Hoof boots again

Thanks again Susan, that was the plan, buy a cheap possibly second hand pair of boots for the time being and then invest in the hoofwings later on down the line, when I am sure boots are definatley for him and that he really needs them. Hoofwings obviously are the better ooption but are pretty pricey if i dont get on with boots!

His feet pretty much look the same but I will get some more detailed pictures at some point today hopefully.

Laura

I would be sure from the off that you get the right boots, littlepony. The wrong boots (whether because they're cheap, worn to another hoof shape or simply the wrong style) WILL put you off. I can guarantee it.

very very sound advice Frances
Many people having problems with boots, and therefore criticising them, have either the wrong boot, the wrong size, the wrong type of boot for the work the horse is doing or have not learnt to fit them correctly.
Get the right boot and they are great and in my opinion a whole lot better than shoes.

BTW bares are just about the hardest wearing boot. I have done thousands of miles in them.

Little pony, I paid for the bares whatever the saddlery shop were charging at the time as I couldn't find them elsewhere in the UK.

The fit of the bares is not that precise and certainly not as precise as the gloves. On the other hand if the old macs are slightly slack it may seem as if they will be good for your horse if his feet slightly change shape. In practicality they will more than likely twist at any sort of speed. (trotting)

Also I have seen the old macs first hand and am leaning towards sticking with what I know

with the very greatest of respect can I ask you to stop for a minute.
It is always nice to have something that one is familiar with but whilst old macs may be perfect for your friend's horse it does not mean they will be perfect for yours. The only thing that matters at the end of the day is the horse. It is very very difficult to get his views without trying all makes of boot so it is to some extent guesswork.

What are you hoping to do with him? If you are simply going to walk around the roads forever then no doubt the old macs would be fine. If you are hoping to progress, go faster, go over more mud etc then other boots may be more suitable especially if he is a "goey" little arab.
Old macs may be great for a big heavy horse but I am not sure they are equally good for an arab.
Traction is better on some boots than others. That may be something to consider if you are going to ride over grass or mud in winter.
The breakover is very very important. In old macs it is not good.

Is there anyone in your area who have other sorts of boots you could have a look for comparison.

Responding to your wish list:

In the "will not come off" category, I think the Old Macs and G2s are indeed pretty un-come-offable. I would rank Renegades in this category as well. But also consider that the Easyboot range, for example, is meant to have a gaiter that breaks for safety reasons. Would you rather have a gaiter rip when the boot comes off, leaving your horse unhurt, or keep on riding with a boot that is completely twisted around, but doesn't come off?
If you're worried about rubbing, I would not recommend either of the Old Macs/G2, nor Boas. My horse, who is fine with Easyboot gaiters, got bad rubs and scars from wearing G2s (with gaiters for padding!) once. The same straps that make these boots stay on no matter what can chafe quite a bit around the pasterns. I've found that most horses tolerate the Easyboot gaiters very well, as long as the boot fits. If the hoof is too long (heel bulbs sticking out) or has very high heels (heel bulbs sticking up), rubbing is more likely.
Renegades would be my first pick for you, but they don't fit your price range. Next, I'd probably go with the Easyboot range, because apart from the gaiters, everything is below the hairline - less area to get rubbed. The Gloves are pretty cheap. If they aren't a good fit, I'd go with Epics or Bares, depending on which type of closure you prefer (buckles or wrestle-on). My old Epics on the fronts (less-than-ideal fit) did come flying off a couple of times, but the Gloves in the back don't budge.
Just my opinion and experience.
I completely understand that you want to see the boot and hold it in your own hands before you buy. If you have other barefoot friends, why not organize a show-and-tell? Otherwise, there's always the rental option from the saddlery shop.

Well, Littlepony, your wish list is what I would regard as being bog standard in a boot and certainly can be achieved. Not sure about dead on £100 so you may have to give a little on that. ;D ;D

top of the list in non slipping are gloves and renegades probably in equal first. Bares slip but it is easy to dremel tread into them. Epics slip. Old mac 1's slip and I have in all honesty never tried G2's as they are so cumbersome and fiddly to put on they are just not suitable for the amount of riding I require.

hard wearing: gloves would be my number one follwed by bares/epics. The renegades don't wear as well on tarmac.

Flimsiness: the gloves are the flimsiest and lightest. The bares probably the toughest. However, despite being light and flimsy the gloves are very hard wearing and the tread lasts for ages with roadwork leaving sufficent tread for the grass and mud. You see looking durable eg old macs does not necessarily equate to the reality of actually being durable over the miles.

the gaitors don't seem to cause problems. I have used bares since the begining of 2005 on daily basis and have yet to have any rubbing. I suppose there is the odd horse who is simply allergic to neoprene but they are few and far between.

My own choice of boots is bares in front and gloves or renegades behind. (my horse has to be fully booted to ride for various reasons) Once the new gloves sizes come out I shall move from bares to gloves in front as IMHO they are the best boot by a long way and the cheapest. ;D ;D

We normally go out for about 8 hours on Sat, 8 hours on Sun and a couple of hours each day in the week over all terrains. These are the only boots I would either trust or that would stand up to my workload.

It is best to get everyone's comments. Have you looked at the easycare and renegade sites? www.easycareinc.com and www.renegadehoofboots.com Even if you don't want renegades it is well worth looking at to get ideas as to what horses can do in boots etc.
If you go to the easycare site and find the blogs you will see what the horses have been doing in the Tevis 100 endurance ride in glue on gloves. Not suggesting you get glue ons but it will show you what the flimsy little gloves are capable of. Presumably you will not be wanting to do more that the Tevis! ;D ;D ;D

I would also add Cavallos into the 'don't come off' range, but to be fair, most boots don't come off when they fit. Henry has tiny hinds, but I couldn't get the Epics on him (size 000). So, I bought the next size up, size 00, which he also wears on the fronts (or did until I got Cavallos). I thought these were a 'little bit big', but the closest I could get - without gaiters they came off within 15 mins. Recently, I bought the comfort pads, to improve the fit by raising his hooves up inside the boot. Works very well, but they have demonstrated just how big they are on him, as the hoof wall forms a dent in the pad well inside the pad's edge, which fits snugly in the boot.

Actually that's a good point. If you find with any boot that you're only just into a boot size, then order the pads from the saddlery shop. I love them - it's like riding a pony that's wearing trainers!