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heBeauHoof boots are like having your cake and eating it, saysnatural hoof care expert Pete Ramey

ffiWru I hen I starrcd myown journey

YN #riil:,'HlJ;*:*ffi:-boots simpiy as a crutch to help me through'transition.'When you pull shoes offa horsewith truly healthy feet, or ifyou start naturalhoof care with a foa1, there is little or noneed for boots. In fact, we usually onlyneedthem long term, when riding terrain varieswildly from living terrain. When you pullshoes offa horse with unhealthy feet though,boots are wonderful for keeping the horseand rider happy while waiting for the hoovesto become healthy.

I've made a lot of mistakes in my career.At this point I have realised my biggest onehas been under-use ofhoofboots. I was inso much of a hurry to get to the unequalledtraction, health and energy dissipation ofthe barefoot horse, I was overlooking thequickest way to get there! I used to feeldefeated when I had to use boots. I neveriealised how much I passed this feeling on

14 Hl HoRSEMANSHtp JouRNAL

to my horse owners until I started lookingat boots differently. At some point I startedconsidering hoofboots to be the 21stcentury horse shoe. They allow us to haveour cake and eat it too. We can provide thehealth and functiori ofbarefoot turnout andstiil protect the hooves when the demands ofthe rider exceed the health and capabilitiesofthe hoof. The owner continues usingthe horse while watching the health of thehooves steadily improve, rather than steadilybecoming less healthy over the years as isoften the case.

Our own imaginations are the limit. Anytraction device, or traction reducing device,that could possibly be attached to a hoofcan be attached to a hoofboot. I startedrequiring that customers buy boots when Ipull shoes off unhealthy hooves. When theydont need them any more, I often buy themback and sell them'used'to someone else.

When I shifted my business this way, mycustomer satisfaction increased dramatically.I came to consider it a challenge and a

personal responsibility to ensure that ifthe horse was rideable in its shoes wherarrived, it would be performing theor better when I left. This attitude andadded responsibility I took on sent mewhirlwind of new learning.

Often the boot alone wasn't enoughachieve my aim, so I started exwith foam insoles and frog supports. Ialone; I've picked up valuable informafrom others who have been experiwith similar systems, like notablenatural hoofcare Gene Ovnicek and TLee Osha. To my excitement, I startedfinding that the boots could not onlythe comfort level provided by fixedthey almost aiways exceed it dramatic

I found that these methods could get

horses comfortable enough to ridefixed shoeing methods seemed to help.course, once we get a lame horse comenough for work the added stimulationaccelerates growth and increases circIt speeds up everlthing we're trying to

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accomplish in growing healthy hooves,

laking rehab times to amazingnew speeds.

I used to be very happy ifI could startlrith a horse with a 15 degree P3 (pedal

rone) rotation or a navicular horse, andqet the owner riding in a year. These days,

I am really scratching my head if I cant;o it in a month. Basically, if there is notan abscess, chronic internal pathology or.urrent acute laminitis, we can find a boot

pad combination that puts the hooves tor-ork (and often when these situations are

;rresent, we stil1 can).

I put a lot ofpressure on the professionaltrimmers that come to my clinics. In fronttrf the horse owners attending, I say that a

.ompetent natural hoof care professional

nust carry a full stock ofhoofboots, a

..'ariety of pad material, and all the tools,rraterials and knowledge to customise

the fit. The professional should leave the

.ustomer with a properly fitting bootrhat suits their needs and discipline. As

the hoof changes the professional should

automatically modifl, the boots to keep

them fitting and providing the supportneeds ofthe horse. This way, boot use adds

l0 seconds to the tacking up process for the

ol'ner, and the rest is just pure enjoyment.

INSO.LES AND PAD.S

The biggest problem with all boots is that

they cause peripheral loading, just like a

metal horseshoe. This means that the hoofrr'ai1s are forced to bear a1i of the impact

force without the help ofthe sole, bars

and frog as nature intended. The laminae

were never intended to have all the horses'

weight hanging from them. In fact this is so

important, the only advantage I see in stock

hoofboots at all is that they arent on the

horse 24-7; just when we ride.

I started seeing big smiles on horses'

faces when I began putting foam rubber

insoles in the boots. This allows all the

structures on the bottom ofthe foot to workin unison, like they're supposed to. I always

use pads in boots; it just creates more

natural mechanics.

Hoof boots should be fitted by someone

who understands them and has experience

with making them work. Poorly fitting hoofboots rub, fall off, make'flopping'noisesand are hard to get on. Properly fltted boots

are luxurious; a dream to ride in for the

horse and the owner.

Now with all this talk about horv hard Ipush boots on my clients, you might thinkthat my clients are all riding in boots now,

rather than barefoot. This is not true. Ifyoutake away my new clients that have come

along in the last six months, I have veryfew that need boots at all. Miies of ridingin boots and pads, combined with barefoot

turnout and routine trimming, quickly gets

the hooves so healthy there is usually little

or no need for the boots after the hoofhasgrown through one growth cycle. I never

realised what an incredible tooi they could be.

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