Doing hoof rehabilitation work every day, I’m always interested in anything that will help me keep the horses I work on more comfortable. When I learned EasyCare was coming out with the Cloud I was hoping the boot would be a good option for my clients, and I have not been disappointed!
There are many different uses we have found for the Cloud in our daily work, the most common are:
- Use on sore footed horses as daily protection as part of their hoof rehabilitation
- Applied to a support limb during trimming or shoeing to help keep the horse comfortable
- Protection for a bandage or wrap when treating an abscess or foot wound
I love the Easyboot Cloud for laminitic and foundered horses. We now have the boots on many different horses for daily use as part of their hoof rehabilitation. One of the most impressive is this Draft x mare:
A boot has to be pretty substantial to hold up to a 1400 lbs chronically foundered Draft x. Especially one with twisty feet like hers. Here is her left front when we first met her:
Booting this mare is really challenging. Her conformation is quite twisty, and was compounded by foundering with medial sinking causing her foot to twist even more. The Cloud boots turn toe-in to match her feet, however, they don’t spin or twist beyond that.
We also really like how easy the Cloud is to apply to sore footed horses. Because the back of the boot folds down flat, the toe slides right in and the foot can be put down immediately to finish closing up the boot, minimizing the amount of time the horse has to be standing on one leg.
In our humid environment, we like to apply Gold Bond powder to the inside of the boot to help prevent moisture from building up when the boots are worn by the horse 24/7. This also prevents any fungus/bacteria from taking hold and keeps the feet hard and dry.
The pad inside the boot has also been holding up beautifully even with the weight of this big mare. They pads are compressing enough to conform to the shape of her foot, but don’t over compress, which keep them squishy enough to provide continual comfort without over wear. These pads have been in her boots that she has worn 24/7 for the past four weeks. We have boots on many horses who have been in them for months and have yet to need to replace a pad.
Another great use of the Cloud Boot is when we’re pulling shoes and want to keep the horse as comfortable as possible, especially when the footing we’re standing on is less than desirable for a newly barefoot horse, like this lumpy concrete:
Once the first shoe is pulled and foot trimmed, the Cloud is applied to help the horse stand for the second foot to be worked on without discomfort. This helps the horse stand quietly without fussing or fighting to get off the weight bearing leg. In the above scenario we could have just worked on the grass being softer than the concrete, but I wouldn’t have good visibility of the foot making assessment more challenging. Those of you who know my obsession with hoof documentation also know that taking photos in the grass is not a good way to get accurate images!
In this photo the left foot with the Cloud boot on has already been trimmed, and the boot is facilitating our work on the right foot:
This horse doesn’t need Cloud Boots permanently, yet they were a big asset in working on the rocky concrete.
The Clouds are also a great tool when we have a horse with an acute abscess or hoof wound, and we need to protect the foot with a wrap for a period of time. We are able to apply the wrap and then put the boot over top. The wrap can get changed as often as needed and the boot minimizes the amount of bandage materials necessary while also keeping the horse comfortable.
Not only are we keeping an inventory of Cloud Boots for sale, we’re also keeping an inventory of boots of each size for RENT for those who need them short term. This is another valuable service we can offer our clients. The EasyBoot Cloud has quickly become a valuable tool in our daily work! I encourage you to find where they will help you in your work as well!