Hoof Boot Guide Part III: Testing the Fit

So, now that your shiny new hoof boots have arrived in the post, now is the time for the ultimate test- do they fit (and do they make your horse look just that little bit more stylish?)?  I highly recommend using a thick plastic bag covering the feet prior to your first fitting (such as an old feed bag) so that you minimise the chances of dirtying the boot in case you need to exchange it for a different size. Pictured here are the Cavallo style and Easyboot Glove style boots modeled by my wife's horse, Zeno- but the principles apply for others in the field.

1)  Ensure your boot is fully open and all the fastening is undone (if using a trainer type boot, ensure the inner tab is flexed away from the center of the boot.  If your boot came with pastern wraps, leave them off to check the fit, and add them in later.  Design permitting, fold the outer down over the sides of the boot before attempting to fit.


2)  Holding your horse's pastern with one hand, use the other to maneouver the boot over the foot toe-first.  It is very important that the toe is fitted into the toe of the boot or there may be chafing or damage to the boot.

3)  Once the toe is in, bring the heel into the back of the boot (if you are using a compression-fit boot, there is usually a ridge here to grip onto the heel/frog).  And roll up the outers if you had folded them down initilally, but do not fasten yet.








4)  *for trainer-style boots only* Grip the bottom of the boot and rotate it around the foot- there should be enough play to turn it 20 degrees or so but not enough to rotate it around the foot.  Other styles should have little or no rotation when fitted to the foot.  (In the case of Easyboot Gloves, I highly recommend gettinga rubber mallet to tap them into place so that you get adequate heel grip).

5)  Gently lower the leg down and allow the horse to put his weight into the boot.

6)  Lift the leg and check the fit again, if you got the hoof position correct the first time, the fit should remain the same.

7)  Gently lower the leg and fasten the boot.  If using trainer-style boots, ensure there is two-fingers' worth of space between the fastened outer and the pastern to avoid chafing.









8)  Assuming that everything has progressed well and seems to be fitting properly fit the pastern wraps, repeat the process on the other foot/feet and take them out for a short test ride (though, with the trainer-style boots especially, keep the sessions/intensity short until the material has had a chance to break-in... usually about a fortnight).

9)  Ride and enjoy!

If you have any doubt, always check with an appropriate hoofcare professional or the company help desk.

If your horse has feet that are inbetween sizes, I recommend using some closed-cell foam padding (or a gardening kneepad at a push) and cutting a wedge to glue in the loose side of the boot- though this is only really an option with trainer-style boots as they are more forgiving with their fastenings... if it is an intereference-fit type boot you may have to change to a different style. 

Maintained properly (ie regularly hosed out and dried), boots should last about 1-3 years depending on workload and frequency of use (Zeno's Cavallos lasted 2 1/2 years of hard work before we had to replace them due to a hole in the uppers), so are great value for money.

Hoof Boot Guide Part II: Measuring Your Feet

Perhaps the most important step in fitting your horse with hoof boots is getting the correct size boot.  This is especially so if you are ordering boots from an online seller (as nearly all of us do).  To correctly size your feet, you will need the following items: a straight edge, a ruler or measuring tape, a permanent marker pen (if desired) and, of course, something to record your measurements on.


1)  Ensure that your horse has just had a trim, as any additional growth may skew the measurements and give you a boot which is too big to be usable.

2)  Using your straight edge, find the widest point on the foot (this is usually found just behind the apex of the frog.  If you are unsure, take a couple of measurements and use the widest.  If desired you may want to mark this line with your permanent marker and measure from this.

3)  Moving to the back of the foot, place your straight edge along the back of the frog/heels as shown.  Then measure the length of the foot from the toe (at midpoint) to the leading edge of the straight edge on the heels (the two points indicated on the picture).  If desired you may want to mark this line with your permanent marker and measure from this.

4)  If desired, place the hoof on a blank sheet of paper and trace around it using the permanent marker pen (you will need hard standing for this).  This will give you the total outline of the foot and allow you to check the fit of the sole plate once you receive the boots without getting them dirty, and is also very useful if you intend to fit a pad to the boot. 

Once you have the measurements for all four feet recorded, take the largest of the pair (for fores or hinds, whichever is applicable) and use this as  your sizing measurement when ordering.  Online sizing guides can be found here (http://www.easycareinc.com/our_boots/easycare-hoof-boots.aspx#&panel1-1) for Easycare products, here (http://www.cavallo-inc.com/products/hoof-boots/fit.html) for Cavallo boots, and here (http://www.renegadehoofboots.com/sizing.html) for Renegade hoof boots.

For more, see my See Hoof Boot Guide Part II:  Testing the Fit

Hoof Boot Guide Part I: Not All Boots Are Created Equal

There's no other item quite as useful when having a barefoot horse than a good hoof boot.  There is, however, more to selecting the ideal boot for your horse than you might think.  There are a wide variety of brands and types of boot on the market today, and which one you choose should be determined by two important factors: your horse's hoof shape, and your intended activity. 

The first factor has to do with the shape of the sole of the boot and it is important because some boots are designed to fit round hooves, while some fit wide hooves best, and others fit petite hooves.  To some extent, if you have an 'average' hoof, it will fit reasonably well regardless of the type, but - and this is especially important for those of us with pathological hooves to think about- if the hoof is mis-shapen (by abnormal growth or injury) or in the process of rehabilitation you may have to change boot types a number of times as and when the foot shape changes.  For example:  If your horse developed severely under-run heels and flared quarters (as this picture demonstrates) then you will need a boot which will accomodate as wide a foot as possible (as well as a pad), but as the foot rehabilitates you will soon find that a more round-shaped boot will do the job nicely. 

Perhaps just as vital is what you plan to do with your horse- whether it be endurance rides across rocky ground or carriage driving on asphalt roads, each discipline will suit a particular style of boot.  This is where we will consider the types of fastening and upper materials.  Included in this consideration is also whether your horse is being booted as part of an ongoing rehab (where, I'm afraid your choice may be limited to the accomodatingly roomy trainer type boots) or if you just need a bit of extra insurance if and when your horse may be a bit tender (in which case there are many sleek and stylish options open to you). 

Okay, so you've decided what your horse needs based on the shape of his foot and the demands placed upon him- now you're ready to get matched to the appropriate boot.  We'll start with the first and most versitile category- the trainer type hoof boot.  This type has one or more flaps that wrap the whole hoof above the level of the coronet band and fasten with velcro or buckle fasteners on the front of the boot (the most common types are the Old Mac - see pic - and the Cavallo hoof boots). They are the most commonly used boots for rehabilitation because they are spacious enough to fit in a generous pad to cushion and support the pathological foot.  This, combined with their ruggedness makes them extremely versitile and if you can only afford one set of boots, I'd recommend these every time.  They are also more forgiving with odd or mis-shapen hooves.  The downside is that they can be fiddly to put on/take off until you get used to the fastenings (this is especially true of Old Mac boots).  For this boot type: wide hooves suit Old Mac's; round hooves suit Old Mac's G2, Cavallo and Cavallo Sport (though there tends to be a larger size step in this brand) and Easyboot Trail.  I don't recommend the Boa hoof boot for any use as the fastening device can allow the unsuspecting owner to overtighten the boot and compress the coronet band, producing bruising and chafing (the device uses a ski-boot type dial using thin wire which can quickly create an alraming degree of compression).

The next mainstream boot type is that which fastens to the hoof by a compression mechanism (ie various types of clamp).  Of these, the oldest and best known is the original Easyboot (pictured).  The rear of the boot generally grips around the heel while the front grips and clamps to the hoof wall.  I like this type a great deal  as they generally come in a wide variety of sizes and sit entirely below the coronet band, minimizing the risk of compressing the coronet band or soft tissue rubs.  However, there is little scope for fitting a pad of any real theraputic value and I mainly recommend these for otherwise sound horses who need extra protection for rocky trails or the occasional bout of footiness.  Many of the soles are cast for quarterhorse feet so you may not have much luck finding one which fits your horse if he has wide feet.  The downside is that, unless they fit snugly they will not stay on well so an accurate fit is essential.  Easycare do, however, do a fit-kit which provides you with a range of soles to try on your horse and a good set of instructions for judging the fit- I highly recommend using it.  All these boots I would recommend for 'normal', round shaped hooves only.

An additional branch of this type is the 'glove' type boot which fits by interference fit onto the hoof and has the benefit of being very light and easy to put on (pictured is the Easyboot Glove).  These aren't quite as rugged as the other compression fit types, but work brilliantly if you desire a bit of added protection from rocky trails or wear protection if you're doing alot of tarmac mileage.  They have no real theraputic value so unless your horse has healthy feet I'd recommend these purely as an addition to a good pair of trainer type boots.  As with those listed above, these tend to really only fit 'normal' or round feet- but there is a new Easyboot Glove Wide which promises to be a more versitile fit for wide hooves.  An important side is the Hoof Wings boot which is a custom-fit glove type boot which is a viable option if you have difficulty finding an appropriate fit.

The final main offering is another hoof-fastening type which incorporates a dynamic fastening around the pastern or heel.  The most notable is the Renegade hoof boot (pictured).  As with the glovetypes, these are purely for horses who have otherwise healthy feet that require a bit of added protection for trail rides or abrasive surfaces.  The heel cup system employed here is one of my favorites and virtually eliminates any possibility of bruising of abrasion of soft tissues.  They are also as robust as the compression-fit boots but super light- I highly recommend these type of boots for trekking or heavy-duty trail riding as you get all the advantages of the gloves but a more secure, robust fit).  Again, these tend to be sized for 'normal' to round feet only and have little theraputic use as no pad of substance can be fitted.

Next up: Part II:  Sizing Your Hoof Accurately

Additional Resources:

www.easycare.com
www.cavallo-inc.com
www.renegadehoofboots.com
www.hoofwings.co.uk