Old Macs- or similar?

[HairyCob]

Sorry folks, I'm sure this has been asked before!

Has anyone used Old Mac's or anything like them? I'm thinking of investing in a pair, because, especially in the winter it just isn't financially viable to have HC shod- he only needs a front set- has never needed or had back's- but because of working 9-5 and him being out in a muddy paddock, I have often paid for shoes that we have never even ridden on before he pulls one in the mud or 'outgrows' them:rolleyes:

So, if anyone has any pearls of wisdom/good/bad experiences to share regarding Old Mac's (or simmilar 'booties!') I would be very interested to hear BEFORE I go and buy a set!

Thanks!

[Ryoko]

are those the boots instead of shoes? i think they are a good idea for trail riding...but not too good for roads ...i still prefer my shoes...u dont have to clean them. maybe in winter if u dont have any chance to ride or u dont ride u should not bother getting him shoed untill u know u will be riding him? i'm not sure what i think of those boots yet i'm keeping an open mind while i read about what people have got out of them etc. i hoipe someone comes along soon and suggests to u what u should do.. i dont think i'm very helpful:rolleyes:

[Bel]

I'm currently saving up to buy a full set of Maquirs Boots for Jack. I think they are much better then steel shoes, the wearing parts are replacable and the fit your horse even as the hoof grows as long as you have regular Farrier work done. The main reason I am getting them is because Jack's feet are quite soft and i don't want to dammage them by putting on shoes. I also perfer the Shoes to steeel ones cause you only put them on when you need then and the rest of the time your horse can go natural.

This is the email address of the distributor of the boots i am getting, or PM me and i'll email you the information sheets.
palisade@wn.com.au

Bel

[intouch]

Hi there, I've used OMs and found they rubbed, I now use Swiss Hoof Boots and find them very good.
I wish more people would come to their senses and allow their horses to go barefoot, as you so rightly say, many shoes are simply wasted - if you hack out twice a week, the shoes alone are costing you at leadt £2.50 per hack! not to mention the cost to the horse's health & wellbeing.
Go for it - but don't forget regular trims from a good hoof care person.

[virtuallyhorses]

Yep I have Old Macs and have just started him in them for the rest of the summer now that the trails are getting a bit rough on him. I haven't had any problems with rubbing but I do go through a programme of getting used to them - just like getting new shoes you're supposed to start out with just 10 mins then work up - and it also helps if your horse's foot shape is 'just right' for them.

First few rides in them the horse learns that the stoney bits don't hurt anymore, downhills are easy and have to relearn where their feet are sort of then you're away.

Try him unshod first - you may not need boots at all.

[Bebe]

I'm currently using Old Macs on Bebe's front hooves as whilst she's sound on every surface I've tried without them, her hoof horn isn't as strong as it could be (that will come with time) and her hooves chip quite badly when I ride in the outdoor school.

It's important to get the right fit, there are instructions on the Old Mac website but the best thing to do is trace round the hoof to make a template and take measurements from there. I haven't had any problems with them rubbing, but I did start slowly with them, like Virtuallyhorses does, and I think that might be the key to having success.

One of my boots doesn't stay on during a good gallop but I think that's because the velcro on that boot isn't very sticky as every time the boots have come off the velcro is undone. They do stay on through mud, streams, on the road during walk, trot and canter.

I tend to stick them under the yard tap and give them a quick scrub with a hoof brush if they're mucky after riding, but it only takes 2 minutes.

I'm pleased with mine, wouldn't go back to shoes now. I have a feeling my Old Macs won't fit for much longer as Bebe's hooves are spreading so much (a good thing, she has contracted heels) so in the future I may have to get a pair of Marquis Hoof Boots which I've heard are really good but they're more expensive.

[Bel]

Maquris boots are a little more expensive but i think they are better value too, no velcro to stuff up and the major part being replaciable are why i'm saving to get mine, no sure about prices where you are but i get quotaed AUS$145 per boot, compared to AUS$280 a pair, i also think they are better since you can get a different size for each hoof if thats what you need.

[HairyCob]

Thanks for the advice guys- think i'll try old macs first then work up to the others if we get on ok!

Virtuallyhorses- he is unshod 95% of the time- only has a front set when I am likely to be doing off road work as he tends to get a little sore from stones- horn is solid and I can ride him on roads as much as I like with no ill effect...... but with the spring coming I want to get out onto the rougher ground of the bridleways!:D

Right, I'm off to look at the old mac size guide!:D

[janet hakeney]

I use Marquis boots and they are the Rolls Royce of replacement boots. I can thoroughly endorse them.

Marquis agents UK (http://www.procedis.com/equestrian-select/)

[HairyCob]

Thanks for the link Janet, makes interesting reading, and they aren't that much more expensive than the old mac's, are they?

Doesn't it all get a bit fiddly pumping them up tho?!

[janet hakeney]

It doesn't take long to pump them up but it is very embarrassing to have to admit that you take a small bicycle pump out riding with you incase your horse gets a flat!!!:rolleyes:

[shrek]

I am a mounted police officer in florida. We use the old mac hoof suspension boots. Metal shoes on wet pavement is a huge problem for police horses. I swear by these boots, we used to use easy boots and I spent most of my time looking for lost boots.

The old macs are great, they dont fall off and provide 360 degree protection of the hoof. just make sure you get the right size :)

[shrek]

PS

you can not use old macs if your horse is shoed!

[Echo64]

We use Marquis boots on the driving pony because she's got shelly walls, and the farrier starts looking mighty expensive by the end of the summer. Anyway, the Marquis have a pump and air bladder in them which make a secure fit. The soles of the Marquis are replacable, where as Old Mac's are not. Need new soles, you'll be buying new boots. You can put corks into the Marquis boots as well. They aren't too heavy and they aren't cumbersome at all. They fit a variety of different hoof shapes, beit round, oblong or long toed etc.

I think they are an extremely good investment to make :)

[barny]

I have used Old Macs for two years on 5 horses. They are the best by a country mile. Just make sure you get the correct size though and break them in slowly the same as you would do with your own boots to avoid chafing especially if your horse has sensitive skin. I had friends who tried all the others but end up buying Old Macs. By far the simplest to use and will not come off. If you search the web as I have done you will see that OM's are the most popular. There is a site called www.naturalhorsetrim.com/boot_swap.htm
where you can buy second hand boots. People use this site to swap boots that are the wrong size or just buy second hand ones
Good luck

[HairyCob]

Thanks for the advice and the link barney- its a great site but unfortunately it looks like most of the sellers are in the USA and I'm in the UK!
Thanks for your reply anyway!

[Horseyheaven]

My cob has old macs alothough i dont always wear them as he's not very surefooted and tends to trip more when wearing them

thet stay on very well even in a full spead gallop

mine wore down so quickly though a had them 4 months from may to september and they were worn down completly knacked!! that was riding of about an hour a day with 20 mins road work! i thought they would have lasted longer than that to be honest

but as cobs tend to be heavy in front and i had them on his front hoofs then i could have overdone them a little i guess

[barny]

Hi HorseyHeaven--Your horse may not have a very smooth action which may explain why yours wore out quicker than the norm. If a horse is hard on metal shoes then he will be hard on boots. Me and my friends get a minimum of 12 months out of each pair and that is highway riding a couple of times a week. One pair on one of my horses has lasted two years although they are getting very crappy now. I have saved an absolute fortune not having to shoe so both me and my bank manager are very happy. Also my horses hooves look a million dollars not having nails in them and it is also much safer riding on the highways with boots. Some rides I go on I don't even need boots . Just a tip. When you have sized your horse and booted up just pick up the booted hoof and give the boot a little wriggle clockwise and anti-clock wise. If you feel the boot moving on the hoof you need to go down a size. You should have a snug fit. This will help your boots last longer. One of my friends used the wrong size for quite a while by mistake. Even though the boots still worked they work even better now she has the right size.

[K&K]

When I bought my mare in February of 2003 (last year) she was shod in the front and very cripply on gravel and pavement. I'm not a believer in shoes, so I had hers pulled and for the first couple of weeks I saw no improvement, in fact she was a bit worse. This was understandable as it's like spending all your time wearing running shoes and suddenly walking on rocks in bare feet.

I purchased a pair of Old Mac boots for her fronts for trail riding, since there was no way I could ride her barefoot on trails at the time. She was much more surefooted and could actually walk and trot on gravel and pavement without pain. I've had my Old Macs for 6 months now and I've seen little wearing on them, though I don't use them every day (I usually ride in a hogfuel arena).

The biggest improvement I've noticed about using Old Macs instead of shoes is that now Sugar can walk from the barn to the arena daily on gravel and pavement without a single lame step. Her feet have toughened up beyond what I ever expected. They are no longer brittle and sensitive as they were when I bought her. My new farrier thinks her feet are just wonderful. There's no way she could reach this stage of hoof health with shoes.

Her arthritis has also greatly improved without shoes. She was stiff when I bought her, and I've since realized that the shoes were to blame. When a horse steps down, the inside of the hoof expands slightly to absorb shock. The frog also absorbs shock when it makes contact with the ground. Neither of those functions can happen when a horse is wearing shoes. The result is strain on the horse's joints. Since Sugar has been barefoot I've had no problems with her arthritis.

The biggest things to remember about Old Macs are:

- Follow the sizing instructions very carefully. Don't try to compensate.

- Believe Old Macs users who tell you to make sure you break them in. This is very important. Imagine getting a new pair of riding boots and immediately spending a day mucking stalls and riding. You'd have pretty bad blisters by the end. I made the mistake of not breaking mine in well enough before going on a trailride and ended up with a swollen leg and a vet bill. This was entirely my fault, as after that episode I actually spent the time breaking them in and haven't had a single rubbing problem since. The strap that makes contact with the skin is in a place on the hoof that doesn't move. If the boots are broken in there's no way it can rub unless you're doing it up much too tightly.

- Be sure to follow the fitting instructions as well. People (like me at first) tend to do up the pastern strap tightly, thinking the boot will turn or fall off otherwise. Wrong - the pastern strap is *not* what holds the boot on. If you do it up tightly, it'll cause discomfort and possibly chaffing.

If the boots are fitted correctly they won't fall off. I went on a trailride after a bad rainstorm and you should've seen the mud we had to tromp through! Disgusting. The boots never came loose.

Well, that's my plug for barefoot hooves and Old Mac boots :) Good luck!