Submitted by Jean Welch, Hoof Care Practitioner

As a Hoofcare Practitioner, I take great pride in knowing that I help provide comfort to horses on a daily basis. Most of us HCP’s have horses of our own, and we have first- hand experience when it comes to successful booting techniques.
This has been a banner year for laminitic symptoms, and I’d like to share a few tips that will help extend the wear time for therapeutic boots such as the Easyboot Cloud and the Easyboot RX.

Maintaining comfortable booted hooves for extended wear (two to four days max. in dry conditions) is easier if you invest in a second set of boots so they can be rotated. They don’t have to be the same kind, as long as they fit well and offer comfort and support, and are appropriate for the task. This, along with diligent cleaning habits of both horse and equipment is a recipe for success. While one set of boots is being worn, the other set is cleaned and staged, ready for the next booting. To clean the boots simply drop them in a bucket of water with a few drops of mild detergent. Let them soak a while, then use a soft brush to scrub them out. Rinse and squeeze out as much water as possible, then hang to dry (not in direct sunlight).

Keeping the hooves dry and clean for extended boot wear is easier if you use liberal amounts of a medicated powder such as Gold Bond or a generic equivalent.  I also like to line the boot with an absorbent adult pad such as the Walgreens brand “Certainty”.

These pads are long, thick and absorbent. They are great for drawing out and locking away excess moisture from the frog area. I use them whole so that it cradles the pastern and heel bulbs.

Before.

After three days.

Depending on the boot style I’m using, sometimes I cut them into thirds, so I can get three hoof boot liners out of one pad.

The pad does not have to cover the entire sole to be effective. As long as it is centered under the frog,  it will work well. ​

The adhesive strip on the back secures the pad very nicely to the inside bottom of the boot. Remove only 1/3 of the adhesive backing so it only sticks to the comfort pad.

I stick the absorbent pad only to the comfort pad so that the rest of it cradles the heel bulbs, allowing it to move with the pastern, and provides extra cushioning and protection. Again here, I use powder to reduce friction and to keep things clean and dry. Be sure to clean the hoof,  hairline and pastern thoroughly with a soft brush before each booting.

No rubs aftwer 4 days.

No rubs even after 3 days.

There are lots different booting techniques out there. I hope this method offers some relief for your unique situation.