To boot or not to boot?

[Jessey]

Jess has been doing amazingly over the last few months, she feels strong as an ox but I have been riding every time in her renegades. The one week I tried her without her boots we did 2x 20 minute walk/trot rides on flat smooth tarmac and she got slightly sore, so I have just been using the boots giving her feet more time and figured I would try doing some without over winter, perhaps starting at 1 ride a week. The couple of times we have ridden through the river she has put in the odd funny step on the way home and on taking the boots off she had wet sand packed under her toes.

My neighbor is taking us to the beach on Wednesday, should I boot or not? I really don't want sand packing under her toes but at the same time wet sand can be really hard..........Last time I went to fly my kite my feet were bruised for 2 days afterwards

My other alternative is to put her cavello's on, but I've been very nervous about using them since she went lame after a long ride in them and TBH they would probably get sand in too.

 

[newforest]

I boot on rides that are four miles plus regardless of terrain and the pace as from October ish.
Today three and half miles, no boots. Tomorrow four miles, boots.
I have only found her way of going alters for the better in boots on our rocky, stony, flint, slippery terrain. Other than that no difference.

I've never had anything compacted under a hoof. Do you have the right fitting if you feel the Cavallos will get sand in? They should drain of water etc.
No experience of Renegade only Cavallos.

I don't boot for the beach, the salt can potentially rot your stitching, shrink or dry out anything leather.
The salt and sand is actually good for hooves and a walk and trot on wet sand is fine.

 

[Jessey]

The top of the beach is soft, deep dunes, I can't imagine it won't get in the top of the boot, the cavallos do drain, better than the renes so far! The cavallos do fit really well but sand gets in the tiniest gap.

The renes dont have any soft material other than neoprene at the heel and no stitching, also no drainage at the toe but with open backs you probably shouldn't need it, it seems to only be when theres water and sand we struggle.

I really want her bare in the sea salt to give her feet a really good clean up, I just don't want her bruised from it.

 

[newforest]

Saddle bags with the boots, allowing you to take off or put on?
Even though I didn't use today, we carry in the bags which I purposely chose hi viz yellow. I only boot my fronts anyway.