“No hoof, no horse”.
As a Hoof Care Practitioner, horse owner and endurance rider, I am well aware of how important that statement is. I have been caring for horse’s hooves for over 3 years and I have seen all kinds of deformity, pathology, and sickness in our horses.
The good news is horses are able to heal with good care. Good care includes lots of movement, balanced diet, bodywork, saddle fit, proper riding, cleanliness in their living environment, dentistry and of course balanced barefoot trimming. These are all pieces of the puzzle leading to soundness.
Transition from being shod to barefoot is an important time for the horse to move and be ridden. For horses that are more sensitive to the rocky trail, boots are the solution. For horses that are rock crushers barefoot and competing in sports such as endurance on rocky trails for 25, 50 or 100 miles at a quick pace, extra protection will be needed.
It is my observation that when Renegade® boots hit the market, peoples’ views on boots changed. Their ease of use, low maintenance, quality and durability have kept our horses barefoot and protected! Thanks to Renegades, people are no longer going back to metal shoes simply because they hate putting hoof boots on. High performance riders became confident that they could perform in boots without rubbing or irritation to the horse.
Yes, the hooves have to be trimmed properly and the boots fitted correctly, but this is all to the benefit of horse and rider.
Renegades are meant to fit a well-shaped barefoot hoof. It makes sense. When a horse has flares or contracted heels, we should not be discouraged that the boots don’t fit the way we want them to. It is more important to realize that the horse has deformity in his hooves which is not normal. With good care their hooves can develop better form!
Horse owners have many boot choices to confuse them. As a Hoof Care Professional, I have one clear solution for my clients, and that is the Renegade® Hoof Boot!
Kristin Walker lives in Cave Creek Arizona and services the surrounding areas. She can be reached at 602-818-4996 for Consultation, Hoof Trimming and Renegade® Hoof Boot sales.