Karen's EasyCare & Endurance Musings

How to Install an Easyboot Gaiter on an Easyboot

On the EasyCare website in the Education dropdown menu there is a new section called "Repairs".  We have the first how-to up on installing an Easyboot Gaiter on an existing Easyboot.  You'll be able to view step by step instructions with photos to show how to do this.  Everything you need to know in order to turn a regular Easyboot into an Epic is right there. 

If you'd like to see a tutorial on something in particular, let me know.  We will be working to include many more topics that will help end users do their own repairs to their boots.  I'm also going to be working on improving the quality of the educational videos that are on the site.  I'm still researching what type of video camera to get that would work the best for this.  Suggestions welcome!  I need something that will take great quality video AND audio, and doesn't have a huge pricetag. 

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. 

 

EasySoaker Promotion

We are starting a new promo with the EasySoaker boot.  Here is a link with more information, and here is the press release on it.  The dome pads are still being tested and we've received mostly positive feedback so far.  Some people have had trouble with the sizing since the pads have only been made in one size.  Once you trim them down so far, you lose the dome shape.  Others haven't been sure how to trim - I do it so that I keep the most concave part of the pad in the concave section of the horses hoof. 

I like using the Soakers on my horses, and none of the reasons are because they have hoof problems.  I like to make Dave's job trimming them easier in the summer when their hooves get so hard.  Now I'm soaking them in warm water with the pads in their boots and walking them every other day to see how that works.  Cheryl Henderson is working on an article explaining the benefits to the horses hoof of doing that. 

If somebody would like to try the Soakers on their horse (with or without the pads) to see if it might help improve their horses feet (or make them easier for their trimmer to work on), I'll give away a free pair in a drawing to everybody who comments below on what type of non-horse use I referenced using the dome pads for in one of the above links.  I'll give everybody a week or so to respond and pick a winner after I get back from Color Country. 

Updated EasyUp Buckle Instructions

We just recently updated the EasyUp Buckle installation instructions.  You can find them on the EasyCare website under Education-->Downloads-->Instructions, or by clicking here. 

Need parts?

If you need to replace a part on one of your EasyCare boots, you can go to this page to see what accessories and replacement parts are available for your particular boot.  Most things on the boots can be replaced.  I remember one time when I was getting my Easyboots ready for a ride, and my dog came in and ate the screws!

Stirrups

I thought I'd mention how great these stirrups are!  When you ride a lot like I do over the course of a few years and thousands of hours in the saddle, the foam squishes down.  Well, my last stirrups had done that and I had continued to ride in them not realizing the difference, until I just recently got a new pair with the new padding and new shock absorbing top bar, and wow -- it was so much more comortable!

If anybody has a pair of EZ Ride stirrups they can send them in and have the padding replaced.  New pads cost $10 plus $12 to replace them.  New top bars can easily be replaced as well.  For more information contact admin@easycareinc.com