My Scoot Boot Experiences

Jazz modeling the scoot boots with mud straps.

There's an old saying 'No Hoof, No Horse'. If the hoof is not taken care of, then the horse will not survive. Therefore it is so important to have proper hoof protection for the type of riding/driving that you do. There is no such thing as a perfect hoof boot or shoe but you can find the right boot/shoe that works for you and your horse and the type of terrain and conditions that you ride in. Some boots will be better in dry, arid climates, whereas others may perform better in muddy, wet conditions but may have the drawback of being more difficult to size or put on. Many friends have asked me about the scoot boots, so here I've provided some background about my own struggles with boots and testing out the scoot boots.

Past experiences with renegades:
In the past Jazz (TWH mare) has done well wearing renegades, however these boots will often twist or come off anytime they get wet. I've had to fix them after crossing streams, from a rain shower and even after sponging her chest and neck when the water and sweat dripped down. It seems to be hit and miss as to when they decide to come off due to wetness, though terrain likely plays a role. Last year in September at Unicorn Hunt in east Texas, I turtled a 55-mile ride that had two major downpours and lots of wet, boggy, albeit flat ground. I was riding very conservatively and checked every mile to make sure the front renegade boots stayed on. Only one came off before the rain hit, and that was a result of dust lessening the stickiness of the Velcro strap. After backtracking <1 mile I found the boot and put it back on without issue for the rest of that ride.

At our most recent ride, Old Glory held at C-Bar ranch in central Texas in April, we completed 50 miles on Saturday and 25 on Sunday. On Saturday I used renegades on front and went barefoot behind. I had to dismount and remount about 10 times to fix boots that came off due to going through mud/wet streams, broken cables, lost straps or twisting. This was a very technical, difficult ride with a lot of climbs, descents, rocks, mud and water crossings. The first renegade we lost in the mud within the first 5 miles, it might still be sitting in the mud. I’m mad at myself for losing it because it’s like throwing $100 on the ground! On Sunday I decided to test the scoot boots with regular straps on the rear. They became twisted within the first few miles after we went through the first mud patch. I promptly took them completely off and we completed Sunday with renegades on front and barefoot behind (this time I had to get off only ~5 times). While we completed the ride and even won high vet score on Saturday, the boots were a real pain (both figuratively and literally since Jazz stepped on my foot once when I was fixing them).

More and more of the endurance rides I compete in have water crossings and/or mud along with rocky terrain and so I was intrigued by the scoot boot design and curious to see how they would fair. Here is a summary of my experiences with them to date:

Scoot boot experiences:

Day 2 Quitaque Climb, both rear scoot boots stayed on.

The first time I used scoot boots at a ride was last October at Quitaque Climb in north Texas (see previous blog post ‘Year End Review’ for a general recap of that ride). I started the 55-mile ride with renegade glue-on shells but lost the first shell off the left rear after only ~10 miles and replaced it with a scoot boot with regular straps. Though the gaiter was destroyed/lost, this boot stayed on for the entire ride and the entire next day of 55 miles (approximately 100 miles total). At some point I also lost the right rear shell and replaced it with another scoot boot.

Rear boots after Quitaque Climb, left gaiter was lost.

Tread held up well after Quitaque Climb.

Modified left rear (LR) boot at outside coronet band.

The terrain included hills, rocks and water crossings with mud. After day 1 I realized the outside edge of the boot was digging in to the coronet band and hoof wall. We modified this boot by cutting the top outside edge to prevent further rubbing on day 2. This rubbing of the hoof wall only occurred on the LR, not the RR and likely is a result of Jazz’s altered hoof shape from the glue that remained on the hoof wall in combination with the conditions (wet and sandy through the streams). There was a rub on the left hind pastern, as a result of losing the gaiter on day 1 and some swelling the following Monday morning but no lameness. All in all I was happy with the boots performance from this ride. Though as mentioned above, at Old Glory the rear boots did not stay on in the muddier conditions and I decided to get mud straps to see if they would prevent twisting.

LR after the weekend, some swelling, no lameness.

 

Some swelling in LR, slight rub on back pastern.

Mud strap test:
I’ve now tested the mud straps on two conditioning rides, the first an easy going 6.5 mile ride over flat, dry and somewhat rocky terrain. Using gaiters on all four boots, I had no issues with rubbing or twisting, indicating they work well for general trail riding purposes. However, I’m not just a trail rider and need a boot that can withstand much longer distances and harsher terrain. For a more thorough test, I took Jazz to the Hill Country State Natural Area which has lots of rocks, climbs and descents. We completed 14 miles of the rockiest and hilliest terrain available going at a walk/faster walk of 3.5-4 mph. Unfortunately, we didn’t go through any mud (the lower land trails with water crossings were closed because of recent rains). The results are that the mud straps work well to prevent twisting, though they have weak points that are prone to tears and breakage, particularly when under added stress of going up and down hills/rocks.

LR bottom toe strap and mud strap broke, boot stayed on.

The left rear (LR) mud strap broke at ~12 miles after going up an ascent. Though the mud strap broke, the boot stayed on and did not actually come off. I did have the regular straps over top of the mud straps which worked well as a backup. Luckily, I have 2 extra mud straps that came with the package so I’ll be able to replace those that are weakened and broke from this ride.
The RF displayed the start of a rub on the back of her pastern at about mile 8 and I applied Desitin to prevent it from getting worse. Just as with human shoes, boots need to be broken in using shorter rides to get the hoof, pastern, heal bulbs toughened up before any competition rides of 25 miles or longer are undertaken. If rubbing remains consistent on the shorter rides, the boots can be modified using a heat gun to slightly stretch the heal straps or mud straps for a more custom fit. There are instructional youTube videos for how to use a heat gun to stretch them.

LR broken mud strap.

LR weakened mud strap.

 

LR weakened mud strap.

 The gaiters held up pretty well, but I will look into purchasing Dr. Scholl’s molefoam padding (available at Walmart) that can be cut and used to make new gaiters if they become shredded or lost.     

LR, broken toe strap and scratched screw.

RR weakened mud strap sheath.

Given the boots relatively simple design of only 3 straps (2 toe straps and 1 ankle strap) that attach over top of screws (no buckles, cables, Velcro) they are easy to put on. The mud straps do add time when putting them on and taking them off but they are still relatively simple and secure. It's nice to have the different colors (we all know how important this can be to endurance riders) and I prefer the bright green and aqua because they are easier to see against Jazz's black coat. When riding in rocky conditions the front screw enclosures can break off. This didn’t happen during the conditioning ride however I have had to replace them 3-4 times after they’ve broken off during previous rides, likely due to being hit on rocks/gravel. I was unable to find what type of metal they are made of (brass?) but it is softer. See to the left how the lower screw has been worn away and it will be impossible to use a screwdriver to remove it. I’ll likely need a vice grip. In general it's good to have a variety of tools.

Just looking at the pictures above you might think I'm not happy, but actually I am. Here are my priorities: First and foremost the boot has to protect the hoof (no lameness), secondly it has to stay on so that I don't have to get off and on 20 times like I did at Old Glory (not fun). Third, it has to be durable, and while this is the weak point of the mud straps, I can handle replacing them as long as priority one and two are met. More testing is needed to see how they hold up under truly muddy conditions.

Next weekend I’ll be competing in the 75-mile ride in La Veta, Colorado. I’ll be using renegade glue-on shells on all four feet to start. The scoot boots with mud straps will be my 1^st backup boot and renegades that strap on will be my 2^nd backup option. Fingers crossed it all goes well!  

Other take-aways: no matter what boot you use, plan for what terrain you’ll be riding in. If riding in rocky, hilly terrain bring extra mud straps. If your horse is sensitive to rubs be sure to practice with short rides and look into customizing the boots more. You can work with a distributor in your area to help get the best fit and customization. I’ve been following Stacy Pratt’s Heartland Scoot boots FB page, watched youTube videos and have gotten many great tips about customization.  

 Check out these awesome videos from the end of our conditioning ride (view in full screen mode). The first one is in real time, the second video is the same steps from the first in slow motion and allows you to see what goes on in a split second that allows a horse to keep their balance.