Splint Boots and Bell Boots?

I am training my horse for barrels at the moment. Someone at my 4-h said i should get bell boots and splint boots for him so when he runs his feet dont hit eachother. I started to look at some and i found the ones i want and then someone told me i shouldnt get them. She said that they will start to depend on them and then there muscles wont grow normally because they will depend on the boots. My horse is 9 years old and i dont see a problem with using them. Is she right? tell me about them? the bad and the good? Be honest. Thanks. =]

Splint Boots and Bell Boots?
Boots and barrel racing it%26#039;s a common common debate among those of us here in TN I ran my horses for YEARS with only bell boots b/c they over reached. Never ran in splint boots b/c i had seen so many people put them on wrong that ahorse blew a tendon or other such trauma. Then I myself had a tendon issu with my paint mare. She somehow puntured her deep digital tendon sheath and had to be put on stall rest for 6 months while it healed, it was a nasty nasty injury. After that and talking with my vet he said she would need support on that leg if i was to ever ride her again. So I bought my first pair of splint boots. After much research I have found that the best ones are by Classic Equine , the Legacy boots. They have positioning darts around the fetlock area and a Suspensory rib that positions right in the exact correct location of the insid eof the cannon bone. They are in my opinion of far better quality than even the Pro Choice. They come in awesome colors and are impossible to screw up putting on. So yes i agree with the other posters... lol after my tendon issue especially , that boots are a must have for any type of extreme sport. Cutting, Barrels , team penning .... use boots. If you would like more info please feel free to email me , I can hook ya up with the Classic Equine rep for my store:) Hope this has helped
Reply:absolutely use the boots. I use both as they each protect different areas. neither has any effect on muscle or bone growth. also can be used for shipping boots if needed. i also use both on my western pleasure horse during training. a horse doesn%26#039;t have to hit himself hard to cause serious injury. good luck. p.s. find a smarter friend
Reply:You had better get the boots! It is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL for any horse that does anything more than walking, trotting, and cantering to wear boots, or they could do serious damage to themselves.





The muscles will absolutely still grow, boots have NOTHING to do with that.





The only bad thing is that bell boots break easily, and they can be a pain in the butt to put on. What we do at our barn to make it easier, is we leave the bell boots on. We wash/stall/turn out our horses in them. When they are out in the field running, they can also pull shoes, so its just a little extra security. Then you don%26#039;t have to keep putting them on and taking them off! But always take the splint boots off.





PS. I recommend the bell boots WITHOUT velcro. The best ones are the simplest ones- the pull overs. There are no straps to break, and they are near impossible for the horse to pull off. They last longest, too.
Reply:If you are doing barrels, definitely get them. I don%26#039;t know one barrel racer who doesn%26#039;t use them on their horse. I have never heard of the bad side of splint boots or bell boots, but i will not deny that it exist because i don%26#039;t know. Maybe ask your vet. about them, but I think that they are very good to protect your horse. O yeah... I almost forgot, if you do get them, make sure that you ask someone at your barn or the place that you buy them from how to put them on properly. It is SOOOOO important that they are put on properly.
Reply:you need overreach boots and splint boots. without them your horse can hurt himself badly if he hits himself on the heel and keeps his tendons from bowing. i don%26#039;t know why they aren%26#039;t required. you should also get skid boots for the back legs. they protect fetlock. i use professional%26#039;s choice smb for skid, splint, and overreach boots. that lady is wrong!
Reply:Hi, I barrel race and agree with the other posters, you do need protection and it is not like they would be on all the time-just when you are working out or running the pattern.


I don%26#039;t use splint boots, I use Sports Medicine Boots because they have a strap that gives the fetlock support. Some horses don%26#039;t tolerate them on the hind, so you can either polo wrap the hinds or go without-unless your horse is stopping hard-then use run down boots. On bell boots, use good ones that are no-turn boots like Pro-Choice. They don%26#039;t move around on the horse hoof and your horse will be less likely to step on one like the old fashioned ones that %26quot;lift%26quot; up in deep ground.


Personally, when I compete, I put them on, make my run, exit the arena, step off my horse-loosen the cinch and remove the leg boots and hang them from my stirrups.


Hope this helps.
Reply:I am like everyone else I would definitely get them b/c u need to protect those tendons and ligaments. Also the bell boots will keep u from having to replace shoes all the time.
Reply:Well, bell boots do nothing but protect from over-reaching. Splint boots do not offer any support at all, they just protect the leg from brishing or striking from the other legs/hooves. And there is that whole sports medicine boot trend...the ones with the %26quot;fetlock%26quot; support...really, it a piece of neoprene going to support the weight of a 1000 lb animal? I highly doubt it....maybe the tiniest amount, but not enough to be significant. They are mostly for protection just like splint boots...so use what you want, they won%26#039;t alter the horse%26#039;s muscle development or make him dependent on them...that%26#039;s just baloney. However, be sure you know how to properly apply any type of boot or wrap, as they can really do damage if put on incorrectly. I can%26#039;t count the times I%26#039;ve seen horses with improperly wrapped polos, splint boots upside down and on the wrong leg, sports medicine boots falling down the legs...just be sure you have the correct size and know how to apply them with the proper technique and amount of pressure.
Reply:No...I would def get them for what your doing. When you don%26#039;t use them the horse can hit his front leg with his back when he is going fast. And it can cause an injury. And no it wont cause his muscles to not grow normal. He will be fine...you just have them on when he is doing work. You don%26#039;t keep them on all the time. Kind of like soccer players or football players, they have padding on to protect their body from injury, and it doesn%26#039;t cause any problems with growing. So i suggest getting them.
Reply:hi there,although we don%26#039;t do barrels much in the UK we do like to protect our horses legs even if its just for hacking out. If i was in training for barrels i would protect my horses legs with front and back tendon boots also I%26#039;d put on some over-reach boots on the fronts.as long as the boots are used correctly for protection and not too tight there should be no reason for your horse to rely on them. best to be safe than sorry. hope this is of use. good luck with the barrels.
Reply:Haha. I can%26#039;t believe someone would tell you that. A really popular brand of boots like that are cavis splint boots which I use on my horse that I do hunter jumpers with. So, if his legs hit the jumps it won%26#039;t hurt as bad. Also, it is good for just regular protection. If you havent used boots like this before your horse possibly will walk funny at first and put his legs high just walk him around until he starts to get used to them. Another good brand I also have are eskadron, they are pricier but really nice. Theyre open front boots.



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