Hoof Care

Just the regular disclaimer - everything I say is just my personal opinion. I am unsponsored, so anything I rave about is simply something that works for me, not something someone is paying me to endorse. Also, I know many people are very passionate about hoofcare, and sometimes it can be a controversial topic, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is whether or not your horse is sound 👍🐎

Right, so: hoofcare on the road. My horses are barefoot, and I use Renegade Viper hoof boots, which are AMAZING. I trim my own horses' feet, which gives me independence and mobility on the road, so that I don't have to worry about finding or booking a farrier in remote and unknown towns.

Hoofcare is complex.

Keeping your barefoot horse in prime trim is very complex, so I won't go into technicalities here, but I highly recommend browsing this site if you are interested in knowing more. Heads up: it's complicated. https://hoofgeek.com

HOOF BOOTS AND WHY I USE RENEGADE VIPERS

I love innovations in technology that lead to improvements in quality of life. I think horse boots are a great example of this. After all, nailing on an inflexible iron plate to the bottom of a horse's hoof was a technological revolution.... back in the early Roman period. We don't use Roman technology in many other aspects of life anymore, and I'm more than happy to embrace innovations that build on and assist evolution's hard work. Hence hoof boots. A good boot on a well trimmed hoof allows the highly evolved cushioning structures of the horse's foot to perform optimally whilst protecting against the rigours of an unnatural workload ... such as walking for 30km day after day across rough gravel and bitumen roads. And I have found Renegade Vipers to perform exceptionally well.

The main reason I first bought Renegades was because I was searching for a very low profile boot. Mr Richard, being an Arab, has super flexible fetlocks, which meant I had constant trouble with rubbing and chaffing on his pasterns when using a more traditional, higher profile boot. The low profile of the Renegades mean there is basically no place for rubbing or friction to occur, providing the boot is the right size and correctly fitted. They are also lightweight and SUPER EASY to put on and take off once adjusted to the hoof. Are they cheap? No. It costs me about $650 to fit out each horse. But is it worth it? Yes! I have had only one slight episode of lameness (2 days chilling in the high country) which had nothing to do with hooves. The boots last a long time, although wear does vary widely between horses and terrain. On hilly ground, the toes wear out faster as the horse digs their toe in more for purchase. Richard wears his toes out a bit quicker than Micky. But I have just had to replace my first full set, so I got about 1,700km out of them. Which seems pretty good to me! I've never had them come off or break, and the Velcro fastenings are a lot more durable than they seem!

Renegade is a US company, but I buy them through HorseFX, a SA-based company that sells all kind of exciting hoof-related products. Because they are Australian based, if what you order is in stock, they can ship it to you express in a couple of days, plus their customer service is amazing and I would be lost without them

https://horsefx.com.au

I feel like perhaps hooves are a bit more prone to thrush in wet conditions when wearing boots, so I apply NT Dry daily when it's damp. It's also a great general salve, and I use it on galls and greasy heel as well. And yes, sometimes it is a pain booting up every morning, but that is a small sacrifice for soundness. 🐎🏇🐴

Hoof kit for the road