The following is an article and pictures from Julie Campbell at Action Rider Tack.
The Limestone Challenge, a Northwest Endurance event, is one of my favorite rides as well as having a reputation. It is a hard ride and not one for whiners or under-conditioned horses. It is a favorite ride because the scenery is unmatched for beauty and the trails have some of the best footing you could ask for. There are hills. Every loop has at least one killer hilll starting with the first loop. But, before we start on the trail, let’s talk about trusting the boot. The EasyCare Glove to be exact. Kalena, my mare, has been training in Gloves for almost a year now. She has transitioned well and has gone down a half size on both front and back feet since her first Glove fitting. (Love the EasyCare tee, Julie!)
I know that it is a challenge for any protective hoof boots to stay on in periods of high torque. Loop 1 has a feature called “Stairway to Heaven.” It is narrow and rocky and extremely steep.
There are not many places to stop to replace a lost boot. I did worry… one of her rear boots was pretty easy to slip on. I applied Mueller’s Athletic Tape for a little better fit. By the time we reached the “Stairway to Heaven” I was already having so much fun that I forgot to worry. Next thing I know, we are at the top and all four hoof boots were intact. I never looked down again. The Glove boots didn’t budge and there were no rubs at the end when I removed them.
Kalena got mostly A’s on her vet card. We took the full twelve hours to finish the ride. With three vet checks that means 10.5 hours in the saddle and 10.5 for the Glove boots.
I can hardly wait until next year when it is time to boot up for the Limestone Challenge!
Dee Hoime
