Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

My horse has four pink hooves, and we've done a few LD's in Epics with cleat covers without any bruising whatsoever.  Sounds like something needs to be tweaked.   If Karen Chaton doesn't chime in here, you should contact her for advice.

 

I find that if the hooves grow out, the correct size will be almost impossible to get on.  I do my own trimming so there have been times when I didn't check fit the day before, that I'm nipping and rasping at the trailhead. They fit best right after a proper trim.  I don't use Epics that often so the fit issue slips out of my radar. 

 

I'm going to experiment with tapers to replace the cleats.  A friend of mine successfully finished her second LD with Epics with taper replacement.  She said it was a lot easier to put on, and her horses hooves were kinda between sizes so it made the smaller size work better.  The gal she was riding with said her Easyboots were really easy to put on, but she lost two of them on the trail so they were probably too big.

 

It took me years to get over Easyboot fear - cold sweats about losing them on the trail and having to put them on X$%XX on the trail. A lot of endurance riders I know would use them over shoes in lieu of padding. Most of my endurance miles were with shoes and I got EZ boots for "spare tire" concept.  I liked the Equi-Pak padding with shoes for rocky multi-days.  I've fired so many farriers over the years that I'm not shoeing anymore. 

 

I'm still swearing when I put on the Epics, but they really are worth the pain to keep my horses barefoot and do endurance.  I'm sure that if I get back into doing more endurance, it will become a lot easier.  There have been training rides where it probably would have been nice to put on the Epics but we didn't because we didn't want the #$$%XX and we would rationalize that we are "conditioning the hooves."  I'm sure that as I get back more into doing rides I will be using them a lot more often.   Can't wait for the Edge to be released!

 

K.

On Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 8:54 AM, Diana Peterson <diana2507@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Ok
 
I have to ask.... even if i make a fool out of myself..and my spelling is bad...( i am german after all )
 
I rode my gelding this weekend for 30 miles in his Epic boots...i just changed from size 00 to 0 because i always believed my fromer trimmer messures the 00 too tight. ( they where heck to get on )...
My horse is usually barefoot anyways.
After this first time riding him in the 0 's ( i don't use boots a lot , actually very rarly but because he is a bit navicular my trimmer said using boot and pads would help ...wich it did...

BUT... after taking the boots off, well before i put them on i smashed the cleats down put ducktape over them and i cut the strap out.
There where NO rubmarks whatsoever and i was really happy.and my horse went down the trail just awsome.....but when i took the boot of his white foot i found he had bruising where the cleats are.  Why do we need cleats if everybody smashed them or covers then anyways. ? and what can i do to prevent that in the future . ??? and don't way to put the covers over the cleats because i tried that and he started limping. So i thing the pressure of the cover over the cleats is too much. Like too tight shoes.
 
 
I will not have a lot of computer time till tonight . so i cant wait to see what the answer to this is .
 
Diana :-)

My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus
Phil 4:19
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