Several people have approached me about reusing Easyboot Glue-Ons, asking if it’s possible, safe, effective, etc. Although EasyCare does not recommend it, the short answer is yes, you can reuse them. When I do it, I take them off the horse and toss them straight into a bucket filled with soapy water, submerge them and leave them overnight. The next day I scrub them out, pull out any remaining glue (use pliers if necessary) rinse them off and set them out to dry. The Adhere tends to crack out pretty easily, the Sikaflex can be a bit more challenging but it usually comes out in the frog.
They don’t have to be surgically clean, and don’t worry about the outsides, it’s just the inside that matters. The boots above were on Shazam for two weeks, he did an FEI 75 miler in them, they’re in great shape so I’m going to use them again for an up coming 5-day ride.
Allow them to dry and voila! These shells are ready to be re-glued and hit the trail.
The Easyboot Glove below has seen a LOT of hard miles, training and racing in the Rocky Mountains. Other than the wear on the toe, the boot is still in great shape, I’ll probably use it until the gaiter gives out but even so, it’s an excellent candidate for the “Goober-booting process.” When I want to retire a pair of old boots that are looking weary, I throw them in a box for this future purpose.
Every time I do finally blow a boot out, I take it apart and keep all the usable parts. Sometimes the gaiter will get shredded or the screws will pull through and tear the shell, or just a power strap will get mangled, but if you’ve got a pile of spare parts it’s very easy to switch them out. The only tool you ever need is a little screwdriver.
For example, below is a brand new Easyboot Glove that blew out on it’s maiden voyage. It happens, especially when your 16.1h palomino feels fresh and decides to throw a few bucks in while cantering up a rocky mountainside. The boot came off and was still attached to his ankle at a canter, but his back foot reached up and landed on it, so the gaiter ripped when he moved out. It’s a bummer but no problem because I have a bag of extra screws/backs/washers and an old, perfectly functional gaiter in the correct size to replace it.
Of course, new Easyboots are awesome, but when necessary, you can save a buck and really stretch out the life of these products. You will be surprised how many miles you can get out of your favorite pair of Easyboots! Looking forward to another great season with Team Easyboot 2013!
Tennessee Mahoney
PS: Join us May 11th & 12th at Remuda Run for a clinic on the Performance Barefoot Hoof with the Bootmeister.
