I think protective boots are more common at multiday rides too - these horses get a lot of nicks and scratches from the trail and once the skin is broken it is more susceptible to scratches or painful sores, and since the horses go out day after day it can become a big deal. The boots help protect the fetlocks and cannons which are most prone. (but one has to be very careful with the protective boots and keep everything very clean - or they can cause rubs too! )
Steph
On Oct 11, 2009, at 11:52 PM, Elizabeth Walker wrote:
Splint boots can help protect or possibly minimize an injury if your horse takes a bad step, stumble or whatever. I wish I had been using splint boots on Caisson the last ride we were on. He ended the ride with a cracked splint bone, and associated trauma to the tendons and suspensory. I'm not sure exactly when he did it - could have been a couple of places, early in the ride. (I suspect the near-bath incident with the water trough.) I think the damage could have been minimized if he had been wearing protective boots. I guarantee you, he doesn't leave his corral without his splint boots these days.
Also, why do so may riders put leg protection on their horses? I would think they might rub or fall off & cause problems? Do horses really need all this protection?????
