How much does it take for you to break a sweat?

We’ve had a number of people contact us recently asking about the use of a rubber mallet when applying the Easyboot Glove. Some people are concerned about the resulting concussion on the horse’s feet. Others are concerned that using a mallet will make the task of applying boots even more complicated.

I always keep a mallet in the trailer tack room door where I keep my hoof boots. I grab the mallet when I reach for the bag of boots for the horse I’m tacking up. I originally bought the mallet for gluing on hoof boots at events, but I find it also helps confirm the toe is all the way into the boot without any additional struggling while you’re under the horse.

If you did not read my blog last week about identifying proper fit, you can read it at Fit On The Fly: The Top 4 Most Common Mistakes When Using Easyboot Gloves. I don’t subscribe to the concerns that tapping with a mallet will cause any harm to the horse: the amount of force exerted with a few taps is only a fraction of the force exerted on a horse when you’re trotting or cantering down a semi-hardpacked trail.

Take a look at the video I made last weekend and let me know if you think I’m putting undue strain on the horse’s hoof. I think it probably takes more energy to climb up into the saddle than it does to bang the Gloves on. Click in the lower right corner of the YouTube screen to see a larger screen. http://youtu.be/0fbx9P1_VVs.

What sort of application tricks do you use to make sure your Gloves are properly applied?

Kevin Myers