Horses Wear Boots?

[Nyboy]

I got to say there kind of ugly !http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/grd/5351217463.html Learn something new everyday

 

[ninnymary]

Don't horses have 4 legs? Does this mean it would wear shoes and be barefoot at the same time?

Mary

 

[Nyboy]

Good point Mary, lets see what horse people say

 

[canesisters]

LOL, yes they do wear boots.
There are several kinds too, for different purposes.
The little ones Nyboy showed are called bell boots and are to protect the hoof and lowest part of the leg. They don't have a bottom. Just a heavy-weight canvas or leather cover. They're used mostly on the front legs in sports like barrel racing, reining, and jumping - where a back foot might over reach and clip the front foot or where the horse might bang the front of the hoof on a rail.
There are also boots that cover further up the leg.

Depending on the design, these are either to protect the leg from something like the hoof beside it swiping and cutting - OR - some of them have very hard padding inside that put pressure against the splint bones to protect them during extreme pressure like jumping and racing.
Shipping boots cover the legs and protect them for any staggers or mis-steps while a horse is in a moving trailer.

Then there are also the 'boots' that cover the hoof. Sometimes used instead of horseshoes or to protect the hoof while healing from an injury or to soak a hoof.

 

[thistlebloom]

Good job Cane!
Horses have no fashion sense NYboy.

 

[thistlebloom]

A horses hoof grows from the coronary band where the ankle meets the hoof.
It's like the nail bed on our fingernails. If that area gets clobbered and injured the hoof will forever grow out weird and be somewhat weaker, depending on how badly it was injured. That's one of the reasons for "bell" boots.

The "Easy Boots" (there are different brand names but Easy boots were one of the first to market ) are meant as a temporary protection in lieu of steel shoes, or if your horse loses a shoe on something like an endurance race, or long trail ride where no farrier is available. They are to protect the sole and frog of the hoof from bruising on rocks. A lot of endurance racers will use them instead of permanent steel shoes so their horses can go barefoot as much as possible.

ETA I just looked at that CL ad. Those aren't the Easy Boots I'm talking about. Those look like bell boots as Cane said. Easy Boots that are meant for sole protection cover the bottom of the hoof, are made of rubber and have a fastening cable device to keep them snug.

 

[so lucky]

Those tall ones look like leg warmers. That could be a new fashion accessory.

 

[Nyboy]

Good job Cane!
Horses have no fashion sense NYboy.

well the red ones are kind of cute

 

[thistlebloom]

well the red ones are kind of cute

I just think it's the way the horse is styling them.

 

[Nyboy]