Horse boots..?

i know horses need boots when traveling to protect their legs..and i know that some horses need different sorts for different stuff like jumping/racing...


but are there really any boots you need for the average pleasure horse except for traveling.. (even though i read you can just wrap the legs up in bandages etc)


what are bell boots?


soooo many boots.. i%26#039;m getting confused..


**i%26#039;m working out what i might need now so i can add up etc etc... lol i know.. werid.. i%26#039;m just preparing **might be getting a horse within the next year** its ALWAYS good to be prepared :P

Horse boots..?
For a pleasure horse, typically you will not need boots. Some factors that might change that are:


if your horse brushed behind. (knocks his hind feet together when trotting or cantering). Brushing boots would protect the fetlock joint here. They are very inexpensive, velcro on, easy to clean and very effective. Unless you are going to be doing hard work and jumping alot, you probably won%26#039;t need anything on the front legs, providing that your horse has never bowed a tendon or injured himself in a way that a support boot would be needed. Bell boots go over the front hooves and cover the coronet band and hoof, coming down over the back of the foot to cover the edges of the front shoes. They keep the horse from pulling his front shoes off with his hind feet when he over reaches. Again, they are very cheep (if you buy the rubber pull on ones).





A word about bandages. You can do serious damage to a horse%26#039;s legs by bandaging incorrectly. If you have never bandaged before, ask an experienced person to teach you and ONLY do it under supervision until you have it down perfectly.
Reply:you only need boots if your horse needs them. IE if it brushes, over reaches, has a tendency to stumble etc. they are only there to protect your horse from hurting itself. the only other time i would use boots is if i was doing schooling or lunging(when the horse needs to cross its legs) just as a preventative measure.


you cant really decide which boots you need until you have a horse, and yes you can use exercise bandages but boots a allot easier to put on and to keep clean.


good luck in horse hunting
Reply:A lot would depend on the horse that you end up buying, if it brushes, you would need brushing boots, over reaches - bell boots and tendon boots. A simple answer would be to get some sports medicine boots because they will protect the leg all the way down and support the fetlock joint. I wouldn%26#039;t suggest getting the really expensive ones if only doing light pleasure riding and you would only need front ones. Here%26#039;s a link;





http://www.horse.com/products/sku-BGV70_...
Reply:A bell boot is used for an injury usually. Generally if you are just western pleasure riding, boots are not ever necessary. I wouldn%26#039;t buy them unless you run into a situation where you need them. Like if a vet or someone with much more experience tells you you need them. I know alot of people use bandages for looks. But unless you know what you are doing, you could really screw up their legs. So, I only use bandages to stop bleeding, etc. ( They are cheap and good to keep on hand in case of emergency.) Good Luck
Reply:In an ideal situation you wouldn%26#039;t need boots for just pleasure riding. Usually they are used to protect the legs from damage ( ie strains when jumping) or because the horse has a fault which can cause it to injure itself when being ridden ( eg brushing or overreaching)


Bell boots are mainly used for horses that overreach - that is when the hind foot comes forward too far and catches the back of the front foot, this can cause some nasty injuries and even rip shoes off.


I wouldn%26#039;t go buying any boots at all just yet - wait and see if you will need them.
Reply:polos are cheap, cool coloured, and provide good all around protection and support the tendon. You can get neoprene splint boots for pretty cheap too.



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