Having had shod horses “forever”…started to rethink barefoot when my 25 year old’s feet were looking so out of balance in shoes…and he was moving as if his feet hurt…and I couldn’t get the farrier to change his perspective. I had his shoes pulled…and he became more comfortable in a very short amount of time…wearing off a long toe..and a heel that had been left too high.
After watching his comfort level change… and being unhappy with the shoeing on my competition horses, Garrett and Kevin Waters convinced me to try the new shells….Gloves and Glue-ons. I headed home from Bryce Canyon…found a barefoot trimmer…and took the plunge. He fixed up the old man…and then went to work on my other two boys. After only two weeks on the barefoot program…we headed to Virgin Rim…Garrett fitted the Gloves on Heart…and off we went on a 50 miler..!! This was only Heart’s second endurance ride…and he had only been barefooted for two weeks. There were some severely rocky areas on the course…along with muddy sections…plus the hard pack where you could move out. He didn’t miss a step….didn’t lose a boot in mud….and didn’t have a rub on him at the end of the ride.
Two weeks later…off to the Grand Canyon where we tried the Glue-ons. Heart just glided over the trails in them. I was really impressed.
Time to try some Gloves on Quest…my main competition horse. We headed to Moab Canyons…and went to boot up…low and behold…his hind feet had already increased a size after being barefooted one and one-half months. Luckily, Garrett was there and had his boot supply on board…we refitted Quest and off we went. He’s a big mover…but I swear the boots made his gait easier on me…(old lady)…and I believe they truly absorb concussion which benefits both horse and rider.
I am really pleased with the whole scenario. Being barefooted has definitely made the horses more comfortable…and the boots allow me to go out and ride the miles and whatever terrain is thrown at us.
When the Gloves and Glue-ons first came out, they really caught my eye. Seemed like a wonderful idea. I had used the old style easyboots on occasion in the past…but only for emergencies or for early spring protection when the snow was starting to melt and the horses were not shod yet.
This new design is fabulous….thank you Garrett…and I know you are still striving to make even more improvements.
Name: Mari Ural
City: St. George
State: Utah
Country: USA
Equine Discipline: Endurance
Favorite Boot: EasybootGlove
