I use easy boots. They work great. I use them on one horse who has shoes
on, and on my other horse who has his shoes pulled for the winter. I have
to ride approx. 1/4 mile on pavement to get to the the trail, and it is
sometimes all ice. I am very careful thru there, and have been very lucky
that neither of my horses has ever slipped with easy boots on. I have done
a few tap dances on the ice with plain metal shoes - they are no better than
having ice-skates on your horse!! If it is really slippery I take the
precaution of getting off and leading them slowly thru the ice. Both horses
seem to plow right thru the snow with their easy boots on, usually just on
the front feet, but sometimes on all fours. It is a lot of fun to ride in
the snow!
Always stay on trail that you know, especially if there is a lot of snow out
there. It is also smart to stick to a steady pace, no sudden starts or
stops. I still always use vetwrap on their heels (just wrap the entire foot
with it), and that seems to help keep the boots on.
Happy Trails,
Karen
in Gardnerville
where there is no snow but lots and lots of water (and mud)...
& Dream Weaver
& Rocky
http://www.greatbasin.net/~sportssaddle