Easyboot Epics - experiences?

[Bronya]

My trimmer recommended them but said that he increases the breakover and rasps back the 'teeth' on the inside, despite the cover.

When I can ride my horse again, I'm going to need all round boots for a while, and was wondering about these. I also want to do quite a bit of distance work with her this summer and since a lot of it will have to be on the roads, would rather boots than shoes.

I've heard that the bares come off, and my old macs aren't recommended beyond 25 miles a week, which come the summer I will probably do. So, thoughts on the epics?

[Yann]

I converted a pair of bares (which came off whatever I did LOL) into quasi epics by fitting them with the laces and clip on the advice of my trimmer (wonder if we use the same one?). I tried using them without gaiters which had been broken and they did look promising, but one came off at the walk in very deep mud and couldn't be found again. So for us the gaiters would have been a must and I'm not sure that they'd have been enough in some circumstances. The traction can be a bit iffy too on some surfaces, I know improving and deepening the tread using a dremmel is popular.

I normally use Old Mac G2's and also plan to get some mileage done in them this summer. I think the limit on the easycare website is possibly just a bit of back covering as they state 25 miles per week, or per ride. If you're happy with your old macs I'd be inclined to suck it and see with them, you might well be OK :)

[Bebe]

I think the easycare mileage recommendations are over-cautious. The boots they recommend for endurance, etc vs low mileage pleasure riding are the ones they consider likely to cause fewer problems, particularly where rubbing is concerned, as they do not come above the coronary band.

Whilst rubbing is something to pay attention to, if you have Old Macs and they don't rub then I see no reason not to use them for more than 25 miles per week. I certainly won't be going out and buying new boots (I have G2s) if/when my mare is back up to doing that level of work.

[Shadowlark]

*NOTE I am lifting this DIRECTLY from the Ridecamp Endurance Public Mailing List*
I do know that Karen is more then happy to recieve emails directly and has a website set up talking about how she has modified Easy boots for her use. I have removed her private email - but will gladly PM it to you if you would like.

From: Dream Weaver < >
Subject: [RC] Boot Mileage


Hi Dave - there are a lot of variables. The best people to ask would be mutliday endurance riders, who often use the boots on 5 day rides. At any given ride you'll see dozens of riders using the boots on their horses, usually over shoes but more recently a larger number of riders are using boots in place of shoes and finding that it can work well that way also. Usually as the week progresses during a multiday you are likely to see more and more horses wearing boots as riders learn about how they work to reduce concussion and sore-footedness.

I've done a lot of miles in boots, both over shod and unshod horses. The boots have always lasted longer for me than shoes. For example, when I rode with boots on the front over shoes on multidays I would always wear the hind shoes to nothing, sometimes they'd have to be replaced before the week was over in certain terrains but the boots never did. I think that the Bare tread may last longer than the standard Easyboot tread. I've got a few Bares that have done
650+ miles of competition and are still good to go. I've had reports
of them going 1,000 miles, but then I've also heard from multiple people about Easyboots lasting longer than that.

I remember in 2001 I was using four boots over shoes on two horses for the entire season. Both horses did well over 1,000 miles each and we kept resetting the same set of shoes on them - they never wore out because they had Easyboots on over them for all of their competition miles. At the end of all of that mileage the shoes still looked new.

The variables can depend on so many things - such as how each horse moves, the type of terrain, and the speed they are going. I just talked to an endurance rider friend of mine last night and he has an old horse with an abscess who has been turned out with an Epic on that foot for an entire month and the boot has not only stayed on, but hasn't caused any rubbing anywhere, has little wear and has enabled the horse to be able to move around, and kept the hoof clean. I wouldn't recommend doing that without checking at least initially every day or two to make sure everything is okay.

Some horses can be harder on their shoes and boots than others, while others are easy on them. My horses that are easiest on their hoofware (of any type) have also shown to be easier on themselves as far as how well they hold up and perform long term. The only way to know how long something will last for a certain horse is to try it and see - that's why there are so many different types of hoof protection available.

Karen

[Yann]

That's a really interesting post. Fascinating that it appears commonplace in some circles to actually use hoof boots over shoes for the extra protection. Nobody puts their horses or gear to the test more than serious endurance riders so it says a lot :)

[LokiSofi]

I had a pair for Daks, he was unshod. I found them really good but they did come off him twice on a hack even though they were done up properly etc before we left. But Daks didn't object to them and was happy enough ot have them on.........once he was used to them

[Jaimee]

The boots are really flexible, dont wear them out quicker by adding to the breakover. Its just not necessary. I asked my trimmer the same thing and he said it would just shorten their life- he also sells the boots to me so he was speaking in my best interest.

[hayla shayla]

yes Ive done a 40 klm training ride at easter good choice (easyboots) old macs were good at 40 klms too you only need them on front hooves I trim my own horses & only use the boots for competition not when going up & down the road to the forest & back for training

[0dd]

We used to use epics and they did work really well for us, UNTIL! one day we went for a gallop in a field which turned out to be slightly boggy..!
In the end they actually got suctioned off and ripped at the gaiters, which I suppose is much better than them coming off and still being attached to him, from a health and safety point of view.
At this point they were also actually too big for him, which would of helped the suctioning, so make sure you have a nice fit.

We did have a pair of size 3's (next one down) which never really ended up fitting him, but we don't need them anymore so I've sold them on :)

[Wally]

If they are the ones with 3 big spikes on the inside i wouldn't give them ouse room!

The best thing that happened to them was they came flying off on the beach never to be seen again. Also ripping out a huge chink of Hákon's hoof with them!

If we need boots now I make them to measure for each horse out of leather. They last a summer's riding, then I throuw them out or re sole them.

[bazzarider]

What do your leather boots look like? Have you got a picture? Just intrigued :D .

[Wally]

I don't have a picture, but they have a leather upper that fits around the wall of the hoof, then the sole extends up the heels and upper extends around the top of the wall, and is secured with a leather strap around the pastern.

Sometimes I make them with a double thickness of leather for the sole, but the Shetlands only need one thickness to last.

I'll dig some old ones out and photograph them.

[Yann]

All trimmers will recommend flattening the metal cleats in easyboots with a hammer :D They now come with plastic covers as an option too.

I've just severely road tested a pair of easyboot bares this weekend with the clip fastening from the epic on them and have to say I'm pretty please with them. If you have the right foot shape for the boot then they're great.

[Wally]

I hate to be picky here, but surely the whole point of barefoot is just that, barefoot, not boots, no bandages, bare feet.

I have never found a hoof boot that stays on. Not a commercial one, this is why I started to make my own leather ones for a mare who needed protection but wouldn't accept shoes on her back feet.

Had I been able to shoe her I'd have put back feet on her, as it was she said "Bog Off" Tried for 6 years. saint for front feet, baggage for hinds. Not worht the fight.

Every commercial hoof boot we have tried has wither torn chuncks out of the horn or rubben the soft tissue raw, even on short periods of exercise. This has resulted in more problems than shoes ever would.

If you have the right foot shape for the boot then they're great.


....and the alternative?????

[Yann]

A different boot? ;) Although I've had my boot woes and learning curves like everyone else (yesterday wasn't great LOL) I've had hundreds and hundreds of hours of happy booted riding at all speeds over all types of ground. The point? To keep a de shod horse working comfortably when it needs foot protection, especially early on in transition. Working without anything at all is obviously the objective but if the environment, horses diet and historical condition of the feet are against you then you aren't always guaranteed to achieve that full time with every horse. Tess is booted full time for now, Rio intermittently depending on time of year and who is riding her. If that's not 'barefoot' so be it, I'm not keen on the term anyway, but I've seen too many real improvements in my horses since I went that way to have them shod again as things stand.

Not only that but a booted horse can hoon over surfaces with impunity that many shod horses would struggle with, quite handy where we are :D

[Wally]

I have never found a boot that works, They fly off, twist, rub cause the horse to have a weird gait etc etc.

[MelanieD]

I'd always aim to get to the point where they are totally bare, no boots or anything, and have got there with both of mine. The boots are just useful for getting to that point and being able to keep riding while the feet improve, and the extra work in boots makes the feet improve more quickly than they would if they couldn't do the extra work the boots allow. Also useful if you occasionally want to do more than the feet are used to or are capable of totally bare. There's also the advantage that they only wear them while being worked and they don't cause the same changes to the feet that shoes do longer term.

There's a lot more choice of boots now than there was which is good, but back when I needed boots it was pretty much old macs or boas. I got some old macs and fatty managed to do more work, including fast stuff and dodgy ground, in those than she did when shod. She never lost an old mac, can't say the same for the bl**dy shoes :D Only problem we had was a little rub on a heel bulb after a lot of work, easily sorted with a vetwrap 'sock'.