Karen's EasyCare & Endurance Musings

Easyboot Grips Photo Album

I put a lot of the photos that my husband took today of us riding in the snow into a photo album.  So check it out!  I'm riding Granite Chief (who is grey), and Dave R. is riding Tigger (who is bay) - we had a great time playing in the snow.  The horses were both really amped up and really full of energy. 

We did do a lot of hill work, some of it pretty steep which is hard to tell in the photos.  Both horses were really confident going up and especially down - the Easyboot Grips definitely helped with that! 

This photo shows Dave and Tigger going up a hill.  Chief and I had already gone up and come back down it.  This is great experience for little "t", and he handled it all very well.  I love any horse that can stay upright in these conditions!

If  you have similar conditions that you ride in, check out this post showing how another user installed boot studs on their Easyboot Grips.  If you do go out to ride in slippery conditions, be extra cautious and careful.  Some horses take longer than others to learn how to go through challenging footing - regardless of what kind of hoofwear they have on.  Even if a horse lives at high elevation and lives in mud and snow conditions that doesn't prepare them for handling carrying a rider over challenging terrain. 

Today I could feel that Chief was very confident coming back down the steep hills (why walk when you can trot?) - partly due to his experience but also because the boots help with his traction.  Even Tigger who is relatively green seemed to be quite confident and did well with no slipping.  I still know that he doesn't have the experience in mud and snow that Chief has, so will be extra cautious with him until he does.

I'm not qualified to tell anybody how to ride, especially in challenging conditions but I can tell you to take a deep breath and try to stay calm and relaxed when you do get into technical footing.  If you aren't confident enough, get off and lead.  If your horse does fall, better to do it without you.  Sometimes getting off will help your horse calm down a little (mine does).  If your horse slips, and stays upright consider it a learning experience - until a horse actually DOES slip and slide in multiple situations, they haven't yet mastered how to go through that kind of a situation.  Horses (and people) can slip and fall (and do) all the time in perfect conditions, with perfect footing. 

 

Chief and I got to ride in the clouds today!

We had a great ride in the snow today.  We got to ride with our heads in the clouds!  It was such a great day to ride in the snow, with a bit of mud here and there.  The horses both did great, they got a good workout with all of the hill work we did.  You can see some of the photos the clouds that later we are above, in the top photo.  Chief and Tigger both wore four Easyboot Grips, which work super great in these conditions.  Neither horse slipped anywhere.  I like the Grips in these conditions because they work a lot like snow tires. 

Riding in the mud - Easyboot Grips with studs

Here are a couple of photos from a customer who put boot studs on her Easyboot Grips to get more traction while riding in mud.

It's getting to be that time of year - where the trails get mushy and wet!  I find my horses slip less with boots on than they do barefoot, so usually use boots on them when we are going to be going up and down hills in mud or snow.  Tigger is going to need a lot of work over the winter in these conditions, he wasn't very graceful in the mud this year at Fort Schellbourne.  I always hate to ride inexperienced horses in slippery stuff.  I feel really confident on Chief, because I know that even when he slips, he tends to at least stay upright, even if we do some skating around.

I often hear from riders that their horses slip more in mud because of the boots.  Well - that may be the case for some boots, and some horses, and some mud.  (there are so many variables when it comes to horses)  I really think that in some conditions horses will slip no matter what is on their hooves.  I also think that experience has a lot to do with it too - some of the riders blaming boots for their horses slipping have not ridden their horses in mud before.  Some mud is so slick that it is going to cause slipping no matter what but it is a big difference to be on a horse that has done it a few times, versus one that hasn't.  No matter what conditions you ride in, be careful out there!  One nice thing about boots and boots with studs in them is that you can take them on or off when needed.  Keep a pair of boots with studs for those really muddy or slick days, and another pair or set for the dryer less slick footing times.