Home Why Go Natural? Natural Horsemanship Certification Info
Hoof Boots
Dare To Ride Bare
Wildway
Natural Hoof Care, LLC

You wear boots for tough work; why not let 
your horse.
He will love you for it!

Hoof Boots for Trail Riding and
Founder Recovery
 

I can assist you in measuring your horse's hooves so you can purchase boots online or at a local retailer. They should be measured immediately after a correct natural hoof care trimming. 

Know that various boots will not work on every hoof, and it may take some experimentation to find the right boot for your horse's hoof shape. Hoof boots should be sized immediately after trimming. Designs vary in shape and so one style may fit your horse's hoof shape better than another. Sizes are not standard across manufacturers and also do not correspond to metal shoe sizes.

Hoof Boots take much less time to put on than the saddle and other tack and are well worth the extra couple of minutes to use them. If your horse lives on grass or on non-rocky paddocks, she will unlikely be able to go trail riding on rocky trails without boots. I use boots on my horses and they love the protection they provide.

Just like when we get new boots, let your horse slowly break in the boots before going out on a long ride.

Foundered horses really benefit from wearing boots for some time each day so they can move more comfortably around their paddock. This movement increases circulation in the hoof and is critical for healing and new growth. Different sole pad configurations should be tried until one is selected that seems most comfortable for the horse. 

HOW TO HELP YOUR HORSE TOUGHEN HER HOOVES:

To toughen up a barefoot horse's hooves, create a living environment that reflects the kind of ground you wish to ride on. In addition, a natural lifestyle will benefit your horse overall...

TRY TO INCLUDE:

-A free-roaming, small herd lifestyle for psychological and physical well-being.

-Natural track containing dirt, pea gravel, river rock, buried salt and minerals and access to shelter. 

-Safe and secure fencing.   

-Generously fed grass hay for a low sugar/starch diet, placed throughout the track or paddock promoting natural grazing movement.