From The Horse's Mouth

Easyboot Glue On With Gaiter

I had a hunch that if we could get the Easyboot Glue-On shell right it would not only work as a glue on but would also work very well with a gaiter.  As we worked on the glue-on molds we made sure to add features that would allow the shell to accept a gaiter.  I had a chance to test my original assumption today.

I fitted both rear feet of one of my horses and set out on a very tough ride.  The shells are held on by the gaiter and a snug fit only.  No glue, no buckles, no internal hardware.  The trail climbs over 2,000 feet in 7 miles, has several boggy areas and a bunch of downed timber.  It's a tough ride on both horse and rider but I believe it's one of the best boot testing trails around.  I believe the steep trails put the most torque and stress on boots. 

Here are a couple photos before departing.

I continued to check on the boots as we ascended the steep trail.  It's so steep in places you need to give horses a minute or two to blow and cool down along the way.  Boots continued to look good.  No twisting, no turning, no problems at all.  As I became more confident I increased the pace in the flatter areas and went through the center of the bogs rather than around them.  The boots continued to look and perform perfectly.

Here are a couple photos along the way.

Not only was my hunch correct but the boots performed better than I could have hoped.  The Easyboot Glue-On should be a huge success and will now give people the option to use with a gaiter when they don't want to spend the time to prep and glue.  In addition the lack of buckles eliminates any potential cable and buckle concerns.   

Here are a couple photos after we returned back to the barn.

 

Easyboot Medical/Therapy Boot Test

I received a couple of the new Easyboot Medical/Therapy boots over the weekend and put them to a really good test on Sunday.  Although the Easyboot Med/Therapy boot won't be intended for turn out I wanted to see if there was any ill effects from using them on a horse that was moving a great deal in a more open area.  The intention of the Med/Therapy boots will be for chronic lameness, severe laminitis, surgery recovery, transportation and breeding. 

I fitted one of my horses with the new boots and moved him from a 2-3 acre paddock to a 1/2 acre paddock.  I wanted him to move around but didn't want him moving with his three buddies.  When I turned him into the smaller paddock he galloped off and ripped around for 5-10 minutes.  Not really the intention of the boots but didn't want to interfere with a more rigorous test.  The boots survived the 10 minutes of chaos and I turned in for the night.  Several times during the night I heard the horse fitted with the test boots whinny as he was obviously upset about being away from his buddies. 

Early this a.m. I went out to see how the horse and boots were doing.  I immediately grew concerned when I saw that the horse paced the fence lines all night and put a bunch of miles on the boots.  As I got closer to the horse I could see the boots were all in place, straight and fitted well.  The boots were very dirty and muddy from the night of pacing.  Despite the dirt and mud the padded uppers on the boot were in perfect condition. 

The real test would be to see how the new cushioned sole fared.  After removing the boots and giving them a quick rinse I was a bit stunned to see the soles showed little to no wear.  Not only do the new soles provide excellent cushion and support for the laminitic horse but I believe they are going to wear very well. 

I'm excited about how this boot is progressing.  Now we have to think of a good name.   I'm thinking Easyboot Soothe or Easyboot Plush.   

Easyboot Medical/Therapy Boot Update

The Easyboot Medical/Therapy Boot continues to move forward and improve.  We opened up a whole new set of molds and changed the bottom design.  The new molds allow us to make the sole from a softer material.  The softer material should really help horses with extreme hoof discomfort get up and moving with less pain.

Easyboots and Old Mac's in Sept Issue of Men's Health

The Colorado Board of Tourism is running some cool ads that highlight the amazing trails around Durango, Colorado.  The ads are running in September issues of Men's Health and Adventure magazine to name a few.

If you look close enough you can see the horses are fitted in Easyboot Bares and Old Mac G2 hoof boots.

2008 Easyboot Photo Shoot

We are a couple days into our 08 Easyboot photo shoot.  We have some really amazing stuff.  More later.

Team Easyboot Members and Easyboots help to save horse

I have attached a quick story that makes me proud of our Team Members, our dealers and EasyCare products.  Dawn and Jay you are amazing!

"I don't know what more to say than THANK YOU EASYCARE!

 

Dawn Merrill (Team Easyboot Member), Jay DeHart (Team Easyboot Member and Easycare Dealer) and myself, also a Team Easyboot Member spent yesterday afternoon trimming and booting these four horses that were obviously abused. They were confiscated by our local Sheriffs department from the owner and brought to the Bitterroot Humane Society in Hamilton, Montana. When we got there the vet was there making these guys more comfortable.

 

It all started when Dawn and I went for a local trail ride here in the valley on Friday, August 1st. 7 miles in we came upon a downed horse that was left to die on the trail. After failed attempts by both Dawn and I we decided to go get help. Dawn and a neighbor rode back the next day and after over 10 hours were able to get the horse to walk out of the mountains (with the comfort of Dawn's Bares). Now all four horses are back together and safe for the moment.

 

The Humane Society was shocked and so grateful to Easycare for their generosity in donating the boots for these horses. NONE of the employees knew what we were putting on their feet and asked alot of questions about the boots. I know this will open more doors for horses and their owners as for an option to shoeing and rehabilitation.

 

Did I say THANK YOU EASYCARE?????? I know if these horses could talk they would be thanking you too."

Q DeHart

High Performance Hooves

www.highperformancehooves.com

Barrel Racing in Easyboot Epics

Check out this picture of Liz Holder at the Win$More Barrel Race.  Imagine the torque and stress put on hoof boots in these type of events.  Another great accomplishment for Easyboot Epics.

Photo credit to PixelWorx Digital Action Photography & Graphic Design

Another Hoof Boot

I was contacted by the manufacturer of a new hoof boot last week.  They are looking at a possible distribution partnership with EasyCare.  We receive these type of contacts because I believe we have built a very solid distribution network with great partners.   

I received a couple samples of the boot on Monday and did some fitting today.  There are some cool concepts in this boot.  It's very interesting to see different designs and how problems areas are addressed by other designers.

This hoof boot is designed to be worn over iron shoes and not on a bare foot hoof.