I started using Boa Boots last March after they
were introduced at AERC Convention. My Rougie is going into his 3rd
endurance season barefoot. The first year I only had Easyboots and yep
they flew off left and right during training rides. When the Boa's were
introduced I was so excited that I started my own business to offer them to
riders. I used Boa's throughout the 2004 riding season to condition.
Back in 2003 no one, understandably, wanted to ride with me as I was
forever looking for boots or saying I had to get off and walk because of
gravel. My first big test ride with Boa's in 2004 was with 5 other
endurance riders and we rode for 6 hours up and down mountains, through creeks
and muddy bogs, all without mishap. The Boa's were great and this was
before the newly designed Boas and gaiters.
The best thing for a barefoot horse is
movement. The great thing about Boa's for training rides is that I can
ride barefoot for the majority of the ride and when I hit gravel I can jump off
and throw on the Boa's and then at the end of the gravel, when good footing
starts again, I can again jump off and remove them. They are so easy to
get on and off.
I highly recommend that you use gaiters.
Gaiters protect the heel bulb from rubbing against the back of the hoof and
helps keep debris from getting between the heel bulb and the shoe.
The only downside to Boa's is that because they go
over the coronet band there is a tendency on some horses to rub when riding over
25 miles, either in one day or over several days. The solution for the
barefoot horse that is in competition is the Easyboot Epic.
This year I plan to do most of my training rides
barefoot with the Boas thrown on when I hit gravel roads. I plan to use
the Epics for endurance rides and once a week on my long training rides of 12-25
miles.
If you have any other questions, please feel free
to write me offline or give me a call.
