About 7 million people ride horses in the United States every year. Horses work hard and are, therefore, prone to strain. While they can withstand massive weights and stress, high-quality leg protection ensure that the horse is free from injury. Investing in high-quality boots and horse wraps is one of the best ways to protect your horse. Equine horse boots protect the legs during riding, injury rehabilitation, and lunging.
The most important reason why you should boot your horse is to prevent injury. While there is a lot of advancement in treatment, injuries-especially in the tendons, will require long periods of rehabilitation and rest. Proper booting supports the tendons and hence reduces fatigue during work.
Remember both the front and hind legs are prone to bruising and cuts. Without external support, your horse can easily damage the ligaments, tendons, and split bones. Regardless of whether you keep a horse for companion or racing, it is prudent to protect it with safety equipment. Protective boots shield the delicate parts of the horse legs from rails or other legs especially when jumping.
Below are some types of horse boots for injury prevention.
Knee Boots
Knee boots are an important requirement for racehorses. It prevents injuries caused by hitting an obstacle. Knee boots for horses correct irregular stride and protect the horse against injuries from hoof contact and knee interference. Also, they protect the knees if the horse falls during riding or traveling. If you have a racehorse, a knee boot for horses becomes a necessity. Racehorses are susceptible to injury from blows, brushing, and speed cutting. Blows cause swelling when the entire knee comes into contact with the hoof. Brushing occurs when the opposite foot knocks the leg near the fetlock while speed cutting, the opposite foot knocks the leg near the knee.
If you already have protective boots, knee boots for horses will be an effective compliment. As a result, your horse will stay healthy and sound. .
When do you need horse knee boots? If you notice an irregular sign, you should act swiftly without delay by purchasing top-notch boots. If you allow your horse to race with a neglected irregular stride, you put your horse into the risk of pain. Worse still, the horse may end up blowing its knees up.
Knees boots for horses are typically made from leather with small buckles and straps. There are numerous styles, although they all serve the same purpose. For instance, some leather boots have Velcro fastenings. Plastic knee boots for horses are relatively cheaper and have easy maintenance. However, felt knee boots are the ultimate choice among equestrians. They reduce the sound of knocking knees during racing. This minimizes distraction to the animal and the rider. If you want to go a step further, you can use knee boots for horses with suspenders. Suspenders also help in correcting an irregular stride.
Skid Boots
Skid boots protect hind fetlocks. An ideal skid boot prevents contact with riding surfaces during turns and quick stops. It also provides supports to the legs.
Tendon Boots
These boots are worn on the front legs to protect tendon areas from hind hooves strikes when landing. They protect the inside of the legs from brushing injuries. You can either choose open fronted or closed tendon boots. Closed are more recommendable because they protect both the tendon area and the front of the legs. They are an ideal choice for sporting events due to the high risk of injuries from solid
fences.
Over Reach Boots
Overreach boots offer protection to the front heel or coronet from injuries when your horse over tracks.
Brushing Boots
These boots are also known as splint boots. They wrap around the lower leg of the horse. Brushing boots come with a padded strike pad to prevent the inside of the leg from hoof or opposite leg brushing.
Conclusion
The importance of buying boots for your horse cannot be overemphasized. When horses overreach, they may strip fall and injure tendons. Horse Hock boots prevent contusions, brushing, and injuries. You should ensure you use horse boots correctly. Incorrect booting can lead to inflammation and more strain or damage. Lastly, you should keep the boots clean since dirt and sweat boots can cause discomfort.