Tuesday 22 September 2020

Looking For Recommendations

 It’s been quiet here! First we were inundated with smoke and terrible air quality for a week, then it cleared up on the weekend only for us to be facing some pretty significant storms coming our way starting tonight and lasting a few more days. Both ponies had the week off with the awful air quality, as did I, so I spent Sunday trimming their feet, giving them a good bath and grooming, picking paddocks, and fixing fences (bad Sophie!) Sophie needs consistency and is going a little bananas. Thank goodness they’re still on summer turnout and she can run and play to her heart’s content. I took the easy way out and didn’t ride fire breathing Sophie yesterday when I knew we’d just be on hold again due to wind/rain storms the next few days. I’ll normally happily ride in the wind and rain, but my west coast friends can probably back me up that the first big storm of the season isn’t the time to head out on the trail (or go anywhere else near a tree, really.) Safety first and pick your battles, guys ;)

You can see Bridget’s really itching to get back at it, too ;) 


Anyway, on to my request for recommendations...

My ‘whiny’ post that I didn’t ever end up publishing revolved around the fact that our new arena footing isn’t holding up to rain and will need to be redone. Plus, the indoor area is closed to the public until at least spring 2021 due to Covid. And, well, it’s a small equestrian community here and there isn’t really anywhere else for me to go.  So, my winter riding is looking a little different than I had mapped out. Fingers crossed we can use at least part of the outdoor through winter (it’s gigantic)  but I’m not feeling confident.

It looks like we’ll be hitting the trail! We’ve always got lots of those! My ultra whiny post may have touched on the fact our trails are generally rocky and steep and it’s mostly walking only. But, better than nothing right? It’s weird I used to do nothing but trail ride, now I’m bored by walking everywhere horseback. I think it’s because I’ve been doing so much hiking and am getting my outdoor exercise fix that way. Anyway, trail riding.... I just need to slap a set of shoes on Sophie and away we go...or we would, if we had a local farrier. We do have someone who comes from the city every eight weeks, but 1) I’m 99.9% sure Sophie is not the pony to keep a full set of shoes attached to her feet for 8 week intervals. 2) She really wants to be underrun with long toes and needs to be trimmed more frequently than that. If she doesn’t have shoes I can take her toes back a little between pro visits.

So, readers, tell me all about your favourite hoof boots. I’ve measured Sophie and she’s a closer fit to the Renegade boots than anything, although the Scoot boots look like a definite maybe.


Renegades - everyone needs a pair of red shoes. I worry she overreaches. She could grab the heel part on these and rip them off? 

Scoot boots - these look like horse sandals :) They’d drain well?


Easyboot gloves on paper don’t look like they’d work...and I do have a set for Bridget that I’m not pleased with (I tried the epics too with minimal luck) so I’m more interested in trying a different brand. 

Ideally, we’re looking for the holy grail of being able to walk/trot/canter on gravel roads, plus navigate west coast mud and steep rocky hills. I don’t need traction in snow because we don’t get much (if snow is even a thing you could do with boots.)

Question #2

I’m feeling so isolated here. I know this is something I’ve mentioned before, but do any of you do real time remote lessons? I feel like the idea could be so close to reality with the Pivo and some Bluetooth ear buds (if only the Pivo worked for me) But, I do have good cell service and a husband who’d video...is there an app for that? Could it be so simple as a Zoom call, or is there a better way? 

Thanks everyone!

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23 comments

  1. Measurements are the biggest factor, which boot is sized best? My long toe, low heel horse (trimmed every 6 weeks by professional and in between by me) goes great in standard Renegades. He oversteps by easily 6 inches when walking, but doesn’t interfere. I like that all parts are replaceable, though that can be a downfall for people who don’t like tinkering with it! Rocks, water, mud, we really only have problems with wet+stupid exuberance on hills, but even that is only a couple times a year. I get about 800 miles from a set, with replacing straps in between.

    That being said, in winter on shorter rides (less than 10 miles) we go barefoot. There is mud and rocks, but not gravel, more like boulders, and my horse does fine. I’ll also use Hoof Armor in spring.

    I’m sure you’ll get success stories (and failures!) on all types. Best of luck, it’s a journey!

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    1. Thank you so, so much for taking the time to reply. This is exactly the feedback I'm looking for! I've been hacking her barefoot until now and letting her pick her way along but she does get a bit footsore if I go too long or on too many consecutive days. I'd also like to be able to pick up the pace a little! So good to know you're happy with the Renegades, I've heard all good things about them so far.

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  2. I don't have any advice on the boots, but I think Megan over at A Enter Spooking does remote lessons! https://aenterspooking.blogspot.com/

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    1. You're right, I think she does! And in the same time zone as me, even. Thank you for the reminder :)

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    2. I’m taking remote lessons with Meghan currently and she’s awesome! I’ve been trying for 1-2 times per month. I’ve got a very low tech setup with my phone fastened to the fence and a pair of AirPods. As long as I don’t get too far away I can hear and she seems to be able to see well enough to give me fantastic instruction :)

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    3. Oh wonderful! Thanks so much for that feedback. So good to know a simple set up works fine - I've been overthinking it, obviously!

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  3. I totally agree with Irish Horse. You will want to pick based on measurement. If you know of any endurance people, they have (or can hook you up with someone with) tons of knowledge about boots. One trick I did pick up is if the horse is a delicate flower and prone to rub you can put a sock on then the boot over it.

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  4. I love the renegades, but definitely measure. That said, when you do measure, let me know what size she is. I have a small set that I found cheap on consignment that even with shipping would be way less than a new pair if they end up being her size. They're the renegade vipers and they are quite Nay Nay sized. I haven't quite gotten around to listing them, but they way one of our consignment stores works, the longer they sit, the more they drop in price...

    Batty wore the regular renegades and they held up pretty well. I probably needed a different size once his hoof shape changed a bit (one hoof was slightly different in size), but despite that? They were more forgiving than people give them credit for. And if you're trimming in between, you won't have long hoof issues like me. Batt really liked them.

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    1. She'd be a size 1 in the regular, 130x120 in the vipers. It actually just occurred to me to google whether at 4, her feet are their 'final' size. Apparently they will likely continue to grow until 6. Interesting! Used or discounted boots might be a great option for us right now.

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  5. If you want a straightforward, honest, professional opinion on whether Scoots will work for her or not (because it's true every boot type seems to fit a different shaped horse best) the fitter I used to get Connor's has a private Facebook group I can add you to. You upload some photos of her feet with a tape measure, and she'll tell you if your horse's feet are a good candidate for Scoots, and if they are, what size you'll need. If you use her for sizing, you can return them if they end up not fitting.

    I haven't done remote lessons myself but I've seen people do them with everything from a Zoom call to Pixio's fancy system you have to pay for. You should definitely try it!

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    1. That sounds great. I admit the idea of sharing pictures of my horses' hooves scares me....long, long, ago I posted a very similar question about my (shod) horse being a little footsore on the gravel and asking about boots. I ended up inadvertently the middle of a barefoot vs shoes 'brawl' and my horse being diagnosed online with assorted career ending issues thanks to my terrible life choices :O But, I'm over it...I think :)

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    2. You don't have to share the photos with the group! You can just join the group and then private message the fitter that moderates the group, Stacy.

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    3. Oh perfect! I'm 110% interested, then! :D

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  6. Lots of great comments on boots here! I agree with all of them and just want to add that if you end up going the Easyboot route, those boots can be custom fit by a knowledgeable farrier to better fit your horse's feet. Pete Ramey's website talks a bit about the modifications that can be made to them. They're more affordable than other boot options sometime, but will only work if the fit measures right. Best of luck!!!

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    1. I'm reluctant with the easyboots because I did have a farrier that specializes in barefoot/endurance/boot fitting fit her and order them custom for me...and Bridget seems to still rip them off at anything past a walk. The gaiter piece saves them from getting lost forever, but we had a pretty bad fall at canter (before I knew they were unreliable) Maybe a freak thing, but it scared the crap out of me - end result was her back foot was caught IN the front boot with the velcro gaiter still wrapped around her front pastern. BUT, I should give them another look - there are so many variables and styles and I have a different farrier these days too.

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  7. I use Renegades on my low-heeled OTTB over all kinds of terrain. I like that they are more forgiving through the trim cycle than an Easyboot, and if something breaks you can replace each part. The only thing I don't love is that the harder plastic doesn't give the best grip. We've had a few slipping incidents on loose rock. That being said, my horse almost never looses a boot, even though he overreaches. We've waded into three foot deep mud and come out with all of our boots on. Also, their customer service is AMAZING.

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    1. Thank you. Good to know about the rock - that's actually a big part of our some of our trails. Do you find in general they are grippier than barefoot? I know we slip and slide barefoot on some of the rock here too.

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    2. Hmmm.... I don't know that I've ever ridden barefoot on the trails I've had slipping issues on. The trails that I've had traction struggles on are ones that are incredibly steep, so as long as you aren't training for Tevis, I'm not sure you would really notice. Also, I'm in Utah, so the rain you guys have would be a factor I have no idea about.....

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  8. I know absolutely nothing about trail boots - but Megan does teach remote lessons and is pretty affordable for a trainer of her accomplishment list.

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    1. Megan's blog and list of accomplishments are amazing. I'm more than a little intimidated, but when I can turn this idea in to reality (just need to decide how I'm going to approach the tech end of it as far as ear buds and apps and phone vs tablet and such) I'll contact her for sure.

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  9. I've used the cavallo sport and simple boots and both have worked pretty well for me. I ended up getting a pair that were very lightly used, so that's why I started using them. I enjoy the flexibility of having a barefoot horse but also being able to pop shoes on them for trail riding.

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  10. i know nothing about boots but looks like a lot of people have suggestions. ALSO a lot of people are doing remote lessons now. It is amazing! I hope you find something or someone to help you!! GOOD LUCK (AND BLOG ABOUT IT WHEN YOU DO) HA! :)

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