Hoof Boot News

As the weather gets warmer and the snow melts, many of us will be riding in the mud and slop that Spring brings.  Deep sucking mud is tough on horse shoes and hoof boots alike.  We have found the Easyboot Glove to be the best hoof boot for these muddy and slick conditions. The Glove performed awesome in these types of conditions in 2009.

Take a look at these videos showing the Glove in muddy conditions.

It's been a bit over 12 months since EasyCare launched our glue on horseshoes to the equine market.  Over that time we have learned a great deal about hoof prep, adhesives, application in foul weather and removal.

The critics were wrong!  When we first released our glue-on boot, many people in the industry made claims regarding the safety of our process and the ill effects the adhesives and the Easyboot shell would do to a hoof.  They claimed glue-on hoof boots would damage the hoof and cause immediate thrush.  They claimed glue-on hoof boots had to be immediately removed after an event.  They claimed you shouldn't use a heat gun.  They claimed you shouldn't use a packing material to load the sole. 



After selling thousands of glue-on shells and personally applying and removing hundreds of glue-on shells, I can confidently say that the critics were wrong!  Here are a couple points to note.

1.  Glue-On shells can be used for 5 days, 10 days, 15 days, 20 days or 30 consecutive days.  When glue-on boots are removed and a horse is turned out for 1 hour it's nearly impossible to tell a horse who used glue-on boots for 20 days from a horse that has never used glue-on boots.


This photo was taken immediately after removing a shell and a quick trim.  Boots were in place for 22 days.  The horse did a 50 mile event and many training events.  The horse was in deep water and mud many times during the 22 days.

2.  The use of packing products inside a glue-on shell helps load the foot as nature intended.  Glue-on hoof boots used without packing cause peripheral loading.

3.  Glue-Ons can be successfully applied and used in warm conditions, dry conditions, wet conditions and cold conditions. 

4.  The current adhesives are good and better ones are coming.

5.  I used Glue-On shells on one horse for the entire 2009 calendar year.  I used Easyboot Gloves on another horse for the entire 2009 calendar year.  Both horses feet look incredible and it's impossible to tell what horse used glue-on and what horse used Gloves.

6.  The Easyboot Glue-On shell shape make application easy.  New adhesives will make the process and application even easier.

We just received the Early Summer 2010 Valley Vet catalog and we're excited to see EasyCare hoof boots well positioned in many places throughout the catalog.  Valley Vet is one of the best mail order companies in the equine business and has done a wonderful job with our hoof boot line.  The Easyboot Glove is one of ten products featured on page #190 under the Top Ten Trail Products of 2009. 

EasyCare had the opportunity to speak at the NATRC National Board Meeting in Reno, Nevada over the February 18th weekend.  We were asked to show the board members the new hoof boot styles that have become so popular for trail riders and endurance riders.  The Easyboot Glove, Easyboot Epic and Easyboot Bare all contain "gaiters".  Gaiters help keep hoof boots in place but in the past have not been permitted in the sport of NATRC. 


Easyboot Glove at a muddy endurance event

It was fun learning more about NATRC and meeting the folks on the board.  Great group of horse people!

I just received the NATRC Region 3 Newsletter.  Looks like great news is included and the rule change in moving to the next step.

I believe we are one glue away from making the Easyboot Glue-On a product and process that will be used by horse owners around the globe.  The current process is a good and the current glues work well but I believe we are a glue away from making Easyboot Glue-Ons common place.

We currently have access to a bunch of incredible adhesive products made by Vettec and others like Goober Glue.  The Vettec products and Goober Glue are great and are here to stay, Vettec has a couple new products in the works that will hit the market soon.   We are getting close but in my opinion all the current products are lacking something. 

I'm currently testing a couple one product adhesives that you can apply to the shell of an Easyboot Glue-On, the shells are then slipped over the hoof and the horse can be immediately moved or trotted.

I used a couple of the new products last night and the 12 boots will be used at a 50 mile race over the weekend.  I'll know better after the event if these glues may be the answer.

Here is what I did after trimming and cleaning the hoof.


Layout the Easyboot Glue-On shells, Glue and steel putty knife.  The glue is thick so a used a battery power Dewalt caulking gun.


Apply the adhesive to the wall of the shell.


Use a putty knife to spread the adhesive evenly inside the walls of the Easyboot Glue-On shell.


Slip the shell on the hoof and then twist slightly to the right and slightly to the left.  Then center the shell on the hoof. 


Push the walls against the hoof.  A bit of glue should come out the top.


You can trot and move the horse immediately! 

I think this stuff may really work.  I'll know more next week.  

Our first order of Save Edge rasps and rasp handles is here.  A rasp is an essential piece of equipment for barefoot trimming and a tool that every horse owner should have in the barn and horse trailer. 

As natural hoof trimming becomes more popular more horse owners are learning how to do maintenance trims between visits from your hoof care professional.  These maintenance trims help keep hoof flare down and make protective horse boots fit better through a trimming cycle.  Maintenance trims are especially important for close fitting boots like the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On. 

The next time your hoof care professional comes out have them show you how to do a maintenance trim on your horses.  Your horses feet will stay in better shape and your hoof care professional will have less work to do each time they visit. 

The AERC and NATRC Convention and Tradeshow was held over the past weekend in Reno, Nevada.  Both AERC and NATRC are horse associations that focus on trail competitions over difficult distances and challenging terrain.



I had the opportunity to speak to the NATRC board on Thursday afternoon and discuss EasyCare's new product range and a possible NATRC rule change that will allow above the hairline boots in the sport.  The meeting went well and it looks like the rule change has been passed and will now be presented to the membership for final voting.  In the very near future it is very likely that NATRC riders will be able to use EasyCare boots with gaiters like the Easyboot Glove.  I really enjoyed the NATRC board.  Awesome group of people, great horsemen and women!

The tradeshow was a blur!  We were busy from start to finish.  Thank you for all those who stopped by to tell us about your success stories during the 2009 ride season.  Everyone really likes the new Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On. Good thing we had help from fellow endurance riders like Dave Rabe, Christoph Schork, Dian Woodward, Jeremy & Heather Reynolds and Andy Bown. 


With the help of Andy Bown, Christoph Schork, Heather Reynolds, Dian Woodward, Miriam Rezine, Kevin Myers, Jeremy Reynolds, Kevin Myers and Lucy Chaplin Trumbull we broke down the booth in less than 20 minutes.  Christoph, Jeremy, Garrett and Andy use the team work approach to shrink wrap the pallet. 

We attended the awards banquet on Saturday night and had the opportunity to see Dave Rabe inducted into the AERC Hall Of Fame.  Dave Rabe has been an inspiration to everyone in the sport and his induction is well overdue!  Congrats to Dave Rabe. 

The American Farrier's Journal just ran a nice article on hoof boots.   The article looks at the changes in the hoof boot world and gathered horse boot information/perceptions from many hoof-care professionals around the globe. 



The article and feedback from the professionals is both encouraging and at the same time shows that we still have a great deal of education to do.  Here are a couple quick conclusions from my point of view.

1.  The American Farrier's Journal just ran a 7 page article on hoof boots.  EasyCare and Easyboots were referenced many times.  How awesome is that!

2.  Feedback from Hoof Care Professionals like Pete Ramey and Linda Cowles was included. Both Pete and Linda are sharp and have used boots for many conditions and circumstances.

3.  One of the farriers that submitted feedback believes that "A shoe weighs approximately 12 ounces while a boot weighs upwards of 2 or 3 pounds"  "How much torque are these boots putting on the knees and shoulders of the horses?"  I love this type of feedback because it shows how far boots have come and how much opportunity is in front of us.  To correct the farrier, EasyCare's new hoof boots actually weigh less than iron shoes.  A size #1 Easyboot Glove weighs 11.1 ounces and a size #1 Easyboot Glue-On weighs 7.5 ounces, an #1 iron shoe weighs 12.3 ounces .  (Remember 16 ounces=1 lbs). 


EasyCare's new hoof boots actually weigh less than iron shoes.  EasyCare's Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On weigh less than the same size iron horse shoe. 

4.  The horse world is changing and more and more horse owners are requesting new trimming techniques and new hoof boot designs from their farriers/trimmers. 

The future of hoof boots is bright!

Jeremy Reynolds and Sir Smith finished the 160KM UAE Presidents Cup in Easyboots!  Finishing the event in a amazing 8:50, 36th place!  Wow!

Here is a bit from Heather's last blog.  "I forgot to mention that there were many curious inquiries on the Easyboot Glue-Ons.  Many other riders had never seen such a thing and it called a lot of attention to Smitty.  Pretty cool, spreading the word on how easy it can be to go barefoot.  Also several veterinarians during the race commented on how amazing Smitty looked and they had to ask a few times if this horse had really shipped over from the USA or if was a local horse.  We assured him he was an American product:)"

Read more about Jeremy and Heather Reynolds and the recent trip to the UAE President's Cup at their blog.  Can't wait to see more photos and video when they return.


Jeremy and Smitty at the 2009 Git R Done event.  Jeremy and Heather had a great year in Easyboots.  Many wins and many Best Conditions.

EasyCare will start offering Save Edge Rasps and Save Edge Rasp Handles very soon.  We just got approved for a dealership and will make both products available to our hoof care customers in the next 10 days.





I believe one of the keys to hoof care and natural hoof trimming is to do a little trimming several times per week or trim a bit each time you touch your horse.  This regular trimming allows the feet to stay very consistent and the horse never has huge changes in length or angles.  Why let your horse's feet grow out 4 to 6 weeks and then lop off 4 to 6 weeks of grown in one trimming. 

Maintenance trimming also helps keep feet in shape for hoof boots.  Your boots will fit better and perform better on a hoof that has regular care.  It's unfair to expect a boot to work on a freshly trimmed hoof and continue to work on the same hoof 6 weeks later. 


If you want your hoof boot to fit like an Easyboot Glove it's important to keep the hoof tidy and well trimmed.

To do this you need a good rasp and a sharp rasp.  After asking around Save Edge Rasps continued to get good reviews.  In the future add a Save Edge Rasp to your hoof boot order.  Ask your trimmer to show you how to do the maintenance on their next visit.  You will be more knowledgable, your horses feet will look better and your boots will perform better.

With more folks joing the Easyboot Facebook page, it's time for another Easyboot Facebook photo contest.

The theme for the photo contest is "Equine Movement". Movement is critical to our horse’s health and barefoot feet. Upload your photo to the wall or the fan photos area. The photo with the most "Likes" will win the photo contest and win 4 Easyboot Gloves. "Like" away until next Monday morning Feb 15th at 9:00 a.m. Get your friends and family to "Like" your image.

One of my goals for 2009 was to head back to the sport of equine endurance racing and personally introduce the Easyboot Glove and the Easyboot Glue-On hoof boots to the sport of endurance racing. I intended to use each event as an opportunity to educate fellow competitors on the installation and fit of the new boots on the barefoot horse.  The goal ended as a huge success and endurance riders around the globe ended the 2009 season with over 23,000 miles of competition, 65+ first place finishes, 45+ Best Condition awards and over 160 Top Ten finishes. 

Installing Hoof Boots and educating at the 2009 100 Mile Tevis Cup.  Easyboots had a 75% completion rate at Tevis and two horses finished in the top ten. 

One of the highlights and surprises to the 2009 season was the success of the Easyboot Glove and the second place finish in the AERC National Best Condition Championship.  GE Cyclone ended the season tied with 9 Best Condition awards and ended up second in the AERC National Best Condition Championship by 10 points.  Every Best Condition Cyclone received in 2009 was in Easyboot Gloves.  The Easyboot Glove Best Condition awards were at muddy rides, sandy rides and rocky rides.  Regardless of the conditions the Gloves performed well and gave Cyclone the hoof protection and traction needed. 



GE Cyclone on a condition ride in Colorado.

For those of you that know the sport of endurance, it’s hard to get one Best Condition award in a season.  Best Condition is an award that most every person in the event would like to take home over every other.  Best Condition means the horse finished sound, Best Condition means the horse finished fresh, Best Condition means the horse looks great and could go another day.  When your horse receives Best Condition you are very proud of your horse, your conditioning program and your tack.  In Cyclone’s case I was proud of the horse, the conditioning program and the Easyboot Gloves!

GE Cyclone at Warner Hot Springs.  He didn't get Best Condtion at this event but ended with 9 Best Condition Awards on 15 Completions. 

 

The February EasyCare Hoof Boot Newsletter is out.  If you are not an EasyCare newsletter subscriber please sign up here. 

Many great topics for February.  Kevin Myers joins EasyCare, the HiTie is back in the EasyCare product range, Barefoot and Affordable, and the EasyCare horse boot dealer of the month.

Easyboot Facebook fans are growing fast.  Help us spread the news and reach 1,000 fans.

EasyCare gets involved with many long distance horse treks because iron horse shoes wear faster than the hoof can grow.  The hoof deteriates with nail holes and iron shoes become more and more difficult to hold in place.  The horses on these treks are forced to use Easyboots out of necessity.  After they start using easyboots on the barefoot hoof they see many benefits to their horses and daily travel becomes easier. 

Take a look at this extreme example.  4 barefoot Suffolk Punch horses pulling 11,340 lbs of weight accross the USA.  "From Montana to California by way of Boston then to Alaska in 2010".

How do you and your horse stay injury free?  The answer has been around for 10,000 years! 



Pretty cool stuff.  I continue to see vidoes and articles that talk about the benefits of people running and walking barefoot.  It's amazing how similar the benefits of keeping a human barefoot are to that of keeping a horse barefoot.  "When the heel lands the body's best shock absorber, the arch is compressed more than it would be with a shoe."

Check out the article from the February 1, 2010 Time Magazine below. 



Intrigued?  Interested?

Wearing Vibram Five Fingers Shoes is one way for all of us to experience what our horses are feeling when they wear Easyboots.  Take a look at the Five Fingers site and read about how they can change and strengthen your body.  "Many experts believe the shoes we wear not only cast the foot in a protective form, but also weaken our foot and leg muscles, leaving them underdeveloped and more prone to injury. And while there are many occasions where traditional footwear is essential for protection, safety, and security, it is equally important to stimulate and exercise the foot in a more natural state on a regular basis."

I find it interesting that you can exchange foot with hoof and and human with horse and end up with the same discussion and same benefits.  Makes you really question the barefoot hoof, natural hoof trimming and the use of Easyboots for horses. 

I got my Five Fingers for X-Mas from my Mom.  I'm not letting my horse get all the benefits.  

The 2010 EasyCare Hoof Boot line up and catalog is complete for 2010.  Although we may make a couple running changes during the 2010 season the majority is complete.  The biggest changes for 2010 include.

1.  An updated gaiter design for the Easyboot Glove.
2.  The HiTie has been added back into the EasyCare range.  The HiTie offers a quick and easy way to tie a horse to a trailer when camping.  The HiTie gives a horse more freedom and a much larger area to move around.
3.  We have added some new accessories to complement the easy boots for horses.
4.  The catalog has been updated with a bunch of new photos.  EasyCare has invested in great images and we love to show off the beautiful places our protective horse boots are used.

Take a look at the new catalog here. 

Here is a snap shot of what Easyboots did in the sport of endurance for the 2009 season.  EasyCare protective horse boots performed with the best, took home mileage awards, first place awards and best condition awards.  Although endurance is a small part of our market, we believe that if Easycare Boots perform in an event with over 100 miles of rough trails that they will also work for other equine disciplines. 

Take a look at the 2009 accomplishments.  How do you like those apples?

The 2010 season is here and our new catalog is complete. 

EasyCare had plans to release the Easyboot Glove in 2010 with both an improved gaiter and an installed power strap.  After a great deal of feedback from our dealers and customers we have decided not to include the power strap.  The majority of the feedback on the power strap was to keep it as an accessory and give people the option to install it if and when needed.  The feedback was that the Glove works perfect as it is and don't complicate it with the power strap.

It's great to have this type of discussion and feedback from our hoof boot customers.  I personally use the Gloves with power straps installed and believe the power straps help performance of the boots in tough conditions.  Although my personal opinion was to add the power strap based on my riding, the majority of our customers love the Glove just the way it is.  In the end it's about what you want!


The first big test for the new gaiter design and new gaiter pattern was at the Strawberry Fields endurance event in June of 2009.  The new gaiter performed perfect in the mud and slop and come home with back to back best condition awards.

Although we will not be adding the power strap the Easyboot Glove will get a new gaiter design.  The new gaiter design has been in testing since May of 2009 and has performed very well.  The months of testing have given us the miles and hours to make several small changes and improvements along the way. The new gaiter will come standard on all Easyboot Gloves starting in March.


The biggest change is the double layer of neoprene and having the layers at the top float free.  You can also see the pattern change in this photo.

The new Glove gaiter has an improved pattern that hugs the contours of the lower leg.  The upper edge of the gaiter has two layers that flex and move with the horse.  We have also moved to a new high tech material thats as smooth as a baby's butt.  Internal reinforcements have been added for better fit and longer life. 

We plan to work the changes from the Easyboot Glove into the Easyboot Epic, Easyboot Bare and the Easyboot Edge as the year progresses. 

The EasyCare January hoof boot newsletter is out.  Some good stuff in this edition.  Complete results for the 2009 $10,000 Hoof Boot Contest, Carla Richardson the 1st place, Ride the 2010 Tevis Cup on EasyCare and meet junior rider Kadee Felton.  We also have a nice story about Horses Dacor our Dealer of the month.