What have been your experiences with horse boots such as "Easyboot"?

I kept my Paint mare shod last summer when we were showing, but it's going to be difficult to properly shoe her this year. I live in a very rural area, and there's only one good farrier here. He's so busy he won't travel anymore. Therefore I'm going to have to either haul an hour each way to have my mare's hooves shod at his place, or else go 8 weeks between shoeing (he'll come to a big Morgan barn nearby for a full day's work, but they are able to leave their horse's hooves much longer between resetting than I can)


I am considering trying "Easyboots" or another similiar brand of hoof protectors for my horse instead of shoes. I won't show in them - the arenas are normally okay, anyhow. I just want protection for all our other riding. I would still get this farrier to trim my horse every 8 weeks, and in between I could touch up her hooves myself (I've done simple hoof trims for years) Any advice on good brands?Problems? Disadvantages of boots? Comparisions from one to another?

What have been your experiences with horse boots such as "Easyboot"?
Last year I purchased a pair of Old Mac's and quickly bought another pair for my mare. (they made by same people as Easyboot) I will NEVER need to shoe my horse again. I like the Old Mac's better than any of the other boots because there is nothing hard that touches my horse's hoof (the Easyboots have hooks, and the Boa's have that cable thing. The Old Mac's use velcro and leather straps. I've been 100's of miles through creeks, mud, rocks up and down mountains and my horse has nevver taken a wrong step. I LOVE them!
Reply:I wouldn't recommend them because one of the horses at my old yard was wearing them on a hack and got it wedged in a hole, panic-ed, broke it's leg, and had to be put down. If the boot hadn't had been on it could have been saved. =(
Reply:My experience with them involved stopping every 20 minutes or so along the trail so the person whose horse was wearing them could go back and retrieve the one it tossed. Repeatedly. Over, and over, and over....





But, it could have been a fit issue. I have talked to people who love them, and I'd consider trying them myself. The Old Mac boots, I think, are the brand I'd try.





I've been meaning to pick up a couple, if just for fronts to throw in the trailer in case you're at horse camp and lose a front shoe...at least you could pull the other one and try to salvage the weekend.
Reply:Now granted it's been over 25 years since I actively used my easy boots (I found one the other day in an old box.). I acquired a set back in '81 for my navicular QH. He LOVED them! The only problem I had with them back then was getting them to stay on. He'd feel so good with them on, that he'd pick up a lope and there would be easy boots FLYING all over the arena, then the "ouch, ouch, ouch" to a sudden stop while I got off, gathered the boots up and then put them back on him. After a while, this got old hat. No matter how much I took the wire that wrapped around the boot to keep it on, in anything more than a walk or jog and they'd go flying. If they've changed that major design flaw since that time, they would be a good investment, but check 'em out and see if you can e-mail the manufacturer.





Best of luck.
Reply:I used easy boots solely on a TB that was so platter footed he lamed himself walking across the driveway. He also had brittle hooves, so he didn't hold shoes and the hoof wall just shattered when a nail was loose etc.





I loved them, the horse was cocky with them, he knew when he had them on and went through rocks fearlessly.





The only thing I recommend is getting the keeper straps so if you do throw a boot, it stays with you. Plus you have to train your horse to accept a loose boot flopping on his leg also. But I used the keeper straps and they saved me from loosing many boots.





I also used them on a packout ride, and did the foam in the boot. It took an act of God to get the boots off afterward and water was still inside of there, even with the foam treatment, so to me, that didn't work very well.





I have nothing but good remarks for easy boots, I would use them again if I had a need. I can't say anything about the other kinds sorry.



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