Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Karen,

I was amazed at how clean Gambler's hooves were when I removed his Epics on the one day I rode at Grand Canyon.. Even with his walking directly into deep puddles to drink, his feet looked great when I pulled the boots.

Now, question...Just where do you find Flexoplast, and what is it's original use?

 

Thanks.

Lori B.

Dream Weaver <nvrider@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> At 08:05 AM 10/20/2006, you wrote:
> > Question for you on the Bares/Epics. I've been riding
> > in Bares, and mine get way more full of mud than yours
> > show in the GC pics - so filled that it's to the point
> > that they're awfully heavy....the plumber's putty
> > didn't seem to help. Any other suggestions? I think my
> > main problem is that there's a slight gap at
> >  the front
> > of the boot that I can't seem to get rid of - the boot
> > is as tight as the bungie goes, and my horse has nice
> > round hooves so I can't go down a size smaller or
> > they'd be too narrow.  
>
> Hi Kristi:  Dave Rabe and I were both thrilled at how clean our boots came off.  There are a few things you can do with the Bares to get them to fit better -- make sure they are on the tightest setting (sounds like you have).  Use plumbers putting in the area where the gap is before you put the boots on, and then use a little more to fill in after they are on.  The cool stuff with the putty is that it can stay there from use to use.  If there is still too much of a gap left you can try a smaller size bungee.  I've tried that and then had trouble getting the boots on, but I've heard some people have done that and had it work for them.  Epics are easier to adjust and just require a little more fiddling with the cable to get them right.  If you are close on the sizing then a smaller size might work.  You can download a template on the boot sizing (just make sure it prints to scale) and see how close you are.  You can trace your horses hoof and hold up to the template, or cut it out along the line on the size and hold that up to the foot.  I can get a size 1 on Chief and his hoof tracing is exactly right on the line for a size 1 and within the measurements for a size 2 boot.  
>
> What surprised me on this ride actually was how well the Bares worked on Zenos' hind feet.  Previously I felt that the Bares
>  worked best on Chief (who has really round feet) and were just the right size so that there wasn't any gaps anywhere.  We used them in the snow on the last day on Z's hind feet and they really seemed to work well.  I was real impressed with how well the horses did in all of that snow with boots.  Of course, I have ridden for years all winter with boots and always felt that the horses did better with boots rather than barefoot and definitely better than with shoes (snow/ice balls are no fun).  I just don't remember riding that many miles (and we weren't riding slow that day) in those conditions before.  Zenos got a lot more confidence that day, and so did I (with him).  :)  
>
> I should also tell everybody about Flexoplast.  I used it on two of the days on Zenos.  It's great stuff if you are having gaiter rubbing problems.  It's easier than vetwrap and in the conditions we were in it stayed in place.  It comes on a
>  4" roll.  I pulled off about a foot and a half at a time and wrapped around the pastern.  It's a really sticky (on one side) flexible, breathable bandage material.  Then adjusted the gaiter over it and it stayed in place.  I wasn't sure it would since on the first day I put it on an already wet horse, but it did stay all day.  You can see in the photos the beige colored stuff around all four ankles.  It was all in the same spot at the finish as it was at the start.  One roll did 8 pasterns, or two days of riding, with a little left over.  
>
> Karen 
>
> http://easycareinc.typepad.com/karen/