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Trail boots vs. Shoes

8K views 23 replies 7 participants last post by  its lbs not miles 
#1 ·
Okay so my mare has cottage cheese hooves, shes very prone to abscessing (which I think is due to contracted heels in the past) but seems like its under control with hoof supplements. My thing is I really want to trail ride her but I'm nervous about all the rocks out on the driveway at our barn (must exit driveway in order to go trail riding) my trainer says she needs shoes and maybe even a sole pad (I think that's what she said) even though she's had natural shoeing for a while. However, we haven't had a problem for several months now and the only time she's ever exposed to rocks is when she is out on the trail. So I was thinking, would trail boots be a better investment than having her wear shoes all the time? Are there any brands that work really well? Or would shoes be better? Any help is appreciated!
 
#2 ·
I would definitivly go to hoof boots, way cheaper! After about one or two trimmings you start saving money. I would recommend Easyboots, but there is also ones like Cavallos and Big mac.. Always better to go natural when you can.
 
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#4 ·
Haha yeah there are. I use the Original and Epics. I would not really recommend the Originals for regular use as they have little spikes that keep them on, and they therefore poke little holes in the hoof! I like the idea of the new Trail boot..

If you have a horse with wider hooves, Gloves are basically the easiest boot to deal with. I would recommend having a Easyboot fitter come out and measure your horse's hooves. If you tell them what you need it for they will also help you choose what type of boot would be best.
 
#6 ·
Hi,

What do you mean by 'cottage cheese' hooves & what do you mean by 'natural shoeing'? Yes, recurring abscesses are a symptom of ill health of hooves and yes, even if they were healthy but the horse doesn't live/work enough on rough ground to become 'conditioned' to it, they're likely to need protection on that terrain.

My vote is also for boots over shoes, especially as I believe shoes are generally contraindicated for sick hooves. If you want to protect weak soles/frogs with conventional rims then yes, you do need pads also. Boots will provide the necessary protection & if further is needed you can use pads with them, but you only use them when necessary, so the feet can be cleaned, dry, trimmed etc as necessary rather being 'locked' into padded rims for 6 weeks or more.

What sort(Casey, you mean OLD Macs:lol:) depends mostly on which ones fit him best. Other considerations are how much riding you'd be doing in them - eg. high profile boots such as Macs, Trails, Boas, etc can be problematic if you ride more than around 25 miles per week or ride, due to potential for rubbing. If your horse has odd feet, that will cut down on a few choices as some only come in pairs. How much maintenance your horse's hooves get and their form will be important considerations if you're thinking of Gloves, as they have no fastening system & require a pretty perfect fit. I wouldn't choose these without trying first. However, Easycare have just brought out a 'Backcountry Glove' which are effectively Glove shells with a high profile Trail upper, which doesn't require such perfect fitting. Whether or not you choose one of the Easycare line, if you get onto their site they have some good info on choosing the most appropriate boots.
 
#7 ·
Hi,

What do you mean by 'cottage cheese' hooves & what do you mean by 'natural shoeing'? Yes, recurring abscesses are a symptom of ill health of hooves and yes, even if they were healthy but the horse doesn't live/work enough on rough ground to become 'conditioned' to it, they're likely to need protection on that terrain.
Haha, cottage cheese is just a funny way that I have learned to describe her hooves. Her biggest problems were sandcracks, so in order to fix it my first farrier (don't worry I don't use him any more) put shoes on her to fix it and they really did not fit her, if you put the shoe up against her hooves now you can see how badly contracted her heels were. After we took the shoes off he tried digging out the sandcrack, and even sticking a nail through her hoof to get the crack to seal up (like a staple) (this was not on the hoof she started getting abscesses on). Then my new trainer had me go with her farrier who does the natural trimming (sorry I mistyped) with the "mustang roll" which I liked but was taking a lot of sole out and had very little heel which the vet told me wasn't good if shes abscessing, so I'm switching over to this new farrier with more than 30 years under his belt so I'm hoping her feet will start getting better. I'm just concerned he'll want to put shoes on her because of all the stuff that has happened with her feet because thats what my trainer and the rest of the barn says he'll do.
 
#8 ·
Hi,

How about some hoof pics? I think that 'stapling' or otherwise stabilising a crack across the wall can sometimes be appropriate. I don't think shoes, or otherwise leaving the base of the wall under pressure is good for treating cracks though. Opening them up & cleaning out any infection is usually a necessary step too, as without it, the infection can eat away healthy tissue quicker than a good trim can allow it to grow down.

IME people, including vets tend to have a variety of different opinions about heel height & IMO in the vast majority of cases I've seen where people talk about heels being too low, it is not the case. *However, I'm speaking generally, without even having seen pics of feet or such(not to mention consideration of different opinions) & it does depend, including considerations for taking 'too high' heels down gradually to avoid discomfort/further damage.

As a rule, 'natural' trimmers don't tend to pare much sole like farriers regularly do, but as with any lable such as 'natural', 'trimmer' 'farrier' for eg. there are good, bad & indifferent, especially in an industry so largely unregulated, that anyone can give themselves that lable without any training or study. Not to mention differences of opinion, so it's imperative for owners to learn at least the basics for themselves, in order to make more objective, informed decisions about who & what they allow to be done to their horses.
 
#9 ·
see I would agree with you loosie but I've seen so much different stuff on heel height it blows my mind. A lot of people have told me that she's abscessing because there is something permanently embedded but I will swear to the day I die its because her contracted heels are opening up. Also I have a new development, I rode her today and she was really quiet and soft (I went later at night too so that might be doing something) but it almost felt like she locked up one of her front legs or she tripped. She acted like she was stumbling around a lot though it was strange, then all of a sudden after about 4 strides of jog she started limping at the jog! I brought her down to the walk and she was fine, I tried jogging her again and still she was perfectly sound then five minutes later after several strides of jog again she started limping again! I just realized it kept happening around the same spot in the arena but needless to say I jumped off and did everything I could think of to check for lameness, and she went perfectly sound both ways! Does this have something to do with her feet too? I almost feel like I should put shoes on her because she just seemed really sore and trippy the whole ride. It also seems like her feet aren't growing back as fast as they should, maybe I'm just imagining stuff?
 
#11 ·
see I would agree with you loosie but I've seen so much different stuff on heel height it blows my mind.
That's why it's a good idea to learn the hows & whys - learn what lies beneath.:wink:

A lot of people have told me that she's abscessing because there is something permanently embedded but I will swear to the day I die its because her contracted heels are opening up.
Who knows, at least without a lot more info, but IME your feelings about it are far more likely than the 'imbedded' theory.

did everything I could think of to check for lameness, and she went perfectly sound both ways! Does this have something to do with her feet too? I almost feel like I should put shoes on her because she just seemed really sore and trippy the whole ride. It also seems like her feet aren't growing back as fast as they should, maybe I'm just imagining stuff?
Is it to do with her feet? I'm not psychic so I couldn't know, based only on that info.:wink: If she's 'sore & trippy' and prone to abscesses too, then it does sound like she could well need hoof protection whenever ridden, tho again I'd definitely opt for boots over shoes for her, to allow more than palliative treatment. Again pics may help us help you, by giving more relevant or specific info. As for speed of hoof growth, they grow at different rates depending on the season, amount of exercise and how healthy or otherwise they are. Shod hooves tend to grow slower IME & well balanced nutrition & good diet also helps them grow quicker and stronger.
 
#12 ·
yeah her diet has been same for almost a year now (we switched to a more textured feed and theres definately a big difference in her coat and feet) it might just have been because she was sleepy but I've got some pictures of her feet right after she abscessed the first time (its like 2 years old though)

i'll try to get some of her hooves now by tonight they look a lot different, but the yellow spot by the heel is where the abscess is busting out (and they all seem to bust there but they are developing in different places in the hoof, I've used hoof testers and my farrier has found spots when he's taken sole out during trimmings)
 
#14 ·
My horse has mediocre feet, meaning they'd be fine if our weather wasn't so wet. From my own investigations on the subject, this is what I see:

The "abscess" looks like where a bit of grave has penetrated the white line, in the hoof, and travelled up the hoof wall, until it's now coming out.

When you look at her hoof near the heels, is there a separation between the wall and the hoof? I use a sharp pick to check my horses' feet when I clean them. When I find a deep hole or separation, I clean it out best I can, stick in a bit of cotton and soak it in iodine. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Because of the mud here, I keep my horses barefoot. Horses with a soft white line, though, would benefit wearing shoes. You wouldn't get the gravel. Shoeing doesn't cause contracted heels, BAD shoeing does.

I use Easyboots, great protection, occasionally, but my horse doesn't like them.
 
#16 ·
Yes, be interested to see some different angles of those feet. Are the abscesses mainly on the hairline, heel, soles...? Does your farrier routinely remove sole material?

The "abscess" looks like where a bit of grave has penetrated the white line, in the hoof, and travelled up the hoof wall, until it's now coming out.
IME abscesses can come about for a variety of reasons. A stone bruise or bash to the wall can abscess, necrotic tissue buildup due to ill functioning feet - such as contraction - is another common cause. Compromised hoof capsules, such as stretched toes, crushed heels, etc can put undue stress on different areas. If hooves are cracked or such, the mechanical force can tear upwards & if there is separation/seedy that will add to the damage. Nail ****** or other penetration wounds can, although IME that's not very common. If there is already a lot of damage & wall separation, it's possible that dirt/gravel could be pushed up a fair way, leading to further damage & infection, but IME it's unlikely to get too far or come out at the coronet.
 
#17 ·
well ain't it just my luck she pulled up lame again :( but she could be faking it because shes done it before!!! But I think I might just have to get shoes on her, but I'll post pictures tonight because I have to look at her feet anyway.
Are the abscesses mainly on the hairline, heel, soles...? Does your farrier routinely remove sole material?

Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/hoof-care/trail-boots-vs-shoes-119283/page2/#ixzz1rq1ygw7U
The abscess always busts out the same spot (where the big yellow blob is on the hoof) and yes the farrier removes a lot of sole, but I'm going to switch to this more experienced farrier. And when I've had the vet dig it out so it would drain (I don't have them come out anymore because it always seems to last several weeks when they do that vs. me just popping it out by myself (my record is 36 hours)) they found that the abscess is lying right on the white line. The last time I had the farrier out he dug out some sole and found a big cavity where the abscess was and it was actually closer to the frog. I don't think its a rock that is trapped in there because logic tells me wouldn't it just grow out after a while? Like the cavity grew out?
 
#19 ·
well ain't it just my luck she pulled up lame again :( but she could be faking it because shes done it before!!! But I think I might just have to get shoes on her,
Horses don't lie. They cannot 'fake it'. However, if for eg. she's been frequently lame long term & consistently been asked to work & then let off because of lameness, it's possible it could also become a learned behaviour.

I wouldn't personally put shoes on already unhealthy feet if I could help it. Would at least wait until they're healthier. Of course you need to make your own informed decision on this & to that end, I hope the link in my signature will help you get started.
The abscess always busts out the same spot (where the big yellow blob is on the hoof) and yes the farrier removes a lot of sole, ....The last time I had the farrier out he dug out some sole and found a big cavity where the abscess was and it was actually closer to the frog. I don't think its a rock that is trapped in there because logic tells me wouldn't it just grow out after a while? Like the cavity grew out?
The pic shows the abscess on the hairline & you say they always happen in the same spot, but then seem to be describing solar abscesses? Removing sole routinely can lead to solar abscesses, when the 'armour plate' is weakened & thinned, leaving the corium more open to bruising. For that reason & the risk of further infection, I don't like the practice of digging for abscesses either.
Loosie, do you think anti-biotics should be given when having an abcess? I've heard opinions both ways.

I put Easyboots on my horse yesterday, and she was better with them, but they seem to really squeeze the heels. Could this be a problem, or cause problems?
To be honest, I haven't looked into studies on antibiotcs for abscesses specifically, but IME these & anti-inflams can just suppress an infection, which can lessen but just prolong the problem. Antibiotics, while of course necessary in many infections, can also be very damaging to the horse's gut, relying mainly on bacteria to digest food. Therefore I would use them as sparingly as possible & don't consider them for abscesses *generally* necessary.

What sort of Easyboots? How's the fit & trim? Toes short enough & right to the front of the boots? Yeah, IME in some horses, ill fitting boots can bruise heels. Depending on the fit, pads or such can help.
 
#18 ·
I'm watching this thread! Very interested in how to handle the less-than-ideal hoof.

Loosie, do you think anti-biotics should be given when having an abcess? I've heard opinions both ways.

I put Easyboots on my horse yesterday, and she was better with them, but they seem to really squeeze the heels. Could this be a problem, or cause problems?

I hope this all ties in with this topic!
 
#21 ·
Oh poor thing! I'm glad you found the problem, though.

I don't know how you'd keep a shoe on, unless it's the glued-on type. Maybe an Eastboot-type boot would help.

As for my Easyboots: they fit pretty well, I think, EXCEPT that the back band seems too wide. I had to trim it down to half the width for my other horse, and I think I'll do it this time too, to clear the heel bulbs (?).
 
#24 ·
I wasn't going to comment, because loosie as pretty much covered every base with the information given. Always tough to "trouble shoot" a problem via phone, email, or posts.
But I do cringe when I have people tell me their horse if faking pain. While a horse is a bit like a teenage child, they don't "think" in that way. Horses can learn to behave in a way to manipulate something they want, (e.g. my mare will start doing things things on her own without being told to because she thinks by doing them she'll get a treat), but it doesn't envolve "faking" pain. If they're not in pain they are not going to pretend to be. In 44 years I've never seen a horse that had perfectly healthy feet or a back that wasn't sore the day before suddenly pretend that they hurt.
I can understand how people think horses fake it. It's easy to not see something if it's not jumping out at us and so we give the horse more complex "human" thought processes. People often do that with many animals.
Oh, the dog stories are worse than the horse ones, but that's beyond the scope of this site.

And for what it's worth...I whole heartedly agree that shoeing an unhealthy foot is not something I would recommend. It can add "insult to injury". But not my horse, so not my call.
 
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