Boots or Shoes?

Next September I am doing a charity ride. It consists of three days and each day you do a number of miles on horseback. I am doing two days. The first day is 24 miles and the second is 5 -10 miles. My horse is barefoot usually. I dont want his hooves chopped up since were mainly on road and gravel all the time. Should i get him Shoed? or will he be okay barefoot? or should i get boots to put on him

Boots or Shoes?
boots. why put shoes on him if he is usually barefoot. the shoes will cause more harm in the long run and arent worth it for such a short period of time. boots would be a much better way to go and they will help provide traction that shoes do not. besides, what would you do if he ended up trowing a shoe in the middle of your ride? you would either have to find someone to put it back on, stop riding, or put a boot on. at least with boots you can take them off at the end of the day.
Reply:Boots! you say your horse is barefoot most of the time? Good,, keep it that way, if your horse does have problems walking on ghravel barefoot, boot him. Considering on the trial, can you take off shoes? Or boots? Would you be comfy in a pair of high-heels you couldn%26#039;t take off? No! Easyboots, Easyboot Bares are my faviorte,( then theres, BOAs, Old Macs...) your horse can gallop no probablemo, and after the ride take them off, trust me the horse will be better off with boots
Reply:shoes for the ride then have them removed talk with a farrier
Reply:i, personally, would get him shoed. Your horse will be much more comfortable. Theres also a less chance he will get gravel and rocks get stuck in his hooves.
Reply:what kind of horse is he, are his hooves strong and in good shape??? dont shoe him just for this trip i would say go ahead and get the hoof boots!!! they have lots of good selling points about them and they have the traction type you can use as well they are good for the extra traction you might need and to protect his hooves!!! have fun!!!!you could always talk to your ferrier first to see what he thinks, he knows your horses feet best, but i say if you dont use the shoes on a regular basis than dont do it just for this trip like i said go for the boots....
Reply:How is the terrain? I would only shoe if its rocky, and realllly rocky.





I am talking bighorn mountains rocky.





If its just pastures and pebbles, your horse should be fine.
Reply:I Would get shoes
Reply:having a horse shoed will not harm it%26#039;s hooves after the rides are over you can always have then removed. and the hooves scraped clean. the horse would appreciate the extra protection on all that gravel
Reply:Definitely don%26#039;t let him go barefoot. I would recommend shoes.


Have fun!
Reply:Have a farrier come and put shoes on, it can prevent slipping and prevents your horse from getting lame on the rocks!
Reply:shoes because that way u dont risk hurting or damaging his feet that can be damaged for a long run or expensive to fix. and it would proabally be more comfortable on the horse and also that way he wont slip as much and u dont have to worry about lameness on the ride. but if he throws a shoe make sure u carry an ez boot just in case


good luck
Reply:If you ride on rocks a lot, it is good to have shoes. The shoes protect the edge (lower hoof wall) from being chipped and splintered by the rocks. You must be able to see this effect already if he is barefoot and you ride on gravel.


giddyup!
Reply:I%26#039;d go with shoes w/ pads, to prevent any rocks from getting wedged in his feet. Boots are very easily lost and you may not even notice right away. Then what will you do. If you happen to lose a shoe, I%26#039;m sure they%26#039;ll have a farrier for the event.
Reply:Without a doubt, have shoes put on him, with pads and I would even consider borium if you plan on riding where he might need some extra help with traction. Shoes (if done correctly) are not uncomfortable for a horse, they give him stability, and he isn%26#039;t picking his way around getting from point a to point b. Don%26#039;t compare this to someone being able to take their shoes off after a long days walk..not the same, don%26#039;t listen to that. Have fun and good luck...I%26#039;m sure that you will have a ball, and if your horse is not hurting, so will he.



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