Hi, I have just started doing LD 30
endurance rides with my six year old paint who has always been barefoot. I boot
him in the front, Easyboot Epics or Easyboot Bares and leave him bare behind for the rides. I only
boot him at home if we're going to be doing a lot of trotting on dirt roads. He
does still get ouchy on gravel. At what point would you recommend booting
behind? I would like to do a fifty at some point but am concerned that's too far
without hind boots. We live and ride mostly in New England. Can I use an Epic or Bare behind or is it best to foam a boot on so there is no gaiter? Thanks for
any suggestions.
Mary
Hi Mary,
In your sport, and with most every other horse, the hind hooves work
harder than the front hooves. Why
is it, then, that we find ourselves having to boot the front hooves instead of
the hind hooves? Seems like this is
opposite of what we would think or what we “expect”! We use boots more often on our horses’ front
hooves because our horses have more problems up front, not behind. Their hind hooves are stronger and sounder
because they work harder. Front
hooves “need” boots because they are not as sound as the hind hooves. This is the bottom line: front hooves are more unsound in our horses
because of lack of movement/work throughout their lives. Even the smaller amount of movement our
horses achieve in confinement allows their hind hooves to become stronger and
healthier because they work harder than the front ones. And the ironic part of all of this is that
when we shoe just the front hooves, we make the problems up front even
worse. Using boots excessively up front
can also lead to problems—taking time to ride more on surfaces that are
comfortable for your horse without using boots is better than riding on rugged
areas that require their use. If you can
ride on really rough terrain without boots on the hind hooves, your horse has
exceptional hind hooves. Now you just need to strive to improve the problems up
front and ride more on those surfaces that are comfortable so that the front
hooves become more callused and tougher and healthier. That being said, I would always protect those
weaker front hooves with boots on gravel and rocky terrain, so you don’t add
insult to injury. Hoof rehab is a long
term and life-long endeavor for many of our horses that haven’t had proper room
to grow up with. Allowing young horses
freedom of movement from birth is the only way to go in the future. Soundness
is rarely a problem in such horses that have been raised correctly from the day
they were born. That’s the best insurance a horse can get.
So, where does this leave you and others with the horses and your
sports? First of all, we need to
constantly strive to improve our horses’ living areas to maximize the mileage
they put on every day. Many of us ride
every day, but what about every NIGHT? Horses will put on a huge amount of movement at night if given a chance,
but not if they are “put up” in the stable or stall or left in small turnouts or
runs. They must be allowed to be in at
least arena-sized areas WITH OTHER HORSES whenever we aren’t
riding/training. If a horse is raised
appropriately, they will more likely need boots on their hind hooves instead of
their front hooves on rough terrain. How
many horses do you know where this is the case? The only ones I’ve seen are ones raised on rough terrain from the day
they were born as well as the young adopted mustang horses that aren’t confined
once they reach their new home. When you
do have to consider booting the hind hooves, all the normal considerations
apply: proper sizing is the key, and the
Epics or Bares will do just fine. There
are lots of tips and tricks for fitting on the EasyCare website and on the
other blogs on the site.
That’s a bit long-winded for me in answering your questions, but I think
it’s important for all of us to get to the deeper causes of some of these common
problems and start to think about things from the horse’s point of
view.
Dr. Tom T.
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