Care & Maintenance of your Hoof Boots

Your hoof boots are expensive pieces of equestrian kit so they deserve regular care and maintenance. Looking after your hoof boots will not only increase the longevity and durability of the boots but also protect your equine’s welfare and limit the risk of bacterial infection in the hoof. Lucy Nicholas from Trelawne Equine advises “Hoof boots are like any other piece of tack or equipment you use on your horse, and should be cared for to get the best from them. After each use, the boots should have the worst of the mud removed from them (a good hose-down or dunk in a bucket of water will usually do this very quickly!), and the inside should be checked for small stones / gravel and any lumps of mud or deposits that could cause rubbing. Hoof boots should be routinely inspected for signs of wear, any screws or fitting checked for tightness, and cables or buckles checked for signs of stress or fraying. Just like all tack, damaged boots should not be used until the problem has been rectified, or they have been checked by a knowledgeable individual for safety. In addition it is also worth measuring your horse’s hooves every couple of months, especially during transitioning, to monitor your horse’s foot shape / size, as they can change – just to make sure the boots are still the best boots for your horse! If you are using one pair of boots on more than one horse, it is wise to use a disinfectant spray in between horses, to prevent the spread of infection. Something akin to the spray used to disinfect shoes at a bowling alley for example can be used, or there are some specialist hoof disinfectant sprays on the market. At least once a week Pads should be removed and the boot and pad should be sprayed liberally, before returning the pad to the boot.” For more information about the hoof boots available from Trelawne Equine visit the website www.trelawneequine.co.uk