If you’ve used Easyboot Glue-Ons, you already know how great they are. Like most things, they take some practice to get comfortable using, but once you get it down, you just “set it and forget it” and enjoy some of the best hoof protection available. For me, the trouble comes after the ride is over and the boots are off. 50 or 100 miles isn’t enough to wear out a set of Glue-Ons. And I just can’t bring myself to throw away a perfectly good set of boots. Sure, they’re caked with Adhere and Sikaflex, but if you listen closely, you can hear the cries of an Easyboot Glove begging to be born. By following a few simple steps, you can have a perfectly usable, almost new set of Easyboot Gloves that will provide many, many more miles of hoof protection.
The diamond in the rough.
Step one: Order size-appropriate Glove Gaiters from EasyCare. If you have old, spare gaiters lying around, feel free to use those, too. Of course, if the gaiters are ripped or looking tired, you might as well start out with fresh, new gaiters.
Step two: Remove all leftover Sikaflex and Adhere from the boot. The best way to do this is with a dremel. You have to experiment with different dremel tips to find which one works best for removing glue, and be careful not to dremel so much that you begin dremeling the boot material (red or blue boots are great for this, as it’s very easy to tell where the glue stops and the boot material begins).
The rounded, metal attachment works great for removing old glue.
The slimmer, smaller attachment is perfect for drilling holes for gaiter attachment.
Step three: Once you’ve removed the majority of the Sikaflex and Adhere, drill holes into the pre-marked spots on the boot where you’ll need to attach the new gaiter.
Pre-marked spots for gaiter attachment.
Step four: Follow the directions provided by EasyCare for attaching the gaiter to the boot shell.
And voila. There you have it. You’ve given new life to an old boot.
And to think…you almost threw it away!
I’m all for getting the most miles possible out of my boots. But it’s important to know when a boot has had enough and is ready for retirement. When the tread on the bottom of the boot is thin and the gaiter is torn and the Velcro is hanging on by a thread, the you know the boot has reached the end of it’s life…or has it?
Definitely not trail worthy, but still works great for soaking feet.
Since moving to Nevada, my horses have developed rock-hard, concrete feet. The only way I’ve been able to trim their feet is by soaking them for a few hours prior to trimming. So those old, tattered, worn out Gloves that have no business out on the trail, have been demoted to hoof soakers. I apply the boots, “just add water”, and 3-4 hours later, I have hooves I can actually trim.
I promise I’ll actually throw them away after this stage of their life. Unless I can find something else to do with them.
Renee Robinson