Re: shoe pads

[tina hicks <tina@liveonthenet.com>]

Yep, I have posted several times in the past my episodes with various
things in trying to protect Tony's feet - shoes , shoes/pads, eboots,
equithotics, etc, etc...and each thing has it's place but I've never
found one that that works all the way thru one ride in the SE without
trying my patience. Pads are great for gravel/rocks as long as there's
not so much the horse's heels get banged up but they don't do anything
for pavement and the soles tend to get soft with extended use; eboots
are *perfect* for pavement/heavy rocks but make my heart stop in mud,
wet grass or even really dry grass on hard packed dry summer ground;
equithotics are great for pavement and rocks unless the rocks can come
up thru the hole then you get a frog bruise but offer even less traction
than eboots in mud/wet grass.

Overall I am happiest with e-boots since you can take them on/off during
a ride if  you need to - the problem here is on any given loop it's
likely to be 5 miles gravel, 2 miles mud, a little ways on the pavement,
across a pasture, up a steep/wet creek crossing, over some rocks,
etc....  No matter what I use I end up doing lots of cussing, holding on
to the mane and sometimes closing my eyes :) and have still gone down a
time or two due to trail conditions/footwear

I think the answer is to just ride a horse like Kaboot that rarely needs
any extra hoof protection.

Of course I may have no room to talk now since I've taken Samm's mare
Weagle hostage for riding - her feet are so hard the shoer wondered if
he was gonna break the hammer putting her shoes on:)

Tina
tina@liveonthenet.com

Truman Prevatt wrote:
> 

> 
> Easy boots seem to be a very good option in the rockies, even on all four.  I
> did the ROC in 96 (which went North from Tesdale instead of South as the Outlaw
> trail doese) with Easy boots all around without any problems.  However, you try
> some of the North GA rides with steep hills covered with rock and that
> wonderful red clay mud that will suck those feet right off the horse and turn a
> trail into an ice skating rink even for horses with the best of traction, and
> you won't find very many people using Easy boots because they just don't work
> very well under those conditions.
> 
> It is all a matter of the local trail conditions as to how well easy boots
> work.
> 
> Truman
>


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