Easyboot w/barefoot

["shelton" <dshelton@cyberhighway.net>]

I had to cancel our planned first LD ride at the last minute. The easyboots
I wanted/was required to use on my barefoot horse came up too far in the
front. Has anyone had any experience with this and barefoot horses. Easycare
has a pad I can buy to put in the boot that will raise her foot so it sits
higher in the boot. The pad is 1/2" thick. I'm concerned it will be like
walking on stilts. Anyone have experience using these pads with easyboots? I
guess it will be similar to the height of an easyboot and a shoe. After it
was too late to change my mind and go to the ride, I realized I had some
thick harness leather that I possibly could have cut a pad out of. Easycare
recommended a minimum of a 1/4" between the top of the boot and the coronary
band. Without a riser pad in the easyboot the edge of the boot and the edge
of her coronary band are pretty even, in the front only. Not a good
situation. Any ideas to make this work?

Also how much conditioning in the easyboots/pads would you recommend? Will
the thickness of the boot/pad require us to do a lot of our conditioning in
it, to condition her to the moving in them? Can I do none? some? a lot?
most? of my conditioning without and then use them at a LD ride?

Thanks everyone!

Cheryl, determined to be ready to ride LD next year and hoping ride managers
will be open to the idea of allowing barefoot horses on their rides.