Team Easyboot

EasyCare Boots and Comfort Pads Question

I'd love to get some feedback from those of you that have used hoof boots and pads together with positive results.  Could you post or comment about your experiences?  What did you use, what worked and why?  How long did you use boots and pads on a particular horse and for what type of situation?  Please feel free to post photos and as many details as possible that could help other horse owners or Team Easyboot members put these products to the best use possible to help benefit horses.  Thanks! 

I just recently posted some photos on my blog about using Old Mac's G2's with EasyCare Dome Comfort Pads in them on one of my horses.  It has been working really well so far, even with muddy wet conditions. 

What a difference a pad makes!

Hi all, I came across these photos I had taken some time ago of one of my endurance horses, Ningadoo Vanessa. She had been in the broodmare paddock for a period of time (without breeding, unfortunately) and her feet were less than impressive! In particular Vanessa had very poorly developed digital cushions and narrow frogs with deep cracks. I suspect she was habouring a very deep seated thrush up there.

I was routinely soaking her in easysoakers to treat the  thrush, then I would put on her Epics and Comfort Pads to go out to work. She also spends quite a bit of time in the paddock in her boots and pads as well to help develop comforable heel first landing.

In the first pic it is so obvious to see that she is really braced with discomfort - her front legs are back under her to take the weight off her sore heels, and her hind end is tucked under too. Not Happy! The second pic shows her with her boots and pads on just the front feet. The positions of the horse in both pictures were chosen by her - I did not 'stage' then or try to get her to stand a certain way.

I think these pics are amazing as it demonstrates the enormous difference that can be made to horse comfort by using the right type of hoof protection. Vanessa is now in full work and going very well - she no longer shows the position of pain, but does wear her boots and pads daily for at least a few hours at a time.  

This is why I LOVE eboots and pads!!

Jenny Moncur

Mullungdung Endurance Arabians and Longrun Hoofcare, Australia

Boot sizing and pads

Hi fellow team members - I was wondering whether most of you are able to use the same size boot with pads and without pads???

My mare has been doing quite well either barefoot or with boots, but I could see that there was still room for improvement. It finally took the pastures where I board to be fixed up this fall and gravel put in in high traffic areas for my mare to start improving again (since her hooves are kept drier). I am quite sure that her heels will continue to expand as well as get lower too with trimming. Right now, I use a size 0 in the Epics and Bares and foamed on boots. I worked with my Bares over the holidays and was able to get them to a tighter setting each day after riding in them and "breaking them in". Now I am able to still get them on and have them at the tightest setting.

But even at the widest setting on the Bares, there is no way I can keep a pad in there and have the boot fitting properly...same with the Epics and even with older "broken in" boots. What happens is I can get the boot on, but the foot doesn't sit low enough in the boot for me to be able to get the gaiter closed properly. During the spring and summer, I was able to put pads in my Epics and ride in them without a problem...

I'm wondering if I'm missing something or should I be getting a 1 for the time that I want to use pads to encourage further hoof development? She may very well end up being a size 1 in time, but is still clearly a 0 for the time being (for anything without pads).

Lysane

Death Valley and Easyboot Edge report

Here are a few photos from the Death Valley endurance ride.  Click to enlarge.  I will work on a photo album of the entire trail so everybody can see what we rode through.  This ride does have a lot of good footing but it also has a lot of really rocky footing.  I used four Easyboot Edge prototype boots on Chief for 100 miles, and two EE boots on Tigger for 100 miles (the same two did all 200 miles).  I also used two regular size 2 Epics on Tigger as the prototypes are only available in size 1 right now.  These photos show a little of the trail and scenery.  There is one of Chief rolling after finishing (the sand was too irresistable!), and some of the boots.  I used EasyCare dome comfort pads, size medium trimmed down to fit for all four days (same pads) and had used them ahead of time on training rides to get them broken in.  The new gaiters worked very well on both horses - 100 miles each with no rubbing anywhere!  The boots all stayed on 100% of the time, and had no modifications made to them.  We had several Team Easyboot members at the ride who also helped test these boots for us and so far the feedback has  been very positive! Karen