To Boot or Not

Jonesa1

Just to ask your opinions on booting your horse.

On one of my horse I use boots all round but on the other I don't. Some people have said I should but others say no. The one I don't boot has an old front leg injury and I am afraid the boots might rub this. It's just a slight scar from where he had a few stiches.

The reason I'm asking as I have just moved yards.

Any advise?

monflat

Jonesa1 wrote: »

Just to ask your opinions on booting your horse.

On one of my horse I use boots all round but on the other I don't. Some people have said I should but others say no. The one I don't boot has an old front leg injury and I am afraid the boots might rub this. It's just a slight scar from where he had a few stiches.

The reason I'm asking as I have just moved yards.

Any advise?

Well does he need them?
If you feel that the straps Could irritate old scar don't.
If he brushes or knocks then yes but otherwise sometimes I feel that the arena surface (if poor) can irritate the skin in the boots if sensitive.

Do what you feel right if you never had problems with no boots leave well alone.

Sometimes in livery yards there are plenty of opinions.
You know your horse they don't

ailbheg

What do you do with him that people say you should boot? Does he brush/knock himself? If not, I wouldn't be too concerned.

I boot for lungeing, SJ and XC, but don't for everyday riding.

Jonesa1

ailbheg wrote: »

What do you do with him that people say you should boot? Does he brush/knock himself? If not, I wouldn't be too concerned.

I boot for lungeing, SJ and XC, but don't for everyday riding.

I mainly do dressage and a bit of SJ. I do feel he is fine without boots but maybe for SJ just in case. I was looking at the sport boots.

Ah_Yeah

I always use boots on my mare, but that's because she is exceptionally clumsy in that she has a tendency to trip when she's just walking Tendon boots go on front and back for any form of jumping, for flatwork I usually use front boots, but I am thinking of switching to leg wraps to give her a break from the boots.

Only horses that need boots should be booted - though I'd be of the opinion that boots should always be used for jumping. But that's my opinion - as another poster said, everyone has their own opinions. Every horse is different.

convert

I'd go with what Ah_Yeah has said: if a horse needs boots, then use them; if they don't, then don't.

Unless your horse brushes/hits himself, or has a tendency to over-reach, then there's no reason to use them, I think. I'd use them if working in heavy ground or on a gallop (race horses), just in case, but I don't use them when the ground isn't heavy.

As someone mentioned above, he's your horse, you know him, so trust yourself to make the right call.

Ave Sodalis

The general rule of thumb (for me anyway) is to have a standard saddle and bridle only, unless there's a genuine reason for something else.

No martingales unless the horse flings his head up to run away on you, only a girth to hold the saddle in place unless it slips backwards or forwards, no boots unless they're prone to knocking themselves... heck, even one of the horses I ride has no nose band! That's really just because he's a head shaker and the nose band makes it worse.

Ah_Yeah

Agreed - I jump my mare around 90cm-1m jumps with no martingale.. she doesn't need it!

silverfox88

Established member of the bubble-wrap brigade here...

Horse wears boots the minute he steps out of his stable. Full set, over-reachers, front tendon boots and fetlock boots.

He wears tighter leather back boots with a bit of a pinch behind for jumping.
Larger xc boots and bigger hind brushing boots for the road.

In his case the over reach boots are a must as he is a big mover and forges, but the other boots are just a case of "prevention rather than cure" - no foot no horse, no leg no horse...
I'd bring him home at night if it meant I could watch him 24/7...

I should also mention that he literally has a set of boots for every day of the week - it's like what a normal woman does with shoes - in my case, tendon boots. Boots boots boots.

charlieIRL

I've never used boots on any of our ponies show jumping but after reading here i'm thinking of investing.

elusiveguy

charlieIRL wrote: »

I've never used boots on any of our ponies show jumping but after reading here i'm thinking of investing.

Only really use XC ones for XC but decided I'd start using tendon and fetlock boots lunging after reading this thread.... forgot to take them off after.... week and a half of hosing and box rest later, his legs are NEARLY looking normal again and then we find out if he's sound

I'm an idiot

convert

None of our ponies ever used boots when we rode them, and never had any problems. Thankfully they had good action and didn't need them.

As I said above, I'm someone who would only use something if it's necessary rather than being of the school where you put everything on regardless of whether or not the horse/pony needs them. I was 15 before I had a horse that needed boots, and it had close action which just needed a nice light pair of brushing boots - nothing heavy or serious.

monflat

elusiveguy wrote: »

Only really use XC ones for XC but decided I'd start using tendon and fetlock boots lunging after reading this thread.... forgot to take them off after.... week and a half of hosing and box rest later, his legs are NEARLY looking normal again and then we find out if he's sound

I'm an idiot

Oh.no how long were they on for?

fits

elusiveguy wrote: »

Only really use XC ones for XC but decided I'd start using tendon and fetlock boots lunging after reading this thread.... forgot to take them off after.... week and a half of hosing and box rest later, his legs are NEARLY looking normal again and then we find out if he's sound

I'm an idiot

Hope horse comes sound again. Similar happened friend of mine with a tail bandage. Horse lost his tail, only tiny stump left.

Ah_Yeah

Sorry to hear elusiveguy, hope your horse comes sound again.

I'd usually put boots on when jumping or on roads just because of the fact that those two activities are more likely to result in serious injury.

I've stopped using them schooling on the flat. My mare was in a riding school before I got her so I'm almost 100% certain she didn't get them there unless she gave them a valid reason to invest

elusiveguy

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

Sorry to hear elusiveguy, hope your horse comes sound again.

Me too so far its looking good but fingers are still staying firmly crossed

elusiveguy

Got to go for TWO HACKS this weekend!!! Oh the excitement

nearzero

I would be another of the opinion if they need them - wear them, if they dont, dont!

I only boot for XC and only if I'm wearing studs! Otherwise, I dont bother - he has never needed them!