turn out boots

[kedwards]

Does anyone here use turnout boots. If so, what do you use?

I already have bell boots since he has bar shoes in front. I hate to be over-protective, but Bud keep knocking himself behind during turnout. On Sunday, he knocked himself so badly that his hind leg is still very swollen. I ride him in splint boots behind because he's prone to interfering and I've finally decided I'm going to have to use something during turnout as well. Any recommendations?

[DavidH]

We've found Woof bushing boots to be the best. Not sure if you get them over there but any neoprene brushing boot with velcro fastenings will do.

I would stay clear of leather as this can rub during the long hours of turnout and be more difficult to clean when covered in mud

[Bay Mare]

I use Equichaps which seem to be very good. She's only managed to lose the back ones ONCE (though I don't know how!) but generally seems comfortable in them and doesn't bother about me putting them on.

When I take them off her legs are clean and dry. I do leave them off a couple of days a week, though, as this is the manufacturers recommendation because of the support that they give.

[horsehelp]

i would recommened equicahps

[Sophini]

I agree with DavidH, I've always turned out in Woof boots and bell boots, if you use splint boots for riding you probably need them for turnout as well as the chances of injury are pretty much the same

JJ.

[galadriel]

Perhaps it's simply my environment, but I'd be really hesitant to turn out in neoprene boots. When they're damp they can rub, and it's not unusual for sand to get under them and rub too. But then, I live in Florida, where we're buried in sand and even in the winter the humidity's off the chart. Perhaps in other parts of the world it might not be such a concern.

Just trying to come up with alternatives to thick neoprene, I was remembering those stretchy/fabric looking boots that have been new in the past few years. Couldn't remember the name, but recalled that Lgd likes them. I went and looked them up in my Dover catalog, and it turns out that the "Equilibrium stretch and flex" boots are made by the same people who make Equichaps (which have already been mentioned a couple of times). For your boy I wonder if the splint boot variety might be enough, rather than going for the whole leg boot.

Looking for further alternatives, there is also a splint boot lined with fleece rather than neoprene. Might get heavy and rub if it got wet though.

Weren't sausage boots designed, more or less, for this very problem?

[kedwards]

Thanks for your replies. I was eyeing the equichaps, but I didn't realize they weren't intended to be used every day. That, in addition to their being slightly more difficult to put on (he's boarded and various people do the turnout), probably makes standard brushing boots a better option. And yes, we can buy the Woofs here, so that sounds like a good idea.

We don't have sandy soil, but we do have mud.

[Portia]

sorry to sound a bit slow, but can I ask what you mean by 'splint' boots? Are these tendon boots in another guise, or do they have some additional protection for the splint bones? thanks