnson7233]

Just wondering how does a horse act when you put boots on him when he has never been in a pair before? I would love to go to boots.

[@StableHorseTraining]

They usually look and walk a little funny at first but quickly get used to them and actually look forward to them if they are ouchy horses

[@leealexander3507]

My arabian, who had never had anything on his feet, looked dismayed.

[@teresajohnson7233]

Lee Alexander Lol. I bet. The image I get is a cat with tape on his feet.

[@StableHorseTraining]

I've seen that kind of response too. It doesn't take them long to adjust

[@c.c7593]

Have u ever seen a dog wearing boots kinda like that it’s kinda funny

[@georgiagonzales3769]

Thanks. I use Soft Ride boots when my girl has a laminitis bout. I put them on for a few days ( cleaning out daily ) and she is go to go. They have a thick rubber pad with a cruved place for the frog. They are really well made. So glad my farrier suggested them. They have made a world of difference.

[@StableHorseTraining]

What is a laminitis bout? Laminitis by definition is where the hoof wall starts separating off of the hoof internal structure with the dermal and epidermal laminae irreversibly going their separate ways. How does a horse have a separation of the laminae one day and a couple of days later not? I'm curious what exactly is happening that a few days of booting solves the problem you are seeing and wonder how that diagnosis was made based on what observations of both it occurring and then the horse being ok. Too many questions maybe....

[@georgiagonzales3769]

Maybe Im using the wrong term. I was told by my vet with x-rays that she has founderd in 2017. Have had trouble with abesses sence. Changed farriers sence and working to get soles stronger. She will get stiff in the front once in awhile and that's when I use the boots. She had a slight rotation. Have x rayed again this passed year sence the new farrier and her coffin bone is back were it should be. Vet was impressed. My bad. I have had issues with the soles. But have had much improvement. Also spraying #10 iodine on the soles has helped to toughen them up.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Now I have even more questions... but probably too much. I personally haven't found any benefit of using iodine topically on keratin cells (sole, walls and frog) outside of cleaning purposes as it's a microbial killer, and if it was effective then people with weak nails or hair would be soaking in the stuff, but I don't see any articles or science backing that up. So while I certainly can't prove one way or another, my experience points it to be ineffective (not saying I'm right). Objective evidence off x-rays is awesome, and it sounds like x-rays are showing better positioning of the structures and the walls are lining up better with the bones. If I were to guess then it's likely the feet are underrun with some long toes and flares? That can take years to reverse... especially if the horse reached the diagnosis of "founder" (which has a wide range in the horse world...)

[@StableHorseTraining]

As I think on it further, the iodine might be killing off microbes that are eating away at the weakened sole, in such a case iodine would definitely help so the sole can recover faster.

[@georgiagonzales3769]

I have the farrier every 4wks. And he's the new one that has helped her get to a better place. He's also the one that suggested the iodine all though I've read the same thing about using it. But it sure did harden them. The farrier I had before had left her with flares, unbalanced, cutting in her soles and had her toes cut very short. She was sore after every trim. This guy I have now (almost 3 yrs ) has made a defiant improvement. It's really been a work in progress. I surly realize this takes time.

[@alissabovorasmy9680]

For a little bit of a rocky trail, do you usually put the boots on just the two front hooves where they are the most sensitive or all four?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Most people do just the fronts, some do the backs too but most of the time the back feet are up to the task. Ideally you shouldn't need boots at all, so you want to get your horse used to this kind of riding if you can.

[@StableHorseTraining]

I've seen feet "shaved off" based on a very poor trim and it appears as if the hoof is shaved off, or the person doing the determination of the hoof being shaved off really has no idea of what they are talking about. It's is very very unusual to have healthy hooves wear out faster than they grow.

[@alissabovorasmy9680]

@@StableHorseTraining My horse used to fake trip in the sand arena to get out of a workout. I thought he had a foot injury for like a month until the farrier called him out on his lie. No more tripping.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Horses don't lie. They don't try to cheat us, they don't try to trick us. If the horse was tripping then it had a real problem. There would be absolutely no connection for them to trip to get out of work, a horse's brain just doesn't work that way. I would be very careful believing anybody that says that to you to likely hide something that they are doing. You have to keep in mind that horses will go out of their way to not look lame, if they do look lame then it means they are really messed up. I can say this 100% assurance. A horse that looks or acts lame gets left behind and eaten, that's mother nature and you can't take that out of them.

[@alissabovorasmy9680]

@@StableHorseTraining Maybe my previous comment was a little unfair to the horse. Would you believe it if I taught him that tripping in the arena was an easy way to get back to his pasture with his best friend and unlimited food?

[@moasteen6593]

Hi i live in Sweden. we have a hoofboot name "scootboots". don't know if you scottboots in other countries but it is a relly good hoofboots so maybe you wanna try it.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Yes, we have scootboots here, I've never tried any due to the cost and lack of need, but I've heard good things about them.

[@cathybrown8617]

Can you discuss what "Mud Fever" is in horses? I've heard of it, but I'm not sure what it is.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Yes, I'll do that soon. It's a important one. Lots of horses get it

[@cathybrown8617]

Thank you. At least you respond in a timely manner. Why doesn't Rick Gore?

[@StableHorseTraining]

He states clearly on his page that he won't be responding to anybody who comments. Outside of that, you'd have to get an answer from him I think.

[@cathybrown8617]

Stable Horse Training, what are the ages of the mares and geldings you have?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Luke and macaroni are 7, we think Lena is 10 and Gracie is 4

[@marydufresne4999]

Isn't that dead tree a potential widow maker

[@StableHorseTraining]

Sorta, it's not been dead long and it's slated to be cut down soon. Thanks for caring :)

[@601salsa]

perhaps plan out what to say first and gather what you need first, this is a interesting topic and am grateful for the info but it's a bit flaky with the breaks and interruptions. Last few minutes was very good. Really interested in a soaker boot, haven't heard about that before in my country.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Flakey... Hahahaha.... Don't watch the rest of my videos then. I'm so scatter brained that I'm surprised anybody pays any attention to me half the time. Thank you for the advice, I'll see what I can do about that. 🙂 Soaker boots are commonly used so I'm sure I can come up with a scenario or two to demonstrate how and why to use them.

[@601salsa]

Stable Horse Training :) do keep on with the vids, the info in them is very useful and interesting. I need to ring my sister to suggest these boots for her pony so major thank you to you for helping me a possible solution. Hope you are not in the hurricane impact area, if you are stay safe

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks! I will for sure. I'm on the west coast of Canada. We'll out of the way of the storm, but thank you anyways.