Karen's EasyCare & Endurance Musings

Hoof Boot Testing, Easyboot Gaiters and Easyboot Edge

Here are a couple of photos our most recent testing ride - the first is a Chief-cam shot of the trail we are about to ride down.  We did a lot of hillwork and got the horses good and sweaty - especially Tigger who isn't in as good of shape for that kind of work as Chief.  We were trying out some new things - new Easyboot Gaiters, and also the new Easyboot Edge.  Chief (grey horse) had a couple of kinds of new gaiters on and both worked well - no rubbing as you can see in the photo.  The other photo is of Dave bending down to check out the Edge boots on Tigger. So far I've had them on three of my horses.  I think they are going to be quite nice, I can't wait to start using them in some endurance rides! 

Endurance ride photos - Stagecoach

These photos were taken last Saturday at the Stagecoach endurance ride.  Tigger and I had a great day and he finished up his first ride season with 405 miles.  I rode just over 2,000 miles this year. 

Chief didn't get to go because I had promised him two months off between ride seasons - and of course that was when there were no rides, they had all been cancelled!  This ride was thrown together at the last minute.  I still chose to stick to my original plan so just went out for at least one day to support the ride.  It was good for Tig to go, he still has a LOT to learn!  I am still enjoying getting to ride Chief on pleasure rides, and plan to take him to Death Valley.  We've been testing new hoof boots, I've got some photos from riding today to post later.  Tig was testing some new things at Stagecoach too, with good results.  He is a good tester since he seems to clod his way through rocks.  He's a bit tougher on things than Chief is! 

Stagecoach Ride

Looks like Tigger will get to do a 50 on Saturday.  I have to admit that I'm not particularly looking forward to doing this ride.  It's three days/155 miles -- I'm just going to go out and do one of the days.  Fortunately it is a close ride, only about 60 miles from my house.  I think the reasons why I'm not really excited about it (like I am for other rides) is because 1)  I'm not very fond of the trail and riding alongside highway 50 in a 65 mph zone  (been there, done that), and 2) because I'm not going to be riding Chief,  ;)  and 3) because I have been gone a lot and really want to have some time to spend at home for a change. 

I promised Chief that he would get a couple of months off between the ride seasons, after he did 5 days at Grand Canyon.  I like to let the horses have breaks after they have a big ride season, and Chief did do 1370 miles in 2007.  It will be good for Tigger to get to do this ride for conditioning purposes.  He has been really coming along well and I am really happy with how well he has progressed this year.  And, I did get to ride Chief yesterday so it's all good.  We had fun trying out some of the new boots that EasyCare is working on. 

Granite Chief, Video Cam, Easyboot R&D on Epics and the Start of our Home Trails

Here is a  video (below) that I made tonight with my my helmet camera.  I'm still figuring out how to point it to get the best shots, and what setting to use to record sound correctly.  Obviously I don't have it quite right yet ;^).  Still though, this shows the start of the trail from my home where I ride almost daily.  Chief was in a good mood tonight and very energetic in spite of the heat, we had a great time.  I always love riding him, so any ride on him is time well spent.  The Epic boots we're testing did fantastic too, even better! 

Hoof Boot Commentary Straight From The Horse's Mouth

In case anybody thinks we only thoroughly test our own hoof boots -- Click here for the latest on EasyCare hoof boot R&D!

Horses, Boots, Equissentials, riding

Had a nice ride today on Zenos.  I started out riding him in some competitors hoof boots.  To make a long story short, let's just say that Z was not impressed.  They didn't hold up very long and I ended up putting regular old Easyboots on him, which stayed on even when we galloped on the trail.  They fit him well.  I'm sure the other boots have their place, but they aren't going to hold up to the kind of use I would put them through. 

I just got a pair of riding tights from Equissentials.  They are awesome!  Below are some photos of them, with me riding Zenos in the arena.  Very comfortable, and I love how they zip on the side to go over the top of my boots.  I also really like the leather seat. 

Rocky and the new Up buckles

Click on the photos to see them larger.  I had a chance to have Dave take some photos of us riding today -- I took Rocky out with the new Up-buckle Epics.  They are awesome!  Click below to see and read more.

Boot R&D

If you want to keep up with some of the newest things with our products, be sure to check out Garrett Ford's blog "From the Horse's Mouth."  The link I put in goes to a recent post with a photo of the new buckle attachment system on the Easyboot and Easyboot Epic.  This will be a nice improvement and will allow us to easily change buckles and cables ourselves with only a screwdriver. 

I've also been testing boots with new buckles.  The buckles are working really well so far and will eliminate some of the cable fray problems that are seen (and can generally be avoided by fiddling with cable adjustments).  We've done quite a bit of testing so far, hundreds if not thousands of miles including several endurance rides -- we want the new products to be proven to work before introducing them to consumers. 

I try to ride in boots that we need to test as frequently as possible.  I still like to ride the horses barefoot too.  I think it's good to help keep their feet toughened up, and also worn down.  When my horses have no hoof protection on their feet at all, I consider them to be barefoot.  If I am riding them with boots, then I am riding them with hoof protection.  It's not barefoot, but it's also not with a nailed on shoe.  I hope the terminology doesn't confuse anybody.  I do ride barefoot a lot, but I compete with boots on over unshod feet.  This way my horse gets the benefits of being barefoot and at the same time the benefits of hoof protection. 

Once we test a product ourselves and it gets past a certain stage, we then expand the test group.  If you've been reading Garrett's blog you know that we have a testing program and sometimes even accept new applicants from time to time.   

Making it easier to trim rock hard hooves

We started trimming Zenos this past weekend when Dave said, with sweat dripping off his brow -- "soak his front feet" -- while he whittled away on the hind hooves, which were rock hard.  You know how they get this time of year, you can't get a knife thru and the rasps go dull in no time. 

So I put the EasySoaker boots on Z's front hooves, filled with water and by the time Dave did the two hinds and took a break about 20 minutes had gone by --and it had already made a difference! 

It's so much easier than trying to soak the lawn and have them stand in the low spot, or over filling the water trough, which just makes a big muddy mess.  When the mud dries it just dries their hooves out even more it seems.  I have been using size Mediums but I think that next time I'll get one or two sizes larger to make getting them on and off easier.  Here is a link to a page on fitting the EasySoaker boots, and this one is a size template.  I am going to use them this time of year to make Dave's life easier.  The horses will probably appreciate the shorter trim sessions as well.

A trail of Easyboots

I've been using two sided tape and industrial strength velcro with regular Easyboots on my horses and riding them and turning them out that way and the boots have been staying on.  I thought it might be a good idea to go for a ride without using the tape or velcro and see if the boots would stay on.  Because if they did, then there really is no point in using the tape or velcro. 

My husband left ahead on foot and was a couple of miles ahead.  I trotted the entire way and caught up to him.  We were walking up a hill when he looked down and said to me "do you know you only have one boot on?".   Oh man!!!  I had started with four.  Zenos never gave any indication that any boot had come off. 

I turned back and started the Easyboot hunt and basically followed a trail of boots back home -- the last one was right across the street from my house so it didn't get very far. 

So now I know that  for Zenos at least, using two sided tape or velcro does keep them on for training rides. 

Two sided tape and Easyboots

So far I think that the two sided tape idea is working really well.  I've been able to keep regular Easyboots on two different barefoot horses (on all 4 feet) while riding and while turned out, even in a pasture with mud. 

I took Zenos' Easyboots off tonight.  I actually had to work to get one of them off, the tape had formed such a good seal.  It was great to see that such a simple idea did work.

I'm going to keep trying this over the next week.  I'll try to get some photos too. 

I think that both kinds of tape I used work but I think that probably the two sided cloth tape has the strongest hold.  I still really need to do a few dozen more rides to get more of an idea of what works best and in what conditions. 

....and if this ends up not working, I have another idea to try! :)

Riding in Regular Easyboots -- and trying a new saddle!

I have to admit I'm a little surprised that Chief's Easyboots have stayed on.  I'm trying a new FreeForm Saddle on him (it's pretty comfy, and I think it fit him perfectly!), so got him out on the trail again tonight.  I had left his boots on last night and while he was turned out today.  When I rounded him up he had been in the muddy pasture and came out with his boots still on, and covered in mud past his pasterns. 

He  home from our ride tonight with the boots on -- wouldn't be a big deal but this horse previously could not keep a regular Easyboot on!  When I took them off the one with the cloth tape seemed to be stuck a bit more than the carpet tape (both tapes are 2-sided).  I am sure the heat helped with melting the glue to the boot and the hoof.  I am looking foward to riding the other horses and seeing if the boots stay on them with the 2 sided tape, and also seeing how the FreeForm works on them.  Chief is the one that has to give final approval if it will work though, he has the shortest back, and will probably continue to be ridden the most.

R&D - Promising Results keeping Easyboots on a barefoot horse!

I waited till the temp dropped to a cool 96.6 degrees before heading out this afternoon for a ride on Chief.  Last week I had tested out using denture grip to see if it would work to keep regular Easyboots on.  It sort of worked, but not enough to call it a success. 

My second idea was to try double sided carpet tape.  Actually, I got two different types of 2-sided tape so I could see if one works better than the other.  It comes with a cover on one side, so I peeled off some strips of it and stuck them on Chief's cleaned hoof -- one row of the 2" tape around the top edge just below his coronet band, then another strip below that with the bottom edge folded under around the hoof.  On each front foot I used a different type of tape.  Then I put regular Easyboots on. 

Then we headed out and did some work!  Just so you know, Chief has always been Easyboot Challenged!  Seriously, the first time I trotted on him with Easyboots on in the flat level field he fell down completely.  Graceful not being any part of his name!  Luckily his experience with Epics has been so different from some of his first Easyboot experiences --he has never been able to keep an Easyboot on.  Not even one that was foamed on!

So I am excited to report that BOTH of his front boots stayed on today!  We walked, trotted, trotted fast, cantered, galloped, went around turns and corners and the boots stayed on and didn't budge.  Wow! 

I can't wait to do more experimenting with this idea, as I think it looks pretty promising so far!

Fixodent...how did that experiment go?

I've spent the last week experimenting with using denture grip.  I want to try and find a way to help keep Easyboots on a barefoot horse!  I had mixed results with the experiment.  First I tried with Zenos -- I used "fixodent" in both boots on his front feet and they would alternate coming off.  Next I tried doing the same thing with Rocky only this time I only fixodented one boot, and one I did not.  Yesterday we had one heck of a thunder and lightning storm with heavy rain -- enough rain that it really thoroughly soaked the ground.  Today I let the horses into the pasture area, not realizing how muddy it was.  When Rocky came out he was covered past his ankles in mud, and had one boot on.  Which boot?  The one that was fixodented!  I did have to pull and work it to get it off.  The only thing is that once I got it off -- I had a MESS!  Gobs of gooey muckey redish colored goop.  It was on the hoof, the boot, and then as soon as he put his hoof down on the lawn he had an assortment of other things sticking to it.  So for now, I think that something like this might work, but I need to try a few more things.  There are a lot of tricks to keeping regular Easyboots on.  It does take trial and error, especially if you are putting them on a barefoot horse.  Here are some links to an old Easyboot 101 article that I wrote -- and this one I Download Easyboot_101.pdf updated this year.  This link goes to the Easyboot 101 Part 2 article --which covers how to foam the boots on.  In some situations, that works extremely well.

Trimming rock hard hooves

I thought I'd try soaking Zenos' feet today before he was to be trimmed.  So I put on a pair of EasySoaker boots, filled them with water, and left him to stand in the shade of a tree for a few hours.  Zenos just stood patiently and waited.  I did walk him a few steps from the hitching post where I had put the boots on over to the shade -- the look on his face was priceless when he heard the 'squish' sound of the boots (already filled with water).   We trimmed his hooves a few hours later, and it definitely did help.  This time of year the horses hooves get really hard and dried out.  This is a great way to soak them without making a muddy mess somewhere!

I got an idea

It may or may not be a good one.  I'll let you know tomorrow!  I thought of a couple of things that I wanted to try that would help keep a regular Easyboot on a barefoot horse.  Easyboots tend to stay on shod horses better. 

So I came up with two things to try.  The second idea will probably work better, and I'll post about that in another week or two after I get the materials I need and try it.  The first idea is this (try not to laugh):  Would denture grip work in place of EasyFoam to help hold an Easyboot on? 

I called my husband while he was on his way home from work and asked him if he wouldn't mind stopping at the store and picking me up a tube of denture grip.  He laughed before saying NO.  We hung up and I figured, well I'll have to go get it myself.  A few minutes later, the phone rang and it was him.  I asked where are you and he replied "in the denture grip aisle."  LOL

I currently have Zenos wearing two regular size 1 Easyboots "fixodented" on his front feet. 

Good idea?  It will be if the boots stay on when I ride him tomorrow.  He will have minty fresh smelling hooves, free of bacteria too! 

Bad idea?  It could be if I can't get the boots off.  Or if they don't stay on. 

I wonder how regular silicone would work?  hmmmm......

 

Old Mac G2's and Boa Boots

Download DSCF0215.AVI

Thought I'd give Chief a chance to try out some Old Macs G2's and Boa Boots before taking him out for a ride in them.  I took some photos and experimented with the video function on the camera (first time) while he ran around in them.  The video isn't great but it shows how he moves in the boots.  I think he did pretty well in them.  He has size 4 G2's on the fronts and size 1 Boa's on the hinds.

Fort Schellbourne 5 day XP

Fort Schellbourne is one of my favorite rides.  Last year this ride had a LOT of serious mud bogs on it.  The ride was a pretty awesome test of the Epics and Bares we were using though, they stayed on thru everything.  This year we are going to get to test a new buckle design.

One of the reasons why I really like this ride is because of the historical significance of the trails we are riding on.  Fort Schellbourne is an original Pony Express station.  There is a lot of history there, and in the canyons in which we ride. 

On the morning of August 11, 1860, an armed band of Indians surrounded the station keeper at Egan, Mike Holden and “Slim” Wilson, a rider waiting for his next relay. The express men began firing, but the Indians steadily advanced. Indians captured the express men when they ran out of ammunition. The Chief demanded “Bread!” and the Indians proceeded to eat all the bread that the men had previously baked. The Indians demanded that the white men build a fire and continue baking bread. Toward evening, the Indians had their fill of bread and the chief ordered the men killed. The Indians began piling dry brush around Holden and Wilson, the braves began piling dry brush around them after tying them to a wagon tongue that was stuck in the ground.

Then - just like an old-time melodrama - a troop of U.S. Calvary rode over the hill to the rescue.  To read more, click here.