Hoof boots?

Do any of you guys use those easy boot things? What are they? What do they really do? My horse is barefoot so I can't imagine needing one unless riding on terrain that has pebbles so the pebbles can be kept out of the frog. Just curious oh and why are they so damn expensive?! Are they super valuable or just a hot commodity?

If you are even considering them have a professional fit them. There are so many to chose from, some better than others. Many riders like them if opting to ride in rocky footing as they are not permanent like shoes. They are well constructed to withstand the rigors and some last longer than others. Sizing must be done the day of the trim.

Personally, my mare is shod, so easyboots are a 'spare tire' for us, so to speak. I carry an Easyboot Epic in my saddle bag, just in case (and have needed it once).

Your horse may never need the added protection of boots, depending on the terrain you ride over and his/her feet. As the poster above me suggested, have someone in your area who is experienced help you.. it can get very expensive when your experiments don't work!

Oh I am not planning on buying any! I just am curious about them :)

I use Cavallo Sport Boots on my mare's front hooves for rocky rides. She has totally BOMBER feet, though, so the ride has to be rocky or require boots for me to put them on. I like them a lot because they are dead easy to put on, they never come off (even in river crossings), and she gets good traction.

I have a pair of Easy Boot Gloves for both of my geldings. I used Biscuit's quiet a bit last year while his hooves were growing out cracks. I used them when we rode in real rocky areas or when one of them has had tender feet. They saved a ride for my cousin's once when they had the horses trimmed two days before the ride. I like having them as "insurance".

Hmm all this input makes me more curious then before! Hunny and I have never been on super bad terrain, the worst being gravel roads, but I do wonder if ever we would need them? She has pretty good hooves, and whenever we go on big trail rides we wait to trim them until after the ride or we trim them 1-2 weeks before so they are built up and hard again. I don't think I would need any unless we went riding in the mountains or something. Closest thing we have to actual mountains is Montana Rockies which are a long drive away! We would probably hit South Dakota before Montana in all actuality.

Do they have good traction? What happens when they get wet? Does water get inside?

I'm curious about this question also since I am considering boots as a 'solution' for my forthcoming long-distance ride. QOS, I assume your pair of boots are fronts? Did you have any fit problems once the cracks were grown out?

Generally, when should they be fitted - just after a trim or just before a trim is needed?

Mine get great traction. They have a draining system so the water doesn't stay in the boot.
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I am beginning to rethink the boot issue, with the second horse shoes are getting expensive. Not to mention with all the riding I am doing I am only getting 4 weeks out of a set of shoes instead of 6 to 8 like I used to. Believe I am going with the renegades on Miss Emma.