From Ashley Wingert:
Dad and I had another successful 50-mile completion in our Renegades at the Valley of the Sun ride on February 28. Both Dad’s and my boots did fantastic, and we’re both thrilled with how they held up to the trails at McDowell.
There’s a lot of hard-pack decomposed granite on the trails, along with sand washes and rocks — all things that can really wear down a boot, and the Renegades still look great! We were all glad for the boots on a particularly rocky climb on the second loop, not to mention the random rocky sections that were found every few miles throughout the rest of the ride.
Kirt and Gina, thanks so much for your wonderful boots! We’ve been using them ever since you first made them available to the public (Gina, didn’t you say we were your first customers?) and are completely sold on them. They’re easy to put on and take off, the horses move well in them, and they stay on! Once they are adjusted, that’s it! There’s no extra fiddling with various bits and bobs to make them work. And there’s no rubbing, a feature second only to staying on in importance! We’re pleased with how well they hold up, even with our tough desert riding conditions and being subjected to the sandpaper effects of sand washes on a weekly basis. And we love the fact they’re made in the USA! And finally, we love working with you guys! You’re so service oriented, and go out of your way to help people out with boot fitting, adjustments, and trimming.
I included a short video I took partway through the first loop. Mimi’s bouncy little trot makes for some interesting videoing, but you can see the gorgeous scenery at McDowell Mountain Park. Dad and Beamer are behind me…Beamer’s Sport Orange Renegades stand out in the desert!
Ashley Wingert
From Ellen Rosenberg:
Thank you so much for your great products and the user support. Although I have been riding nearly all my life (dressage, trail, and now endurance), I became a first-time horse owner 2 years ago.
My Tennessee Walker, Feather, had some hoof issues when I bought her. Typical of Walkers, she overreaches and interferes. After a year of pulled shoes, cut legs, bruised and cut heel bulbs…wearing through a ridiculous number of bells, protective splints…I finally went barefoot. I had seen Renegades at an endurance race and was immediately convinced that if I took my horse barefoot, your boots would be the ones I used. I had been using other boots to handle the never-ending loss of shoes, but they were not easy, and scratched up her hoof walls or rubbed her heel bulbs raw.
So, nearly a year later…she is sound, hasn’t had any cuts, and has great hoof walls! Your boots have been easy to apply, easy to adjust, they stay on, and best of all you have been at nearly every endurance race I have attended. You have answered my questions, checked my boots before races and even micro-adjusted Feather’s hooves.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I am a Limited Distance rider and always will be. I am not super fast, but Feather has completed every race entered. I also trail ride all over Arizona. I always feel you give me the same attention that you give to the “super stars” of endurance riding.
At the Valley of the Sun #4 ride, due to a wrong turn on my part, we wound up doing a few extra miles and finishing 22nd. But our pace (per my GPS) was a consistent 6.3-6.6 mph which was my goal for the race.
Thank you for taking the time to come to these races and take such good care of us!
Ellen Rosenberg and “Feather”
From Janet Gabrielson:
Thanks to the Landers for making a boot that fits a mule. I am transitioning my mule to barefoot and was just able to make a 25 mile ride at Valley of the Sun in McDowell Mountain Park entirely barefoot with no problems.
The ground was good so I never felt I had to use my Renegades, but I carried them with me just in case. This is the only boot that I have found that will fit a mule well.
Janet Gabrielson
& “Maddie the Mule”
From Connie Koff:
I ride a mule in endurance. I transitioned from shoes to Renegade® hoof boots and successfully completed a 25 mile Valley of the Sun endurance ride at McDowell Mountain Park on February 28, 2009 without using my Renegades at all. I used them quite a bit when my mule was first barefoot but he has been able to go completely barefoot without any problems for the last few months.
This last endurance race was the third 25 mile race that I have been able to go completely barefoot.
I am sure glad that I have the Renegades for those super rocky trails and they sure helped my mule transition well to barefoot.
Connie Koff
