From The Horse's Mouth

Easyboot Epics at the World Championship Ride & Tie

Lisa, Alyxx and I just returned from the World Championship Ride & Tie.  We had a crazy trip out to Garberville California with a canceled flight, a standby flight, 5 hours in a rental car and lots of traffic.  I'm not sure how people deal with daily traffic but it sure stressed me out.

It was great seeing all the people from the Ride & Tie world and catching up with old friends.  The main faces in the sport are still around and just as fast as they were in the old days.  It's amazing to learn that 50+ year old Ride and Tiers can still run sub 5:00 minute miles.  Wow, these guys are still fast.

Lisa teamed up with a college friend that got the horse bug a couple years ago.  Gabrielle and Kirk Wagner now have 4 horses and have competed in several Ride and Tie and endurance events.  Gabrielle has been a quick study learning all she can about the sport and horsemanship in a very short time.

Before the event we fitted Echo in Easyboot Epics.  I tried something new and actually foamed the Epics on.  We don't recommend foaming Epics but with all the hard rocky downhills, I thought the addition of EasyFoam would help provide some cushion on the long downhill sections of the course.  I had to take extra precaution to make sure the foam did not come up over the hairline or stick to the gaiter.  After a quick test all four foamed boots turned out perfect.  Just the right amount of foam, the foam filled the boots well but stayed below the hairline and did not come up enough to stick to the gaiter.

The race started just like most Ride & Ties.  Wild!  The majority of Ride & Ties start in a large meadow and quickly funnel to a trail or road.  This years event was no different.  The start went from a meadow with 2-3 foot grass over a small ditch and up a dirt road for 2-3 miles.  Alyxx and I were positioned about a 1/2 mile up for the first hand tie.  Alyxx got a kick out of the galloping horses and gasping runners coming by.  Echo was a bit of a handful but Gabrielle and Lisa did a smooth first transition and were off to the first vet check.

We ran into the legendary Cowman A-Moo-Ha at the start and I convinced him to come along to the vet check and help with Alyxx when the horse came in.

Lisa and Gabrielle were the first woman-woman team into and out of the first vet check.  Lisa looked great running out, Echo vetted quickly and Gabrielle looked fresh.  Kirk and I had high hopes.  A mile or two into the second loop the wheels came off the bus.  To make a long story short, Echo spun around a tree on the high side of the trail and Gabrielle couldn't find the horse.  An hour later they found the horse and continued on to finish.  We were all disappointed but happy the team finished.  Lisa and Gabrielle are already talking about what they need to improve on for next year.

Summer Heat

EasyCare does not recommend keeping a hoof boot on a horse longer than 24 hours.  Although this is an important rule to follow all year it becomes more important during the hot summer months.  Heat and humidity create the perfect breeding ground for thrush and other fungus related problems in the hoof. 

Boot tips for the summer heat.

1. Remove boots every 24 hours. 
2. Thoroughly clean the hoof and boot.
3. Keep an eye on the hoof when boots are used in extreme heat and humidity.  Most boots have drain areas that remove excess water from the boot. 
4. If the hoof starts to soften due to use of boots in the heat and humidity allow the horse to go barefoot for several hours before the boot is reapplied.

Sand

I believe the most difficult terrain for hoof boots is sand.  Hoof boots worn in deep sand eventually fill and can cause rubbing.  I have done a great deal of riding and boot testing in the dry sandy river beds around Tucson, Arizona and have found several solutions to sand.

What can you do to prevent problems when riding in sandy conditions.

1.  If you are riding in nice sandy terrain or a sandy arena don't use boots.  Let the horse go barefoot.  Save the boots for rough, rocky rides.
2.  Stop and clean the boots out after long stretches of sand.  Just like if you take a run on the beach.  Sand builds up inside your shoes with time and distance.
3.  Gaiters and Pastern straps will help keep sand out of the Boa Horse Boot and Old Mac's.
4.  Fit your Easyboots with Easyboot Gaiters.  The easyboot Gaiter helps keep sand out of the back of the Easyboot.

Weekend Ride

I had a great ride this weekend.  Saw four javelina, one gila monster, two deer and a rattlesnake.  The southwest desert has amazing wildlife and is always and adventure on horseback.  I'm very lucky to have hundreds of miles of trail from our home.  We have incredible single track trails that wind through giant saguaro cactus and climb over 7,000 feet into ponderosa pine.

Weekend Product Tests

I had the opportunity to do a couple tests rides on my horse Baja this weekend.  Baja is my past endurance horse who has completed over 3,000 miles of AERC sanctioned events in Easyboots.  Baja has a 100% completion rate in the sport of endurance and I hope to get him back into the sport of endurance later this year.

I'm currently testing two new boot designs on Baja that are going to revolutionize hoof boots.  Tests are going very well and I'm excited about how these designs will benefit horses and horse owners in the future.  I will keep everyone posted.