Horse slipping in hoof boots

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Widget

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Mar 29, 2004
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Those of you who use Old Macs and the like, do your horses slip on grass and mud? I need either traditional shoes or some sort of hoof boots for my horse. Im looking at the different types of boots carefully before I pick one and metal shoes will be a last resort. We have a lot of stoney ground to cover hence the need for boots but also forest tracks which are muddy in winter, and grass too. Have only known 1 horse who wore boots and his feet were all over the place on wet dirt and grass. Do yours slip too or was he just clumsy?!
 
Hi,

I haven't had any experience of Bry slipping in her boots. I've galloped her across fields and walked her on stones.

I think that boots are getting loads better recently as barefoot is really taking off.

I have the old mac g2's and I am really pleased with them, they are expensive but worth every penny in my opinion.
 
Really? I think I saw some that you can fit studs to so if I got those I could add studs if needed. You saw the area where my neds are. Very hilly. Last thing I want to do is take a youngster skiing down a muddy slope!
 
I think you might be able to put studs in them, they do have holes, not sure if that is for drainage or not though.

I have taken Bry places that I know she'd slip if she had shoes on but with her boots she's fine.

I'd say you could borrow mine to try them out but I think your horses feet will be a different size to Brys.
 
Boa boots are deadly on wet grass and mud, and I wasn't that convinced about Easyboot Bares either. The Old Mac G2's are a different story though, fantastic, and I'd definitely be looking at them as an option in your situation :)
 
I have studs for my Boa boots which have solved all slipping problems. Although I now only use them if we're going to be doing a lot of stony ground or road work - he goes bare all round if he's doing a lot of grass work.
 
Did you find they affected his action when you were on hard ground where they weren't needed? That was always my concern about using them :)
 
Nope, I worried about that too so I have 4 studs in, one at each heel and one on either side of the toe, about an inch behind the point. He seems fine in them. But I've not done much work with them in on hard ground - I use them for schooling. I've never really had a problem for slipping on grass whilst out without the stud - I only notice it when riding him in the school (which is grass)
 
I cant just do grass or just do stone tracks due to where we are. So if she had studs on them they would be there over all surfaces. Unless I got off and took them on and off each time! Im a bit vague on the sizing so will see if I can rent some first or find cheap second hand ones to try. I think she needs size 3 front and 2 rear in Boa or easyboot or 7f and 6r in Old macG2. Does that sound right for a 15.2 TB x Cob? Shes quite dainty and has round front feet and oval back ones!
 
i knew someone who used mac boots but they twisted around the back hooves a bit and the horse stood on the buckle so they couldn't be tightened properly.
Was considering trying them on my mare but my farrier says its not worth it as they will not fit her back hooves well and she brushes so that would cause even more problems with them. I am stuck to using metal shoes as i haven't found an alternative tha i can trust. i would rather not have my horse shod but she can't cope barefoot.
 
Widget, my 15.1 Tb with splatty feet on the fronts takes size 5's and size 3's on the hinds. Both pairs of feet are wide as long in measurement terms. I've also bought but not used size 8's for my middleweight cob whose feet came in at precisely the bottom end of that size range, they look a tidy fit. So your sizing sounds perfectly feasible.

Coss what do your horse's hind feet measure at? The only issue tends to be if they're much longer than wide or vice versa, they stay on really well otherwise.
 
I'm thinking the farrier is playing with the truth slightly as Bry has very close action and she gets on fine with the boots, as for the twisting around I guess thats down to the shape of the feet again.

I really urge anyone who is wanting to try it to go for it.

Widget, I'd really suggest you get the old mac g2's, it's not really a case of jumping off and popping them on and off I'm afraid. Although these boots are easy enough to put on they do make you a bit hot and puffy in the process.
 
There is so much choice! I looked at boots for my cob a while back too and found it all so confusing and im useless at decision making! As she is happy in her metal shoes I just kept putting it off. I cant put it off for this one though so I have to decide! Its so hard as everyone has their favourite.
I took her for a walk yesterday and she was so good. She went round the gravelly bits where she could and 'tip-toed' where she couldnt bless her. Hard flatish ground was fine as were big rocks but our shale type bits were hard so I wouldnt want to ride her on it barefoot, especially down hill.
Did you all get your boots online? My local tack shops dont sell any of them.
 
Also, ( should have read the post first!) , i used them on hind feet and my horse brushes, the biits did agrivate this abit and though they never fell off they did slip about abit. and a NIGHTMARE to put on and off. BUT they did do his feet good, i just couldnt cope with not jumping , and i could not jump XC in the boots as we slid even on dry grass.
 
Widget, you can get them from a few places online, try www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk as they have a rental service on all their boots. I would reccomend g2s if you have a cob with typical cob feet, they are bigger and flatter than the boas, which seem more upright, for thoroughbredy types with a taller hoof. Mine haven't slipped on grass at all, but the fastest ive done in them on grass is a trot.
 
Thanks. I have the saddlery shop ear marked as the place to get them from when I have made a decision on make. I would say her feet are more TB type than cob type. Good sound horn but very flat with fairly low heels. Def not big clumpy things like my coloured cob has! Hiring some sounds good but I cant help but wonder if I would do better buying and reselling if they dont work out. She is just being backed so hacking will be limited for a while so they wont get a fair trial in 2 weeks.:confused:
 
Can't say much about grass (as we don't seem to grow any around here) but our Boa's have worked well in mud. I do use them with the optional Gaiters though to prevent chaffing.
 
I've used my old macs on a wide variety of surfaces, including the big slippery muckheap when fatty legged it up there during a tantrum :rolleyes:, and never slipped. Old Mac G2s are meant to be even better. Original old macs are good for feet wider than they are long and G2s the other way around.
 
Bobbin said:
I'm thinking the farrier is playing with the truth slightly as Bry has very close action and she gets on fine with the boots, as for the twisting around I guess thats down to the shape of the feet again.
Click to expand...

He's a really good farrier and says he uses mac boots himself. after seeing how they twisted on my friends horse i really wouldn't be surprised if they would twist. She has size 4 shoes on her hinds i think but they are quite narrow. her feet are really deceiving to the eye for size
 
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