What do you think on shipping boots? Yay or nay?

Question

I know it may be a bit premature to already be thinking about shipping boots for Pitaya, but I would need time for the to come in the mail, plus, pretty much any horse I buy would probably be a medium, so I think it would be pretty safe to go ahead and get some. BUT, a friend of mine thinks that they aren't really all they are cracked up to be, and she just recommends bell boots to protect the coronary band. She thinks that most horses end up overheating in them, and trying to pull them off, etc. What do you think? (I'm not questioning my friend's validity, just getting opinions).. It's a 4-5hr drive, so I just feel like I will need some kind of protection on him, at least. I might put my fleece cooler on him too. The trailer is kind of open....
And if you think I should only stick with bell boots too, do you think I need to buy a second pair for the back hooves? I only own a pair for the front, because that's all you need while riding, but in the trailer..... you need more protection. BTW, he doesn't wear shoes or anything...

Side question........ if I do get shipping boots, I really want these amigo ones. There is a teal/lemon option, but no picture indicating teal.... so what do you think that option would look like? There is a picture with white boots, but I definitely don't want white if that's the teal/lemon (really light lemon looking like white?). I know it's pretty unimportant but I like the color teal, so I want to know! LOL.
http://www.equestriancollections.com/product.asp?groupcode=HW00286

Answer 1

I use shipping boots for every trip. It is so easy for a horse to get cut or bonked or banged up getting into or out of the trailer - or if you should have an accident on the way any protection you can give your horse is good. If the boots save you from even one vet visit, they have paid for themselves.



I do think that the shipping boots can feel funny to them at first, but, like most other things we clothe our horses with, they get used to it. I do not agree that they cause horse to overheat. I have taken my guy on a six hour trip in Texas in June, and he was not sweaty under the boots when I took him out. Some of that may be due to the fact that my trailer has really good air flow, though. And it may have to do with the type of boots I have (Tolkat shipping boots).

Answer 2

I'm not trying to say anything bad about shipping boots, I'm just stating my preference. In any case I'd use leg protection and bumpers if I was only trailering 15 mins down the road- an accident can happen in a split second. Plus you always have to consider the goobers on the road that don't pay attention to anyone but themselves which could force you to brake a bit harder or swerve or anything...



It might just be a weird thing with me but I prefer shipping wraps over boots. For some reason they just seem more secure and supportive to me. It could always be just a mental thing with me thinking the quicker easier way isn't always the best. I prefer flannel shipping wraps (not to be confused with fleece- I cant stand when someone uses polo's thinking they are shipping wraps) over the polyester one's since I've seen a lot of people get polyester ones too tight. If you do a correct shipping wrap there is no need for bell boots, another alternative is standing wraps and bell boots. I always use some masking tape to reinforce the velcro.



I'd definitely say use leg protection no matter what- one of my best friend's horses somehow was able to get her hoof through the divider and tore her leg up really bad. It really ended up limiting her show potential.



Another thing I'm sure you are aware of but still I felt it necessary to mention is make sure you have a head bumper! I will never forget seeing this boarder at my old barn backing her horse out of the trailer and he knocked his head so bad getting out of the trailer a huge flap of skin completely covered his eye. It was pretty awful.

Answer 3

I think shipping boots are fine for short distances. I think what I like most about them is they go up over the hocks. When I was a little girl my first pony back flipped out of our trailer and skinned his hock down to the bone. He survived, but boy was that a scary experience (lesson learned - never ever EVER ship in a nylon halter!). Also if your horse is tied in the trailer - as he should be - he wouldn't be able to try and pull them off.



I only use bell boots on the front when shipping; but I do wrap over the coronet band when I wrap hind legs, just to be safe. And for the distance you are going, if you know how to do it properly I strongly advise pillow wraps and track bandages instead of boots. They will offer more support to his legs for the strain of standing for so long and shifting around for balance in the trailer. If you're not familiar with wrapping, then go with the boots. A poorly applied wrap is far more trouble than going without!



Personally I'm not a big fan of loud colors, so I couldn't help you. I also despise anything yellow lol. Teal and lemon sounds disgusting to me. Maybe teal with purple, or blue?

Answer 4

http://www.horseware.com/ss10%20site/forhorse/accessories/amigo/travelboots.asp



Teal/lemon looks like this. More forest and watery lemonade, I think.



I never have used shipping boots before, but this is probably more because I have only ever have had multiple day trips or else two minute ones and I don't want my horse losing half his boot or slipping over a long trip. I think for a 4-5 hour trip, I would.



But, like your friend said, protect the coronary band. My horse doesn't wear shoes and wears front bell boots.



Also, has he ever worn shipping boots before? Some horses HATE them even if they wear regular galloping/etc boots in the ring. It might be best to just forgo the shipping boots entirely if he decides he doesn't like them.

Answer 5

Your friend says the same thing that my trainer does - protect the coronary band. They can step on their front heels with the back feet a LOT easier than they will step on themselves in the back. The yearling I have now was in the trailer for four hours with nothing on his legs and was fine. It really depends on the horse. Some of them just lose their minds in the trailer and probably should have some kind of protection for their legs but I think that's the exception, not the rule. Save your money. :)



And Lemon is a bright yellow - it will get dirty and dingy quickly and show!



When were you going to tell me about Pitaya? Must I find everything out on Y!A?

Answer 6

I have weatherbeeta shipping boots for rivvy. They cover her knees and hocks plus have a harder band that goes around the bottom. I always use boots, even on short drives. You don't know what could happen and they will keep the horse from getting a bad cut. The boot will take the fall not your horse. Of course if your horse achieves something completely out of the ordinary they won't help much. I have never had a horse over heat and sweat under the boots.

Answer 7

I'd personally use shipping wraps- my friend's trainer once shipped a horse using shipping boots, and they came off. The horse hurt his legs pretty badly, and had to rest for quite a while. Now she tells everyone to use wraps, not boots, because they're more secure.

Answer 8

They are a good idea on long trips. If the trip is under an hour, provided the horse is quiet in a trailer, they are a good idea, but if it's over an hour OR the horse isn't quiet in a trailer you should use them.

Answer 9

shipping boots are definitley a plus for your horse in the trailer. you can use bell boots with them as well. if you have a young horse on its first trailer ride i would use just polo wraps and gradually work up to shipping boots.

Answer 10

i would probably go with shipping boots i have never had a horse try to pull them off... i dont use them myself anymore i personally use pillow wraps and standing bandages but if you dont know how to wrap legs properly then that route is a bad idea... in sure as long as u dont have a spastic horse that it would be fine with out them also i shipped my 3yr old 2300 miles this fall with nothing but a head bumper because i didnt trust my parents to be able to wrap him properly and he was just fine... really though it just a personal preference use what ever you feel confortable with...

Answer 11

it depends on the experience of the horse and the handler. he should be used to them before he is shipped with them, otherwise, they are scary to the horse, and they will make him slip. he needs to be a good loader, or else they will just get in the way.

if he's not a good loader, but used to the shipping boots, and you have a large enough trailer, you can put them on after he gets on, before you leave.

Answer 12

Both options are valid. LOL Big help ;-)



I used to use boots to go anywhere, even for a 30 minute ride to an instructors place.



However, when I sold my good fellow - who I should have kept ;-( The truck company flat out refused to travel him with them on. They said they over heat in them etc. causing leg problems. I was highly concerned about my precious boy travelling for the next 30+ hours without them, even over night on a boat, for 12 hours standing in the truck.



They said all shoes had to be off and the horse would be fine. They also insisted on no rugs. But it was on an enclosed truck with multiple horses ;-) I normally like to travel with a light rug, even if it is a cotton one.



So I travelled him on my float to meet the truck for 1 1/2 hours. He has his boots on and a light rug, as I left a 5am. When I unloaded him I took it all off. He arrived perfectly safe to his new owners and sustained no injuries. But not every horse travels well.



Not long after that I travelled to pick up the kids first pony, I did not have any boots small enough for her. She travelled in a float by herself for 8 hours and arrived perfectly fine. And I have to say that since then I have not used boots for every trip. I assess each horse, the mode of transport and I weigh up the possible outcomes. So with two horses on I always use boots, because one can damage the other etc.



IF I ever found a nice horse again I probably would, as I do like to be on the safer side. My float is fully enclosed so I do need to be aware of how hot the horse might get over long distances. When we travel to polocrosse tournaments I like to use boots and we stop once every hour or two to check them temp wise. I take off the rug before I take off the boots.



I was returning a horse to some people a couple of years ago and they said not to use leg boots. So I loaded him on and just as I was about to drive off he threw an absolute hissy fit. He destroyed the inside of my float and even managed to bring down the centre dividers. When we looked over the back he was lying in a heap on the floor amongst the metal.



Hubby somehow managed to gently lift each piece out over the back tail gate, as the horse stayed still. Once the last bits were out he then got back up. I was thinking that I would have to take him off and not travel him. I phoned the owners and they said to still bring him? So I visually checked him and was satisfied that he looked ok and was not showing any signs of distress (or I would have refused to travel him). He then travelled fine for the whole trip.



When we arrived (we met 1/2 way on a 8 hour trip - 4 hours each) I was expecting him to show some sign of lameness, anything. But he was perfectly fine. He just had a few bits of skin off his head and neck. They then loaded him up (they were a bit agricultural ;-) and drove home. They then told me the next day that they rode him that arvo and jumped him!!! I did not maintain contact with them after that.



My point is that some horses will hurt themselves doing nothing and others will chuck a spac and have no adverse effect at all, it is just the luck of the draw.



If you feel better to have them on then I would use them. I would not buy them specially just for this trip. However if you plan to use them travelling to events then there is no harm in getting them now.



And yes the bell boots are a good idea, after all that ramble. LOL One pair of weatherbeeta shipping boots actually cover the hoof so bell boots are not needed. If I use my shorter ones (we call them floating boots ;-) like your showing then I use bell boots on the front feet. Horses often cope better with those shorter boot and the big long ones can cause some horses issues.



Make sure you ask the people if he has worn them. Because if he is uncomfortable about them it may cause more harm than good. I always ask them how they "normally" travel and take that into account. I guess from all of the above I'm saying one size does not fit all. If you put them on and he gets upset and hoping about, take them back off. I did see a horse who was loaded on his first time wearing them and the boot slipped, he panicked causing all types of damage to his owners float and himself.



Although one last horror story ;-) There was a woman locally who was on her way to the races and had nothing on the horses legs. The horse stripped his back leg and was bleeding out in the float. We were all out in the truck area unloading our horses when she arrived. We saw her drive past slowly with a trail of blood coming out of the float and seemingly no horse. We ran up to help and she wondered what the fuss was about until she saw her horse collapsed inside. They could not save him.



Hope your not eating! He will be fine. Just trust you instincts on Pitaya when you meet him. Even put him on a float at the end of the first ride if you like him. See how he handles it and observe him.......