From The Horse's Mouth

Good News and Bad News from Valley of the Sun 50

I went up to the Valley of the Sun Endurance Ride Friday and participated in the 50 mile event with GE Cyclone.  Cyclone and I didn't have a great day but got through it.

Bad News First. 

I purchased GE Cyclone from Global Endurance roughly 18 months ago.  Cyclone was an accomplished endurance horse when I got him and had just come off a 4th place finish at Tevis.  I've had equally impressive results with him, as a team we have three Best Condition Awards in five starts.  He's a great horse and GE really shaped him into what he is today (if you want a horse that can compete now give Dian or Christoph a ring).

Today was a different type of day for Cyclone.  He was a bit short in the rear at the 25 mile vet check.  The vets and I both agreed it would be better to pull him from the race.  I went back to the trailer and started packing to come home and decided to take him for another walk before we departed.  He was moving very well and I couldn't see anything at a walk, trot or circles.  I rushed him back to the vets before my hour hold was over and all four vets watched as he trotted and circled.  They all agreed he looked great.  I was clear to go. 

Although he was moving well he didn't have a great second loop.  He wasn't drinking like he usually does and was just a bit out of his game.  I ran all the hills and sandy washes to lighten his load and spent extra time giving him time to drink and cool him off.  We ended up finishing 5th place (I believe) but he didn't look like the regular BC horse he is.  Just wasn't his day.  I've personally had days like this athletically and you always question if it's better to push on or continue toward your goal at a lesser pace. 

Many lessons were learned and taken from the experience.  There are many things I could have done better. 

The Good News.

The ride was beautiful and well managed. Congrats to Irene Murphy and staff.  

The first two booted horses in the 50 mile event used Easyboots (1st place and 5th place).  Sue Nance and her horse had an awesome day.  First place and best condition.  I don't know too much about the horse but I was very impressed!  That horse moves down the trail effortlessly. 

The Easyboot Glue-On Cuff finished the first 50 mile event.  The Easyboot Glue-On cuff worked awesome today!  The cuffs have been on Cyclone for 17 days now.  They have done roughly 60 miles of conditioning rides in addition to the 50 mile event today.  When I vetted Cyclone in on Friday all the vets were pretty curious about the new design.  I actually had a screw driver in my pocket and removed one of the boots right there for them.  All the vets were pretty impressed.

After the ride I pulled the four screws that hold the shell to the cuff when I got home.  Cyclone is now turned out with his buddies bare foot.  I'm gonna try and do another 50 next weekend with Cyclone and the same cuffs. 

Photos of Cyclone's front feet and the Easyboot Glue-On Cuffs after removal.  Cuff is still holding on strong and the holes in the shell are lining up well.

I used Easyboot Glue-Ons on Cyclone's back feet.  Cyclone wore a hole in both of his back Glue-On boots at the event.  The boots had roughly 60 miles of conditioning rides before the event and then did a 50 mile event today.  They didn't hold up to the toe dragging Cyclone. I actually think all hoof boots would have this issue unless they we either super thick or had a steel insert.  I prefer to keep our shell light and thin.  The toe dragging horses of the world will put holes on the toes of our light weight shells.  If I was using the cuff on the rear feet I could have just slide on some new shells.

I pulled these shells when we finished and did my final vet check in Easyboot Gloves. 

Couple photos of the rear boots with holes in the toes.  Second photo shows the wear of the sole.  As you can see Cyclone is harder on the toe area than the sole.

 

Barefoot Horse Hoof Boot Riddle

How do you give your horse all the benefits of a Glue-On below the hairline hoof boot and give your horse the benefits of being barefoot all day except when ridden?

Use the Easyboot Glue-On Cuff! 

Quick update on the Easyboot Glue-On Cuff testing and R&D. 

I installed a pair of Easyboot Glue-On Cuffs on one of my horses front feet on February 15th.  The "Cuffs" have been on now for 15 days and they performing better than expected.  The cuffs are glued to the vertical wall of the hoof and a have a t-nut embedded in the cuff.  The t-nut then accepts a screw that allows you to add or remove a below the hairline hoof boot when needed.

The beauty of the design is that the horse is still barefoot and has all the benefits of a barefoot horse.  In addition you have all the benefits of a glue-on boot. 

 

The horse with the cuffs installed is spending his days in a large 2 acre paddock.  He does a bunch of movement in a day and is constantly self trimming his feet.  I've been riding him three times per week and install boots when I ride him.  Boots are removed after riding and he is turned back out with just the cuffs on the outside of his hoof wall.

Here is a quick video showing how I install the shells before a ride. 

Another video showing how I remove the shells after a ride. 

Natalie Herman and Terri Tinkham Easyboot Glue-On photos

Dave Rabe, Terri Tinkham and Natalie Herman all used Easyboot Glue-On hoof boots at the Eastern Mojave Scenic Pioneer endurance ride.  All three riders had great things to say about the Glue-On shells and are getting more and more comfortable with the process.

Terri and Natalie just sent several photos of the boots that we applied to Oliver.  Oliver is Terri's high mileage wonder horse that finished the 2008 AERC season with 1,925 miles.  He's started the 2009 season out well and loves the Glue-Ons.

Here are some photos taken one week after the three day endurance event.  Natalie reported that Oliver spent much of that week in deep mud that was above the hairline.  Boots were on for 14 days in total.  Boots stayed on great and feet look awesome after all that moisture.

Great test, we don't have that kind of moisture in Arizona. 

Thank you for sharing your success story. 

What you are looking for in Easyboot Glue-On, "Fit Kit" and Easyboot Glove fit

Before ordering an Easyboot Glue-On shell or an Easyboot Glove it's a good idea to order a "Fit Kit" to determine the perfect size for your horse.  The Fit Kit is a great, inexpensive tool that allows consumers to pre fit each bare hoof before purchasing an Easyboot Glue-On or Easyboot Glove.

The Fit Kit takes the guess work out of measurements and helps you see in 3D if a hoof boot fits or not.  A good fit should look like a second skin on the hoof.  A good fit of the shell will give you the impression that you could ride in the shells without adhesive or a gaiter.

I've attached a short video showing a perfect fit of the Easyboot Glue-On shell.  These shells are not glued in place.  Even without glue, a good fitting shell will give you the illusion that the shells will stay in place for a non aggressive ride.  A good fit minimizes the glue needed and simplifies the gluing process.  This video shows how your shells should fit before applying the shells to the hoof with adhesive.

If you can't at least walk your horse in the Glue-On shells you probably have the wrong size. 

EasyCare Team Hands On Meeting

All EasyCare Team Members who have direct contact with consumers, practitioners, dealers, mail order companies and wholesalers met as a group today for both a written exam and a hands on discussion.  The written exam covered many different topics centered around EasyCare's new product range.  The hands on discussion went a step further and gave each team member the opportunity to fit boots, glue boots, prep feet and remove glue-on boots. 

The goal of these meetings and tests is to be more educated and confident in the products we make and recommend.  These meetings help EasyCare get consumers into the right hoof boot, they help EasyCare with product questions and they help EasyCare solve consumer hoof boot dificulties.  We discuss the hard consumer questions and the questions/situations we need to get better at answering.

I've personally been involved with EasyCare since 1993.  Our current team is the best group of people that I've ever worked with.  The team works hard, works well together and eagerly pitches in to help each co-worker. 

It was a successful day, everyone went home more educated.  Keep sending your questions and feedback.  Let us know what we can do better.

Easyboot Glove Slow Motion Videos

EasyCare purchased an expensive video camera that will allow us to do slow motion videos.  Not sure what the results will be but thought it would be both interesting and educational to see how different hoof boots look on the horse in slow motion. 

I've attached three short slow motion videos of the Easyboot Glove below.  Even in slow motion I was impressed with the low profile, sleek design of the Glove.  The Glove adds very little weight and bulk to the bare hoof. Hard to tell the horse is wearing boots even in a close up slow motion video.

Power Ball is the horse featured in the slow motion video.  Power Ball is owned by Global Endurance and ridden by Christoph Schork.  Power Ball is an accomplished endurance horse and has many AERC wins on his resume.   

Take a look at the slow motion videos below.  Walk, trot and canter. 

New Easyboot gaiter designs testing well

We have several new gaiter designs in the works that are testing well.  These gaiters are in the testing stage and won't be available for several months.

The goal of the new gaiter is

-Lower profile
-Adjustable in height
-More adjustable in pastern circumference
-Less bulk
-Less weight
-Removable and replaceable

Once the new design is perfected it will replace our gaiters on the Epic, Bare, Grip, Glove and Edge.

First picture is the current gaiter on the Easyboot Glove.  It's working great but one of my goals for 2009 is an improved gaiter.

Second picture is one of the new gaiter designs on the Easyboot Glove.  It's easy to see the lower height.  Sorry can't show you more at this time.

Easyboot Glue-On Cuff Update

Since my post about the Easyboot Glue-On Cuff ,I have received many e-mails regarding the great idea of the Cuff design and when it will be available.  Also several comments here on the blog.  Everyone wants it now.  The Glue-On Cuff is in the R&D stages and will not be available to the public for several months.

You will probably see Team Easyboot riders using the cuff in the near future.  These riders will help prove the concept in different parts of the world, different breeds, different disciplines and different environments.

Sorry to get you excited about a product that is not available yet.  Good news is that the Easyboot Glue-On, Easyboot Glove and Fit Kits are here and shipping. 

Easyboot Glue-On application video showing entire process with four boots

The Easyboot Glue-On application is a quick and easy process after a bit of the learning curve has been removed.  I've posted a short 13 minute video below showing the process from start to finish with the intention of removing the learning curve for you.  The 13 minutes includes foot prep, drying each foot with a heat gun and gluing all four feet.

One great feature of the Easyboot Glue-On is the fit of the boot.  These boots fit so well they give you the impression that you could ride in them without glue.  No need to hold each foot for minutes while the glue is drying. 

Removal is easier and quicker than the application.  I'll do another video next week showing the removal of four glued on boots.

If you can clean a hoof, you can glue-on a set of Easyboot Glue-On boots.

We had to break the video into two videos.  YouTube has a max video length of 10 minutes.

Part 1: Hoof Preparation

 

Part 2: Applying the Boots

Three wins for Easyboot Glue-On at Eastern Mojave Pioneer

From Christoph Schork and Dian Woodward.

"Another Success story for the new Easyboot Glue-Ons. Dian Woodward and Christoph Schork, the owners of Global Endurance Training Center in Moab, faced wintry driving conditions to attend the Eastern Mojave Pioneer Endurance ride 60 miles south of Las Vegas. Base camp was at 3800 ft, winter conditions prevailed for 3 days, driving rain, wind, snowstorms and very cold temperatures made this a true test for the Glue-Ons. Furthermore, the trails were rocky and sandy,  tough conditions for any hoof protection. Our Team arrived with 4 horses, all freshly equipped with the Easyboot Glue-Ons on all hooves. We like to use Vettec products to glue the shoes on: Sole-Guard for the inner circumference of the boot, and Equipak or Equipak CS for the sole of the hoof.

Dian Woodward on Salty

The boots stood up for the test. Not one boot came loose or showed any kind of weakness. They handled the rocks, sand and many miles of snow covered trails with great ease and good traction all around. Neither the cold nor the rain and snow could affect the performance of these new boots.  But let the results speak for themselves: All three days were won by one of our horses equipped with the Glue-Ons:

Day one:   1st place: DWA Express and Christoph

Day two:   1st Place: Stars Aflame and Christoph, 3rd Place: Salty and Dian

Day three: 1st Place: Hanna CW and Christoph

After each day, lots of riders had questions about the new boots. We helped glue some boots on for other riders, who then did really well the following day.

We have been in the hoof care business for many years and tried and tested just about all the shoes and boots out there. We found the new Glue-Ons to be the easiest to apply. They perform extremely well over the most rugged terrain and a wide variety of conditions. And they last. In one of our previous tests, we left the boots on for a full 6 weeks. They were still solidly attached to the hoof wall. And, best of all, with the Vettec CS Equi-pak, not even a hint of any kind of thrush or bacterial growth. Now that’s amazing.

Christoph Schork on Stars Aflame

For any questions any of you might have, feel free to contact EasyCare or Global Endurance. We’ll take the time to share our experience with you and help you to select the right product combination for your horse.

Thank you EasyCare for a great product.

You can reach us through our website at www.globalendurance.com"

Dian Woodward & Christoph Schork

Easyboot Glue-On Cuff makes the Easyboot Glue-On removable

The Easyboot Glue-On is a great tool for the horse industry and has already been successfully tested in many equine disciplines.  The Glue-On is actually very easy to apply and stays in place exceptionally well.

The one thing I don't like about the Easyboot Glue-On is that the horse is now not barefoot.  Glue-On boots can be kept on for long periods of time with success.  This can be viewed as a good thing and bad thing.  Although the Glue-On is flexible and allows the hoof to flex, expand and contract the bare hoof is still covered.

The Easyboot Glue-On Shell with Cuff allows the Glue-On to be applied like a Glue-On but the shell can still be removed between rides allowing the horse to be barefoot.  The cuff is glued to the outside of the hoof wall.  The Glue-On shell is then attached to the cuff.

I posted several months ago about the cuff but have been busy with other items to spend much time with it.  It think it's a great concept and I plan to put some energy into it now that I'm a bit more caught up and all the cuff patent work is complete.

Here is a quick group of photos showing how it works.

#1.  Clean the hoof wall.

#2 Attach the Cuff to the Glue-On shell.  Screws and T-Nuts will be provided.  See the Cuff inside the shell.

#3.  Slide the boots with cuff on the hoof.  Trace the top outline of the cuff with a marker, then remove the shell and cuff.  The hoof will now have an outline showing where to glue the cuff on the hoof.

#4.  Glue the cuff in place.  After glueing the T-Nuts are now between the Cuff and hoofwall.

#5.  The cuff is now in place and the horse is still barefoot.  See how the cuff is on the hoof wall only.

#7.  The t-nuts in the cuff now line up with the holes in the shell.  The shell can now be attached via screws before a ride.  When you are done riding simply remove the boot by removing the screws.  The cuff can stay in place for 4-5 weeks and stays on the hoof during turnout. 

All the benefits of a glue-on boot but your horse is still barefoot between rides.  Pretty cool!

Big weekend for EasyCare!

We had a big weekend at EasyCare.

The BETA trade show located in Birmingham, England is going well and we have had the opportunity to show distributors in England and Europe the new EasyCare hoof boot line.  The Easyboot Glove has been entered into the New Product Gallery and we have our fingers crossed for a win.  Three of the judges came by and did a 15 minute interview and discussed how impressed they were with the Glove.

Christoph Schork and Dian Woodward are having an incredible weekend at the Mojave Scenic Endurance ride.  Christoph received first place on the first day.  On the second day Christoph won again and was followed closely by Dian in third place.  Third place is an incredible accomplishment for Dian.  Dian has been through a great deal of health issues over the past 24 months and is one tough gal.  Christoph and Dian are both riding in Easyboot Glue-Ons.  Good luck on day #3. 

Christoph and Dian are pictured below.

 
I had a successful weekend testing a new gaiter design.  The new gaiter is lower profile, lighter weight, and much more adjustable.  It adjusts for both heel height and pastern circumference.  Test rides have been successful with long rides at speed. 

In addition, I've been testing a new cuff that allows the Glue-On boot to be taken off or removed at anytime.  The boot can then be reapplied without glue.  The horse goes barefoot when not being ridden and the cuff allows the shell to be reattached before a ride.

Both these designs will be huge advancements!

The cuff is pictured below. 

Easyboot Rx continues to be tested in Germany

The Easyboot Rx continues to be tested in Germany by Manuela Volk and her Arabian stallion Gharim.  Gharim thinks the Rx is a racing boot not a therapy boot.  Not a bad test, if the Rx holds up and stays on for this kind of abuse it should have no problem functioning as a therapy boot. 

WOW! Check out Gharim running full out in the Easyboot Rx. 

Eastern Mojave Scenic and Easyboot Glue-On

Team Easyboot members Christoph Schork and Dian Woodward of Global Endurance will be attending the Eastern Mojave Scenic ride over the coming weekend.  Christoph will be riding in the Easyboot Glue-On and will be able to answer any questions regarding installation or removal. 

We are happy to have Christoph on Team Easyboot and excited to see him compete in 2009 with Easyboot Glue-On.  Christoph won 24 endurance races in 2008 alone.  Christoph has also entered the $10,000 Hoof Boot Contest. 

If you are attending the event and are interested in our new boot line make sure you stop over and see Dian and Christoph. 

Full EasyCare Fit Kits going out the door!

We have over 100 full EasyCare Fit Kits going out the door today.  Wow. 

The full "Fit Kit" is a awesome tool for natural hoof care providers and barefoot trimmers.  The full fit kit consists of 9 shells, an instruction brochure and a carry bag.  The fit kit takes the guessing out of the fitting process and allows practitioners to fit each hoof for the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On.

We will also be shipping out 3 boot "Fit Kits" to consumers at no charge.  Read more about our consumer "Fit Kit" here. 

"Fit Kit" instructions and video are up at our website here. 

Easyboot Glove, Easyboot Glue-On and Easyboot Rx are here and ready to ship!

Photos of hoof boot boxes are pretty dull but our first shipment of new boots is here!  The arrival marks the end of a process and the start of several others. Countless hours of design, redesign, testing and follow up testing have gone into the new designs. It's interesting looking back at when many of these boots started, how they evolved and how they perform now.  It's a long involved process. 

The Easyboot Glove, Easyboot Glue-On and Easyboot Rx are here and ready to ship.  Pre-orders have been hot and heavy.  We are already out of some items.  Check with our EasyCare dealer network for inventory.  If you can't find what you need, be patient we will have more soon.

On another note I believe I've perfected a new lower profile gaiter for the Easyboot Glove.  The Glove is our best boot and works awesome like it is now but the new gaiter makes it even better.  The new gaiter is lighter weight, lower profile and makes the boots more secure.  Best of all I think the new gaiter solves the problem a few folks had with gaiter rubbing issues! It will work on the Glove, Epic, Edge, Bare and Grip. 

Another hoof boot is also in testing and looking good.  I'll update more here soon!

Measuring and fitting the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On. When to use a Fit Kit?

I’m still getting many questions about the sizing and fitting instructions for the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On. 

Yes, the measuring and sizing for both boots is different than all the other boots in the EasyCare line.  Yes, there is only 4mm difference between sizes.  Yes, we have half sizes in both the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On.  Both boots are new to the equestrian world and require different sizing and fitting requirements.  A size #1 in the Easyboot or Epic does not correlate to a size #1 Glove or Glue-On.

 

Here are the steps required to get the best fit when ordering an Easyboot Glove or Easyboot Glue-On.

1. Ordering Direct without a “Fit Kit”.
   1. Measure your horse’s feet.  If the width and length fit into the same size you are probably OK to order the boot (Glove or Glue-On).  If the boots don’t fit keep them clean and return them for another size. Check out the "Fit Kit" videos here. 
      
2. Ordering after fitting your horse with a “Fit Kit”
   1. If the width and length don’t fit into the same size we recommend you order a Fit Kit that is the closest to your width measurement.
   2. After the Fit Kit arrives try all three size shells and order the proper size Easyboot Glove or Easyboot Glue-On.

Other helpful tips.

1. If your horse’s feet a wide or don’t seem to fit the measurements of the Easyboot Glove or Easyboot Glue-On, order a Fit Kit.  The shell of the Glove and Glue-On are very flexible and actually fit both wide and narrow feet well.
2. If you don’t have a good fit using the Fit Kit the Easyboot Glove or Easyboot Glue-On may not be right for your horse.  EasyCare has many other boot styles to choose from. 
3. Don’t assume that your horse will wear the same size as he does in another EasyCare hoof boot.  If you take this route the boots will not fit!
4. The Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On work best for horses that have a barefoot trim.  Low heels, little to no flare. 

Jumping in the Easyboot Glove

Easyboot Glove gets a jumping test.  Angela Guy's short report from Chronicle of the Horse.

"A while back, someone posted here about using hoof boots in the jumping portions of eventing... And one of the employees of EasyCare came on CoTH and offered Easyboot Glove boots to anyone willing to try them on their horse eventing... I e-mailed him and he sent me a pair to try out.

The Easyboot Glove is a lovely hoof boot, VERY low profile. Basically a rubber shell that encompasses the hoof, but stops well below the hairline, with a gaiter added on to help keep it in place. Easy Care also has a Glue-On that is just the rubber hoof shell without the gaiter. www.easycareinc.com

I have had a few flatwork/trail rides in them and they are great. But today was the first time I had been able to get out and test them in stadium and XC. I know the jumps aren't the biggest (General's a bit of a greenie), but it was a great test for the Easyboot Glove.

I can truthfully say that I felt no difference whatsoever in how General moved or jumped. He felt safe and comfortable, as always. My instructor (Ruth Sawin of Pine Hill, Area 5) noticed no difference in how Gen was moving, either on the flat or over the jumps. Also, they seemed to not hold any water after the water jumps.

The pics can be seen here:
http://www.horsephotoguy.com/gallery...s.php?album=69

Please no comments on my poor riding abilities... After looking at the photos and video, I realize there is PLENTY *I* can improve upon!!

The Gloves are easy to put on and remove, there's no unnecessary hardware and the traction/grip is excellent, even coming out of the water onto dry/slick grass.

It was a great day, and the Glove is a great product!!"

Family Vacation

I took the week off from hoof boots, Easyboot testing, gaiters and larger size boot requests.  I love my job but family and spending time with my daughter trump horse boots every time. 

 

More on the Easyboot Glove Power Strap

I've had the opportunity to put more test miles on the Easyboot Glove fitted with the Power Strap.  The Power Strap adds to the performance of the Easyboot Glove and makes the boot fit very snug and makes sizing more forgiving.  I recently did a hard, fast ride on a horse that is very hard on back boots.  The slim design of the Power Strap keeps them out of harms way and eliminates interference caused by additional width. 

I've added some photos of the Power Straps after several conditioning rides.  They are holding up well and enhance the performance of the Glove.

Another Easyboot Glove Success Story

Another Easyboot Glove success story.  When these boots fit they really work!

"Well, lets just say... I love them. I have not had them very long and I have only used them on my mare fronts and all we have been able to do is some conditioning rides, but I have been very happy with the way they have performed so far. We have a 75 miler coming up (Feb 14) and I intend on using them on her fronts for that. They fit my mares feet very well. The specs seem to work for her at least. I have put them through some nasty mud holes and places where she drinks and sinks and they have not been sucked off as of yet. The materials seem to be holding up well."

"Putting them on is a snap and getting them off is even easier. I love that, and the fact that they are very light, it does not affect my mares motion in the least. They are very clean looking and I find myself having to make sure there is even a boot on her foot.  All in all I give them a big thumbs up, especially for the ease to put on and take off, and their weight (I've been a fan of the Bares for some time but they have always seemed heavy to me)."

Todd Hezeau

Todd has developed a nice inner sock to work with gaitered boots.  They are pictured in the photos.

Easyboot Rx test results from Germany

Over the past couple months we have sent out several hundred pairs of Easyboot Gloves and Easyboot Rx's.  Test results continue to come in and are very encouraging for both products.  The Rx results have been very good, but I'm a bit worried people are going to start using the Rx for more than just a medicinal/therapy boot.

EasyCare is fortunate to have a great group of boot testers around the world.  I've recently had the opportunity to add Manuela Volk and her beautiful stallion Gharim to our group of testers.  Manuela has some impressive horse knowledge and has been a great addition to our test group.

Take a look at how Gharim is moving around in the Rx.  Looks like he's in a riding boot not a therapy boot.  If a horse can move around a paddock at the pace below, the boots will surely work in a therapy situation!

Thanks Manuela and Gharim!