tendon boots

[Harriet]

Hello folks,

I am now hacking out with a girl from our yard who is training her horse for endurance, amongst other things we will probably be doing a fair bit of trotting on the roads. I am worried about the effect this may have on my horses legs. Should I start using tendon boots? ( Im not clued up on horsey accesories), Do I need them on all four legs and if so how do I size them and who makes the best type - I dont want to spend a fortune.
It may be the consensus that I dont really need them but Id like your thoughts. Hes a PBA if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance
Harriet

[fionahogg]

A good pair of boots with tendon protectors in would probably be OK. I use the Sports Medicine boots and think they're fantastic but because of the material they're made of or something they shouldn't be used for more than 3hrs so perhaps they won't be suitable for endurance.
I once heard that bandages are excellent for protecting tendons so long as they are fitted with even pressure all around the leg.

[Allie]

Boots really don't have much affect on cushioning the legs and tendons. Some US vet school did a study comparing different types of boots to bare legs, and found their was no appreciable difference in concussion to the legs. You'll notice endurance riders don't usually use boots, and their horse have tremendous amounts of concussion just from the long hours. As long as the horse is healthy, their normal bone and hoof structure should stand up to trotting on the roads, but I would stay away from cantering.

Allie

[liz--y]

i ride my arabx in tendon boots, there are mainly for showjumping, there made with the open front so that the horse knows when its knocked a pole, I ride in them most of the time