Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

How to Remove Easy Foam from Easy Boots
A White Paper by Kathy and Pete Myers

Overview:
A necessary component of Easy Foam is strong adhesion to both
Easy Boots and hooves.  Strong adhesion is needed if the boot
is to stay on over many miles of rough terrain. Unfortunately,
removing Easy Foam from Easy Boots post competition is also needed
so the Easy Boots can be placed back into service.  Removing the
boot and foam from the hoof has been fairly straight forward 
using the good old stand by technique of a screw driver to work 
the foam and boot away from the hoof wall and a lubricant such 
as WD-40 as a facilitator.  Once the foam and boot have been 
removed from the hoof, however, prying the foam out of the boot 
has been, in the past, a wrestling match between human, boot, and 
foam.  Providing an easier way to remove easy foam from easy boots 
has been a matter of much discussion since easy foam came on the 
equine scene several years ago.  The following technique should 
provide quite a bit of relief to horse owners world wide.

Items needed:
Easy Boot encrusted with Easy Foam, inside and out
Normal boot removal screw driver(s)
Pliers, in various sizes
Dull kitchen dinner knife (optional)
Leather Gloves
Safety glasses (also optional)
Large pot, stove, and hot to boiling water
Timer or watch with second hand
Clothes pin for nose

How to proceed:
Fill pot with water, bring to a boil. 
(Note: since this test was run above 6000 ft the water used was
at approximately 200 deg. F.  At sea level water will boil at 
aprox. 5% higher temperature... or aprox. 212 deg. F.)
Don Safety Glasses and Leather Gloves.
Place clothes pin on nose (very important if boots are also 
encrusted with various types of horse hair, mud, gunk, and *%$!)
Place a boot in 200 degree water for 5 minutes.
Carefully remove heated boot and foam using pliers.
As boot and foam cool, quickly pry foam away from boot using
various screw drivers, pliers, kitchen knives, and anything
else you find handy.
Easy Foam will "chip" out in large chuncks, especially the 
Easy Foam along the bottom of the Easy Boot.
Repeat if necessary.
Repeat with remaining 3 Easy Foam encrusted Easy Boots.
Sterilze pot, air out house, place stinky used foam chunks in 
sealed plastic bag and remove to outer garbage can.  
Set newly cleaned Easy Boots out to dry.
Easy Boots are now ready for next use.

Ta Da!

Kathy (and Pete!) Myers
in Santa Fe, NM

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