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[RC] [RC] Easyboots & over reaching - HELP - Dream WeaverI'm going through gaiters like crazy! My horse over reaches and rips them. I don't really want to do shoes, but this isn't working. Can you put lightweight bell boots over the Hi Janet - email me privately with your horses hoof measurements and the sizes of boots you are using. If you'd like, you can also take a hoof tracing and email or fax it to me (email me privately for the #). Are you using 2 boots or 4? If using four, what style of boot are you using on the hinds? How long has your horse been barefoot? Describe how your horses feet land (heel first, toe first, etc.) What gait or speed are you traveling in when the boots typically come off? It's really better to work out the problem than to add bell boots. I think that in most cases, solutions can be found with a little effort. May seem like a royal pain at the time, but in the end the time spent will be worth it. Some horses will ultimately be Easyboot Challenged and may never get over it. ;-) My horse Chief was once that way, he couldn't keep a regular Easyboot on in the arena on the flat going in a straight line! Even worse, he'd trip and fall like a total clod. No way could I take him out on a trail with cliffs and edges like that! For some reason when the boots with gaiters came out, he just magically went in them perfectly. It worked I think because I finally now had him in the right size! Even though he clearly measures into a size 2 on the size chart, he fits into a size 1 like a glove. You can hold the boot up to the bottom of his foot and wonder just how do you get it in there! Now that he's done so many miles in the boots with gaiters I've been trying regular Easyboots and Bares minus the gaiters on him and wow, he's continuing to amaze me. He's made it through his last six days of rides this way and I feel completely safe and confident on him, and he feels it too. Some recommendations -- and I can give you more once you get me the additional information asked for. Check sizing (most common reason why the boots don't work) Rasp (or use a grinder, but be careful to not overdo it) a bit more breakover on your front boots If using 2 boots, try using 4 - to even out the breakover If using 4 boots, try using Bares on the hinds over a boot with a buckle (to reduce interference) Slow down for several rides (unless you are already, then ignore that) to give the horse more time in the boots Apply duct tape or gorilla tape over the back of the gaiters where they are ripping to extend their longevity. The gaiters are designed to rip where they do for safety reasons, though if it is an interference problem the tape may help temporarily Lots of times horses only rip through a set of gaiters and then get accustomed to the boots. It's kind of annoying (and expensive) if it happens more than once or twice. I have got one horse that did that initially, but each time he did it was at warp speed, so once I got him to slow down it never happened again, and then as he got more time in the boots he has not done it again. Don't give up so easily and go back to shoes. Not only are there already a lot of great hoof boot designs on the market, but more are on the way and so are a lot of really innovative new fastening systems and improvements that will only make booting easier. Things are only going to get better! It isn't for everybody, but for those that do want to keep their horses barefoot the rest of the time certainly do have some options now, that we didn't have even three years ago. :) See for yourself, 66 (including me) riders have completed 12,395 rides (with more results coming in daily) this year using boots over unshod hooves. Karen http://easycareinc.typepad.com/karen/
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