Re: Long Leaf/easyboots

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

Hi Angie:  I'm just giving you a hard time!! <G>

>you do all that extra stuff...and it makes me tired to think about
>mashing down metal teeth and putting on vet wrap. :-/

Oh yeah, that is so much extra work.  I mean when you compare to how much
effort it takes to ride a 100 and all.  

Does your husband watch TV?  At all, even a little?  If he does, then that
is perfect.  Hand him the easyboots, some pliars, screwdrivers and
scissors.  Have him take the heel straps off for you, flatten down the
gripper teeth, trim down the heel strap and put them back together for you.
 Put some vetwrap around the heel strap and then you are done.  Well, he
would be done.  Or you could find some other unsuspecting person....

>So, dirt road hard as concrete...36 miles of it.  I guess that's the
>other reason I didn't ask you specifically...OF COURSE you'd go ahead and
>do the 100.  You always go ahead and do the hard stuff.  But...what do
>you think anyway?  

We usually don't have the choice - if we want to do a 100 we usually get
stuck doing the ones with bad footing (or else trailering forever!).  I
think the easyboots make a big difference on a 100 even if the footing is
good.  It really reduces the foot-soreness/weariness the horses get.  

Do you think he'll keep striding out or that we'll be
>chitzing along on the last 18 because it's so hard?

My advice would be to put them on at the first 18 miles.  Protect him as
long as you can.  Then, if you want to take them off for the middle part
and put them on at the end that is a good idea.  Though, it's a lot easier
to just put them on and leave them on.  

Just make sure Kaboot is used to traveling with the boots on his hind.  I
would also recommend using boots that have been used before and are broken
in.  Either that, or get a grinder or rasp and round out the front toes on
the boots. This will help speed breakover.

Honestly, I can put two easyboots on complete with vetwrap and picking out
the horses feet in less than five minutes.  Once you do it a few times, it
gets really easy.  I'll show you someday!  

If you wear the boots out completely on one 100, then you'll know it was
really hard.  It's a great way to guage just how much your horse went thru....

Good luck!!!   

Happy Trails,

Karen
in Gardnerville