sensitive hooves?

If she's aiming for the grass whenever she can, it's definitely a case of soreness. Boots on the fronts will give her instant relief. If she turns out to be a size 2 in Renegades, I have a lightly used pair for sale.

There are so many boots to choose from and so many opinions. I have heard all good things about renegades. I use the epics on the front, pain in the rear but they stay on, and gloves on the hinds, I hate them but they stay on better on the hinds than they do on the fronts. Can you tell I have a love/hate relationship with my boots, LOL!!! I have size 3 epics for sale and size 4 gloves if your horse has big feet.

I'm not sure what size her hooves are. I can measure tomorrow and get back to you guys. Thanks for the offer! I hope your boots will fit
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Hi,

If you would like any specific opinions on your horse's feet, pics(see signature link) & more info would help. Agree with NM that tripping is often for other reasons, but if she only does it on rough ground, yes, tender feet are the likeliest reason.

Re boots, you need to measure them immediately after a *good* trim. Hopefully your farrier is experienced with boots & can give you some pointers, but basically, good fit is the biggest issue by far & the best type will be the ones that fit your horse best. Some boots have more or less leeway, fit-wise. Eg 'high profile' boots such as Easyboot Trails, Old Macs, etc and boots such as Epics with a fastening system may still be OK if your horse's feet change a bit or such. Boots such as Boas suit a more upright pasterned, boxy type form, while Gloves are fantastic for good hoof form & frequently trimmed, but due to them having no way of adjustment, they have to fit pretty perfectly, so they're not the best for imperfect feet or those that may go a fair few weeks between trims.

Whether or not you choose an Easycare boot type, on their site there is a lot of great info on sizing & choosing the most appropriate type boot for your horse & situation.

I have experience with Old Mac's, Boa's, and Easyboot gloves. I prefer Easyboot gloves, but they do NOT provide complete sole protection. They do offer some protection to the entire sole, but as the boot is made of a softish (not metal) material, horses can still feel rocks and such under their soles. Kind of like walking on a sharp gravel road in a pair of flip-flops. You can still feel the rocks, but they're not so sharp feeling anymore. For most horses this seems to be enough, but for horses with particularly flat soles, it can be much less than enough. Old Mac's and Boa's both seem to offer a bit more sole protection, but because both fasten above the coronet band with materials that are not super giving, they can rub sores if you're not careful, or if they do not fit correctly. Boa's have seemed to me to be the worst of the three that I've used for rubbing sores on a horse's leg. One thing to remember is that boots are generally designed for a 'normal' hoof and leg bone structure. If your horse is too upright, they will rub in the front, heels too low, and they'll rub in the back. Boots are a good tool, but may not be a true fix. As long as you are aware of that starting out, they're definitely worth trying!