Easyboots causing pain?

[guest@endurance.net]

Anna Hopkins drhopkins@greenapple.com
I haven't entered any rides and am new to endurance and long distance
riding.  I started conditioning this past fall with pretty good results.
My 13 y/o appendix gelding has a low pulse rate and can do hills and keep
a fairly fast trot on some hills without getting his pulse rate over 100.
I live in OH and had his shoes pulled (my farrier suggested a shoe with
heel caulks for his back feet because of his low heels) in the beginning
of Dec.  He seemed a bit tenderfooted so I gave him a month off.  I have
ridden a few times when we have nice days, but he seemed less
enthusisastic than this fall.  I tried easy boots and today put the heart
monitor on him.  At a walk and an easy trot got his pulse rate to the 150
to 180 range.  Even when we turned back it, stayed up.  I stopped and took
his back boots off.  His pulse rate dropped to 94 and stayed under 120
even when we went past our driveway and he picked up a canter for a few
strides to get away from a leg nipping dog.

I was hoping to go longer without shoes and use easy boots so that some of
the surface cracks and holes from the nails could grow out.  We do alot of
road riding on back road.  Any thoughts, suggestions?

Thanks,
Anna