Horse Boots Customer Help

I rode a few horses barefoot the other day and out on the trail I ran into some hoof prints of a horse that was clearly wearing shoes. As I looked at the hoof prints of the iron shoe I noticed that there was no sign of the frog. When I looked at the prints that my barefoot horse was making I could clearly see so much more detail such as the frogs and even the bars.

I recently had a conversation with a friend about natural hoof care and he argued that the frog worked just as well shod as it would barefoot. He mentioned that the frog would be stimulated just as well because there would be dirt going up into the hoof. 

However, when I looked at these hoof prints there was no sign of the frog, meaning that the frog had never hit the sand. As I followed the prints into the wash and the sand got deeper. It was way harder to distinguish shod from bare because the sand was so soft and allowed the horse to sink in the sand. But when looking at the harder ground there is no doubt in my mind that the frog is stimulated much more on a barefoot hoof then on a shod hoof.
 
Take a look at these pictures and see for yourself.

Posted by Miriam Rezine
 

EasyCare would like to help you save money.

If you want to order from our Bargain Bin and have not because you think 'Old Style' on Epics and Easyboots means they are used or there is something defective about them, fear no more. It simply means these boots were manufactured before 2007 and we are making room for more new protective hoof boots. There are no pre-2005 Easyboots in the Bargain Bin. Any of the boots you choose from are perfect for your natural horse care needs.

You may find a variety of protective horse boots and stirrups are also available. Whatever your needs for natural horse products, now is the time to shop in our Bargain Bin. 

If ordering repair parts or additional accessories, you can still shop and make selections from the current accessory pages. No need to figure out what part will fit your Bargain Bin boot. Even the Up Buckle can be used on these boots. The back strap can be removed from your Epics and replaced with a current comfort strap (shown below) or taper straps.
 

All Bargain Bin products are listed at 1/2 price and are not covered by EasyCare warranty. All sales are final, no returns. So please measure your horses hooves correctly after a fresh barefoot trimming excercise and use the sizing chart before ordering. This will enable you to order the right size, obtain the best fitting boot and start working on those horse hoof problems you may be experiencing.

Please note all Bargain Bin items are in new and unused condition and are available through our website orders only.

Happy Trails Everyone!


Posted by Marcie Mendoza

 

Martin Todt with his pride and joy Miss Kitty tells us of his great experiences  once he began practicing natural hoof care and started using protective horse boots.

Soon after I purchased Miss Bear Cat (Kitty) 10 years ago as a Western Pleasure Show horse, she was diagnosed as having navicular syndrome, though x-rays showed no real damage. We went through all the typical pads, egg bars, bute but nothing seemed to change things much.

In time Kitty became my trail horse and we enjoyed our Sunday morning rides within the limits of her ability. She would weave left and right down hills, tread cautiously and slowly on hard ground. Eventually she would not stand to be shod in the back because of the difficulty bearing the weight on the front during the process. So Kitty became barefooted in the rear using Easyboots for trail riding.

I found great interest in reading the stories of barefoot horses and navicular syndrome on the EasyCare website and decided a few months ago to give Kitty one last chance to heal naturally. In three months Kitty had almost fully recovered. She stood squarely, did not point and she allowed all of her legs to be held and trimmed.

In her Easyboot Epics front and rear we are off every week for a fast paced trail ride outpacing the horses she always trailed behind. I truly believe that she is passed any problem she has had and I know we will be back at the shows this fall.

Thank you Easyboots. Seeing her in no pain was worth all of the effort!

It’s a sad week in the competitive trail riding community as we hear news of Elmer Bandit’s passing. The 38 year old half-Arabian gelding that has been an inspiration to many was euthanized at his home in Missouri Sunday evening, Feb 14th. He would have been 39 in two months.

Owner Mary Anna Wood was called to Elmer’s pasture early Sunday morning after the gelding failed to rise for his breakfast. Cold weather may have contributed to hypothermia, and 12 hours were spent trying to help him get up. Wood decided it was his time to go after he stopped trying to stand in the last hour.

A necropsy was performed at Kansas State University, and revealed the gelding’s body was in surprisingly good shape, displayed few signs of his advanced age, and had very little evidence of arthritis.

Elmer Bandit recorded an amazing 20,780 lifetime trail miles with Wood. He was the first horse inducted into the North American Trail Ride Conference Hall of Fame, and completed two competitive trail rides in the 2009 season. Most horses are considered seniors by the time they reach 18, and yet Elmer continued to be a competitive horse 20 years longer than the age at which many horses are retired. Elmer remained healthy and active until the end, and was last ridden on February 6th.

A tribute honoring Elmer is planned for the NATRC’s National Convention beginning Feb 20th in Reno, Nevada.

       

Our condolences to Mary Anna Wood.... what a special equine partner Elmer was. He will be remembered always.