EasyCare Customer Help Desk

Easyboot, Easyboot Epic and Easyboot Grip Cable Adjustments

Whenever you adjust your cables for the Easyboot, Epic or Grip you need to make sure that the adjustments are very snug.  If the cable is not tight enough, you can have issues with the boot staying on.  In the case of the Epic and Grip boots this could result in torn gaiters. 

Clamp the buckle down either using the palm of your hand or using your foot.  When tight and closed correctly, you should not be able to open the buckle without the use of a tool such as a screwdriver or hoof pick. 

Click on the picture to see a bigger view of some of the cable adjustments you can do to assure a proper fit. 

• "A" shows a standard cable wrap.
• "B" shows the loosest cable wrap.  This is normally where your cable should be when removing or applying the boot.
• "C" shows the tightest cable wrap.  The cable in this picture is in a loop formation around the top of the buckle.
• "D" shows an incorrect cable wrap.  Using the cable in this way will result in frayed or broken wires.  Do NOT wrap the cable around the buckle clamp.

You can combine "A" and "C" to get a wrap in the middle of the standard and tightest setting. 

If you no longer have your brochure that comes with the boot, you can download one from our website.   You can also view our educational videos on how to apply or remove your boot.   

A Great Bare Boot Testimonial

We at EasyCare often receive great stories and here is one on the Bare which is quickly becoming a favorite.

I used this boot on a fairly easy ride. When I got back to the trailer, I noticed something different about the boot when I took it off, but it really didn't register. I tossed it in my storage bucket and did not look at it again for several weeks. I was surprised the front piece clip had come off but the boot had stayed in tact. I used it any way on my next ride by duct taping the exposed pieces. It got me through my ride and it was a tough one with lots of rocky trails. The Bares held up great and all I did was replace a clip. If any one is looking for a recommendation on your best functioning and toughest boot, I feel it is the Bare. Thank You EasyCare!

Useful Tip from an Easyboot User

If your horse has wide enough hooves that the tapers add too much thickness and make the side of your Easyboots "bulge out", use a belt sander to thin the tapers to about half thickness.  They will still do their job but won't take up as much room!

Kristi Schaaf - Booneville, IA

Hoof Boot Contest Update

We are over 12,000 miles completed and have 64 riders that have completed rides in the contest this year!!  That is an almost 350% increase in the # of riders from last year.

Great job everyone! Thank you so much for being a part of EasyCare!

EasyCare's Donations and Sponsorships Do Make a Difference !

EasyCare,Inc is proud to donate product that makes a difference in a horses' life. Throughout our existence as a horse boot company, we have been very excited to hear of the successful, happy outcomes of matching boots with equines in need. The boots that we have donated, have given more happiness to both equine and rescue organization alike. Here is some feedback (click on picture) from one very happy recipient.....Peggy Wright of Tempe, Arizona. Boots donated to the Arizona Humane Society are helping "Strawberry" in her need for relief. A special "Thanks" to Peggy for being the connection to help make this donation happen!

Click on picture to enlarge

EasyCare Heel Straps

Do I need a heelstrap in my Epics?

I've been getting asked that a lot.  The answer depends on how the boot fits your horses hoof.  This applies to any of the EasyCare boots that have a gaiter - Epic, Bare or Grip. My horses have hooves that fill up the boots very well so they are all fine to go 'strapless'.  You need to either use tapers, or leave in the metal gripper teeth or side plate in on each side of the boot to keep it stabilized. 

This is what the tapers look like. 

Starting in 2007 all Epics and Bares will come with the new lower profile comfort strap.  This should work for more horses.

If you do cut the heelstrap out or replace with tapers, it's still useful to apply duct tape to each side of the remaining taper part.  This helps the boots to slide on and off easier and also eliminates the chance of rubs.  This is probably not going to be a concern for a casual trail rider but if your horses spend a lot of hours and miles in the boots like mine do it never hurts to be extra careful!

If you do need to keep the heelstrap in to keep the boot fitting well on your horse and are concerned about the strap causing rubbing that is an easy fix - simply apply three layers of duct tape over the strap to smooth things out. 

I've been getting asked that a lot.  The answer depends on how the boot fits your horses hoof.  This applies to any of the EasyCare boots that have a gaiter - Epic, Bare or Grip. My horses have hooves that fill up the boots very well so they are all fine to go 'strapless'.  You need to either use tapers, or leave in the metal gripper teeth or side plate in on each side of the boot to keep it stabilized. 

This is what the tapers look like. 

Starting in 2007 all Epics and Bares will come with the new lower profile comfort strap.  This should work for more horses.

If you do cut the heelstrap out or replace with tapers, it's still useful to apply duct tape to each side of the remaining taper part.  This helps the boots to slide on and off easier and also eliminates the chance of rubs.  This is probably not going to be a concern for a casual trail rider but if your horses spend a lot of hours and miles in the boots like mine do it never hurts to be extra careful!

If you do need to keep the heelstrap in to keep the boot fitting well on your horse and are concerned about the strap causing rubbing that is an easy fix - simply apply three layers of duct tape over the strap to smooth things out. 

EasyCare Adds Dome Pads to Product Line!

After months of customer testing and feedback on the Dome shaped Comfort Pads it is unanimous - everybody loves them!  So we have good news, EasyCare will be adding the Dome Pads to our product line and they should be available in our online store very soon.  If you need more information about the new Dome Pads give the customer help desk a call!

EasyCare EasySoaker Hoof Boots, the Preferred Choice!

EasyCare Easy Soaker Boots

Read a review about Soaking Boots from NC HorseNews.com .......

"After just having gone through an abscess with one of my horses, I was looking for a way to keep her foot soaked and pliable so it (the abscess) could come out easier and quicker. I tried soaking 3-4 times a day and tried many other soak boots. The best one was the Easy Soaker for various reasons. It stayed on well, kept water/Epsom salt inside and she has no problems walking with it. I even turned her out overnight in them (that is not recommended, but I tried it to see how they would wear). It kept her hoof clean and kept the meds where I wanted them. There was no rubbing nor any sore spots after it was taken off. It was easy on, easy off! If you need to correct heel/toe position due to an injury or abscess site, with padding, this would be very easy with this boot.

It also allowed me to pad her foot so there was less concussion, keeping the padding in the right spot without having to wrap twice a day. I saved SO much time! It is called the EasySoaker, comes in sizes Small - XXX Large and seems to last a long time. I only used them for about 2 months, but they don’t show any real wear. They are very easy to clean out, hose and let dry. One of the best ways I have found to soak and treat any hoof issue!"

EasyCare has a FREE offer going on at this time........a FREE Dome pad for each Easy Soaker boot you purchase! There are many benefits to soaking and padding, so hurry While Supplies Last.

Living Proof for an Easyboot User

         My story begins last April (2006) when my mare Tinker, strained a distal sesamoidean ligament and was prescribed bar shoes with pads.  The shoes seemed to help the injury, but she ended up with a very nasty stone bruise that abscessed where a rock got stuck under the bar, in the same leg of course, and it never quite went away.

       She'd get a little better, then go lame again.  All winter, it was the same story, never sure, though, if it was the foot or the ligament injury bothering her, they looked the same, really, she'd avoid putting any weight on her heel.  I had the vet out numerous times, and by this time he thought her lameness was a recurrence of the ligament injury, that she had fractured a sesamoid, and he suggested making her a broodmare, but I'm not in a position to do that.

          So by late winter, I was so distressed that I contemplated putting her down, since she just would not get and stay sound, and I just can't afford to pay board on an unrideable horse. But before I did that, I got a different vet to give me a second opinion, who ultrasounded her leg and said the ligament was fine, the pain was in her feet, maybe she's got navicular, so she suggested shoeing changes.  The farrier was coming the next day, so I made sure I was there to tell him just what the vet wanted done.  When he took off the shoes, there was a bloody hole in her heel, where the original abscess had been, but he went ahead and shod her the way I told him the vet wanted, and the horse seemed okay for a while.  Meanwhile I had become convinced that the pads and bar shoes were not doing her any favors, that they were making pressure points on her heels, and since the ligament injury was healed there was no reason to keep the bar shoes anymore, and so I asked him to remove them and go with plain flat shoes at the next appointment.  He refused to do it, shod her the way he always did, NOT the way the vet had said, and the horse immediately went lame again.  She was obviously very sore behind, and soon could not put any weight at all on the left front where the abscess had recurred. 

            By this time I had been reading everything I could about barefoot care for horses, and decided to take matters into my own hands as much as possible, so I took off her back shoes and the left front myself, found a new farrier who specializes in barefoot to take off the last shoe when she was able to bear weight on the left front again,and trim her a little -- and sent for Easyboot Bares and comfort pads.  I figured at this point we had nothing to lose.  All the "expert" advice wasn't helping my horse, so why not try something totally different. 

            Well, it was the best decision I have made in years!  Her front shoes have only been off two weeks, and despite the crater in her heel where the abscess was, she is already totally sound and happy in her boots for long trail rides!  My horse is back, thanks to those Easyboot Bares!  To think, I almost put my horse down, when pulling her shoes and getting her Easyboots was the answer to her problems.  Thank you, Easyboots!

Tina Hartley- Holland, PA

EasyCare articles and stories--Educational information for the barefoot horse

Whether you are new to barefoot or are simply looking to learn more, most people are unaware of a great article collection that we have.  This collection is sure to provide valuable information for everyone.  From photos of properly trimmed hooves, to historical information, to hoof boot benefits and reviews, there's plenty to learn on these pages.

Our topics include:  Hoof Boots, The Barefoot Horse, History & Education, as well as Ride Stories. 

Want to research further then check out Dr. Teskey's blog.  He has numerous links to also assist with your horse's hoof and give you more valuable information on transitioning. 

Under the Education link from any of our pages, you can also find other useful information like "Which Boot?"  You get the benefits of all the boots and comparisons on one page. 

Also coming soon is a "New to Boots?" page for those individuals who are totally new to using boots and don't know where to start.  Keep checking our blog and the website next week for more updates.  Want to make some smart suggestions on what it should contain or what you would like to see?  Please submit your suggestions via this e-mail link.   

EasyCare Video Weblog

Check out the EasyCare video weblog! What a great way to view and track all of the videos submitted to YouTube.com for our 2007 Summer Video Contest . Learn more about the contest and view the videos as they are added over the summer.

Watch the video below about mixing up Easyfoam for ideas on what you could submit.

EasyCare 2007 Summer Video Contest

Just a reminder of the exciting new contest here at EasyCare.  We are offering entrants the chance to submit their "booting tips or commercials" to us via YouTube.com that depict or illustrate how to use EasyCare Hoof Boots or showing EasyCare hoof boots in action!  Click here for all the details on this fun new summer contest.

                          There will be 10 winners of some great EasyCare products with the first place prize being a $500.00 EasyCare gift certificate!   The contest runs through August 31, 2007 so ready, aim and shoot those videos!

True Friendship in The Horse World

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.

If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell.  Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to the other horse, trusting that he will not be led astray. When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Good friends are like that... you may not always see them, but you know they are always there.

EasyCare Bare Boots and Gaited Horse Equal Perfect Match

Read this testimonial story sent in to us by Rose White of Fair Haven, Michigan..........................

                           GOT GAIT?

I am the proud owner of a 7 year old Tennessee Walking Horse. I had always heard about the smooth gait of the TWH, but was dismayed to find out that my Walker had trouble getting that smooth running walk, that is until she was booted with a pair of EasyCare Bare boots. See, Fidget was born with a club foot and had a tendency to stumble a lot, and just could not seem to get that smooth gait. We tried everything from this type of shoe, to that type of shoe, to changing the angle of her foot, and nothing worked. Then one day I put a pair of  EasyCare Bares on her and wow........she started to pick those front feet up, it was amazing ! No longer do we require traditional metal shoes, her feet are more sound, her gait is wonderful, and we are having such a great time. I love my boots and will never, ever go back to metal shoes. Thank you EasyCare for changing our lives ! If my horse was able to say thanks for getting those metal shoes off of me permanently, I am sure that she would. She has great feet now and... Got Gait !!!!!

Happy Trails !!!!!!!

Other EasyCare products and Natural Hoof care for barefoot horses

We have Natural Hoof care products available to benefit you and help your horse's barefoot lifestyle. 

Check out this great DVD available from Clinton Anderson and Pete Ramey.  With more technical information, including corrective trimming, this is the natural hoof care DVD you won't want to be without. 

After watching this DVD, you wouldn't want to be without the HoofJack.  Just for trimming or even rasping, this hoofjack will help relieve the strain on your back and knees.  Supports the hoof for daily care, treatment, bandaging, and more!

Need some tough gloves without all that extra leather.  These gloves are Nitrile tough.  Fits like a second skin, Wears like Iron!  Perfect for those times you are using your HoofJack and performing your daily hoof care!   You can also win a pair of these gloves by giving us some of your helpful tips on EasyCare hoofboots.  Email us your tip(s), and your name will be entered into a drawing. 

All of these additional items can only help you enhance your horse's barefoot lifestyle at the same time helping you get the job done quicker, easier and out on that trail!

Boa Boot Cap Covers

Here is a great tip for you Boa Boot users, just when you think you got your Boa Cap on just right, off it comes.  Make sure you place it on the boot with the Boa letters going up and down, twist the cap clockwise to read the letters going straight across. Place a strip of duct tape over the cap when you see that the cap is properly positioned on the dial. This is especially useful when riding in rough, rocky terrain. Amazing, how you can see the damage to the duct tape that has now saved your Boa Cap! If necessary you can purchase extra caps directly through EasyCare.  See Ya on the Trail............

Easyboot Bare Customer Testimonial

Thought you might like a cute photo of my 9 year old daughter Olivia and her horse Marly. They had a go at their first ride last weekend, completing the 20km's with Bare's (with Up Buckles) on Marly's front feet. Marly is 20 and has a bit of arthritis in his front legs but loves nothing more than going for a big ride and we've found that the Easyboots are great for reducing the concussion on his legs making his ride even more enjoyable!

Cheers,  Rachel

EasyCare Boot Tip

Hi there,

Just had to send in a quick note. Knee high ladies nylons (the heavy duty kind) in a queen size will slide easily over whole hoof and when pulled up to fetlock then folded down, puts a nice breathable barrier between skin/heel bulbs, and coronet while booted.

No more chafing from sand/debris and it will dry quickly if wet.

Hope it helps :)

Thanks,

 

Heidi Meyer

Bare Hoof Care Specialist

Interesting Facts About Feeding, Forage, etc. for Horses

While watching RFD-TV one day, I happened to watch a program all about feeding and nutrition for horses. It is called "Forage First, Horse Feed Facts". It was very informative about different feeds that are being given to horses these days and some very interesting facts about feeding grains and fats. They explained the workings of the horses' gut system and how different feeds are processed. They have a very informative website also.......you can check it out at Alliance Nutrition Equine . No matter how much we know, there is always more to learn and digest when it comes to horses! Happy Trails............

Peripheral Loading and EasyCare Comfort Pads

We have some great educational articles and they are constantly being updated with new and exciting information.  Our newest article is regarding current research that was done using boots and comfort pads.

All of this research was done by Dr. Robert Bowker using Doppler Ultrasound.  He performed this research in various situations and now it is available for you to review courtesy of Yvonne Welz from "The Horse's Hoof". 

You can read this article regarding comfort pads and hoof boots in our June newsletter.  If you don't get the newsletter on a monthly basis, you maybe missing out on great articles and monthly specials.  Make sure you subscribe in order to keep current on our monthly news.

You can also read this educational article on Peripheral Loading and comfort pads using this link.