Submitted by Stacey Maloney, Team Easyboot 2016 Member
As part of our conditioning effort in working towards getting back on the CTR circuit this year, I joined a friend in an adventure to explore new trails at the base of the Rocky Mountains west of Calgary, Alberta. We loaded up early and arrived at the trail head at 10am on a Sunday only to find we were probably the last people to arrive; I guess we need to learn to get up earlier! After squeezing our trailers into the already cramped parking area, we unloaded, tacked up and wasted no time getting our adventure underway.
We were in an area called Sibbald Flats which I believe is named after the small meadow between the steep inclines that only takes about 4 minutes to ride across; don’t be fooled, this area is hardly flat at all. We did spend the first hour or so on relatively flat ground but it turned out we had lost the trail and had to back track to find it.
Once we got on the right track it was up, up, up with some lovely views on the ridge and then we went down, down, down.
My boot of choice is a toss up between the Easyboot Epics and the Easyboot Gloves. The Gloves work great for us right up until just before my mare is ready for another trim, which was the case on this day. The Gloves weren’t going to be an option for us this day because Marina’s feet were a bit too grown out, so on went the Epics which were easily adjusted to fit the size of her hoof and they stayed put all day.
The upper elevations of the trail were rocky as expected but we really did cover all types of terrain on this day. When we got really lost we found our way by backtracking on the gravel road as well as riding the standard mountain trails which consist of meadows, rivers, mud, bog and of course we went up and down a mountain.
Although my mare, Marina, has great hooves, she benefits GREATLY from Easyboot hoof protection. She strides out wonderfully, canters up the rocky slopes, navigates the sliding shale and in general never puts a foot wrong or lacks confidence in her way of going. Being barefoot while at rest and sometimes while under saddle really does mean the healthiest hoof for this mare. With that in mind, we would never be able to tackle tough mountain trails without our Easyboots and are so grateful for the vast variety EasyCare has to offer and the reliable protection I can have confidence in when my mare has them underfoot.
This Team Easyboot member is signing off for now in search of more adventures and stories to tell!