My horses have been barefoot and booted for competitions for almost twenty years. My current competition horse, Lonestar Johnny Skywalker, a gray National Show Horse (Half Arabian and Half Saddlebred) is now 15 years old, and I’ve had him since he was 11 months old. He has never been shod in his life. He has been very active in competitions, in different disciplines simultaneously, and where necessary, such as in endurance and mounted orienteering and sometimes on a cross country course in eventing, he needs hoof protection, of course.
I’ve tried several makes and types and models, but have never been totally happy till I hit on The Easyboot Glove, and its Back Country variation. I have to mention here as well that Johnny used to hate his boots. Whenever he wore them you had to pay close attention when you stopped and got off, since he would try to get them off his feet. He’d rip and tear the straps and buckles off with his teeth, and he was darned quick about it too. You turned your back for half a minute and there went another boot, or at least its trappings. That was, till the Glove. Johnny definitely approves of his Glove Back Country boots, since he’s never tried to get those off. I guess he loves the comfort of them. They fit snugly without having to be extremely tight, which I guess is what he objected to, and they protect his heels, and best of all, they stay on.
In Mounted Orienteering we often go through bad mud, up and down steep slopes without benefit of a trail, through really rough and wild terrain. I’ve only ever had a Back Country come off once and that was when Johnny spooked so dramatically he almost jumped out of his skin. I believe he stepped on one with the other as he leapt up. But they’ve stayed on through all types of terrain, for endless endurance miles trotting and galloping, and also on a cross country courses over varied terrain and hefty obstacles, including through ponds. They also last, I’ve used the current pair for hundreds of miles.
I’m very grateful to EasyCare for all the research and development which has allowed them to come out with products that really work and provide total customer satisfaction for both the horse and rider. I’ve just bought a new horse, a TB off the track after his racing career, and once I go and pick him up in two weeks’ time he’ll get measured for his own set of Easyboots right away of course! I’ve also bought two pairs of Glue-Ons for Johnny as an alternative to try out, since so many of my friends are so delighted with that product, too.
Thank you EasyCare!
Esty H. Geissmann, Wickenburg AZ
