Please help! Any creative types have any ideas on designing a hard wearing mega sized hoof boot?

[Flipo's Mum]

If you had to design a hoof boot for limited turnout on a shod horse to keep it clean and dry on a horse with dinner plate feet and a fair bit of thick feather, what material would you use and what would you use to secure it?

I'm going through a canvas boot a week. I've tried a couple of hoof boots on the market that proclaim to fit my horse however although the sole is big enough, I can't get his hoof into the boot because they don't make the openings big enough. I actually took scissors to the last one and it does fit now - I added toggles and ties to tighten it back up once on, but he still walks out of the damn thing because his hoof is now too small for it. Go figure.

I have a friend with an industrial sewing machine who's willing to make whatever I design. I'm just not sure what to design lol! Any ideas?!

 

[newforest]

Does the shoe have to be on? That's what will ruin your base.

I have in the past used a cut up saddle pad and duck tape on a pony no feather. Cut to size of hoof you need. I hacked out like that so it stays on.
And a carrier bag and duct tape over that if wet.

 

[domane]

What are his measurements?

 

[Trewsers]

What about plastic trouser stuff? Same stuff kagools are made of? You can buy cheap plastic over pants - and maybe your friend could fashion something out of them? You'd get a few hoof boots out of one pair? I will ask OH and see if he can think of anything as well.

 

[Trewsers]

Oh and maybe velcro fastening?

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Yes, shoe needs to stay on. The crack has been floated and he's got a bar shoe on to keep his hoof in one piece. Without the shoe, his hoof almost collapsed. It was a mess!
I've got heaps of feedbags I can use and duct tape, its just highly inconvenient having to put them on and take them off every morning. Flipo isn't too keen to stand stock still for five minutes when the lure of grass is infront of him and at half six in the morning, im never that keen to be faffing about too much (I know that's lazy!!)
Domane, I thought about you and those easyboot ones you had again, but would they come up far enough so that the mud wouldn't get in - he's 7.5" length and breadth.
Good ideas Trewsers, I will have a look although not sure its tough enough wearing stuff.
Would you believe it, im actually researching casting rubber right now. this could get messy!

 

[Trewsers]

Oh wow, the rubber could be interesting! What about those sacks the council sometimes provide for recycling? We have some white ones that look pretty tough. Not sure if every area gets those? They are sort of woven plastic?

 

[Jessey]

I think I'd cut a sole out of an old tyre (garages pay to get them disposed of so you should be able to get one free or very cheap, just make sure its wide enough to have a big enough flat part to the tread), they have metal cords in them so it won't be the easiest (perhaps a nice rubber stable mat company will send you a big enough sample to use that instead) but with a good knife and side cutters its possible, then get some crazy strong glue (maybe what they put plastic shoes on with) and stick that to one of your existing canvas boots, hopefully with a good sole they will last longer

 

[Em 1]

A tyre is a very good idea. I was going to say we used yoga/camping mat sort of material to pad the hoof and add reinforcement and then a feed bag over the top covered with silage tape. That worked well although he wasn't shod.

Would you be able to make a boot out of something like neoprene, then reinforce the sole with the tyre/rubber that Jessey suggested and cover the lot in silage tape (I found that much more durable, sticky and easier to use than duct tape as it tears into pieces so no need for scissors near a frustrated hungry horse's feet!)?

 

[Trewsers]

Those builders bags are very strong - I mentioned this thread to Mr T and he said what about one of those? Like they deliver sand in? Could be stitched too.

 

[newforest]

If the canvas boot fits and stays on, that's your design.
Just add to the base with something more durable. It's the shoe that's probably treating the bottom.

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Well I had a brain wave yesterday and put the canvas boot on with velcro and duct tape and then the cavello boot on ontop which has toggles at the back to tighten up where I cut it. Because he had more in the boot, it stayed on better so I think I'm going to go for leather and canvas and get some laces to tie it rather than velcro as I just don't trust it to stay stuck with it duct tape and we had a little incident with the duct tape yesterday which has resulted in flipo being petrified of the damn stuff! Thanks for the ideas guys!