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Re: [RC] Question for all you barefoot riders who boot - ebeyriderMy horse uses his hind end quite well, so his back feet wear short before hisfront feet. Most of our conditioning rides are done with boots on the hind only. We did a 30-mile ride a few weeks ago, barefoot on front. He has done several 50s completely barefoot, but now we boot on all four for competition. We are currently using the EasyBoot EPICS and just completed our second 100-miler in them - without incident. I didn't have to touch them from 4 a.m. when I put them on, unti 1:30 next a.m. when I took them off. AND . . . On the front, we tested two of the new (soon to be available) EPIC BUNGEES, and they were awesome! The difference is that there is NO BUCKLE on the front of the EasyBoot. That means, no crawling in the dark at 1:30 a.m. to remove a mud-encrusted cotter pin from the front buckle so you can get the boot off! PROGRESS IS EXCITING! I know that one of the big reasons horseshoes work for so many people is because they are USER FRIENDLY - just write a check every few weeks, and not have to think about feet again until the next time. And many people agree it would be nice for the horse to go barefoot, but barefooting and booting is still uncertain and inconvenient for most people's situations. Understood. That is why I am SO EXCITED to see each new evolution of these boots, not only performing better on the horse, but actually more practical for the rider. If something WORKS and is EASY, then we might actually use them! Understood. I have a whole duffel bag of dead boots of different brands that didn't work for enough situations, and I am now going to trash them. The EPICS are constantly improving, and SOON they will be available in a form that I won't avoid, even for short rides. Right now, there is a chance of the buckle flipping open if a cotter pin is not put in the hole. And getting that cotter pin out is a bit of a bother. I don't want to bother for a 15-mile ride. But the BUNGEES don't need a cotter pin. . . Other people are developing boots to be user friendly and stay on for the long haul without rubbing, so there may soon be other brands that will work for multi-day riding and 100-milers. But they aren't patented and ready. So for now, the EPICS will already get you through a 100-miler or a multi-day wthout cussing. And it is very easy to carry a spare on your saddle and in your crew bags for insurance. Karen Chaton has done several multi-day rides in them, and she just took off herhorse's shoes and went for it. The EPICS are working for her. I am doing 100-milers, and they are working for me. Consider it. You can always put shoes back on if it doesn't work for you. Terry "Free the feet!" Quoting Sarah Simmons <surgitech2001@xxxxxxxxx>:
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