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  Discussion on Splint boots or no splint boots
Author Message
New Member:
boogirl

Posted on Friday, Jun 12, 2009 - 7:13 pm:

Just wanted to hear some thoughts on this subject. If you take your horse to the arena for an hour or two doing lunging, bending, cruising, one rein stops, (basically training work) do you really need to use splint boots or wraps? I have been using both splint boots and over reach boots but when I have limited time I was wondering if it was really necessary to use the splint boots? I always use over reach boots just as a precautionary measure. Would love to hear what opinions others have about this subject
Member:
leslie1

Posted on Friday, Jun 12, 2009 - 8:09 pm:

Hi Boo
I use them...most times but somedays Im too lazy to put them on.
L
Member:
mrose

Posted on Friday, Jun 12, 2009 - 8:18 pm:

I suppose it depends on the age and training of the horse, but I always use them for ground work, and lunging, and then it just depends what I'm doing and how old the horse is for riden work.

We almost lost our mare Libby because the trainer thought she was stable enough to not use wraps when being lunged. Either something bit her, or she got a "bee up her butt" and she started running and bucking on the line, over-reached and severed her DDFT as well as the superficial tendon. We will never be able to ride her again. It's worth the extra few minutes it takes to put on a wrap!
Member:
lisae

Posted on Friday, Jun 12, 2009 - 9:13 pm:

well you are probably going to hear more on this then you ever imagined. There is a lot of theories and opinions out there and this is mine. I am someone who believes in the "sometimes use them rule." i have trained all around ranch type and show horses for 20 years and have a great record for strong non puffy legs. I believe that if the tendons and other attachments of the lower leg are always supported they cannot stand strong on their own. Much like a person who wears a back brace for support all day usually injures himself sitting down to dinner or something minor after taking it off. Young horses or horses that interfere are ones I like to wrap either in splint boots or a polo wrap depending on what i am doing. I don't like the sports medicine boots for anything other than fast strenuous sports such as roping and then it is very important to put them on properly as a loose boot causes it's own problems. Even then I don't like to leave them on for long periods of time as they do cause a lot of heat to build up so I loosen them when they are on a break or cooling out or better yet take them off. I also think it is important to clip the extra hair from the lower legs so they fit the leg contours better and also helps keep them cool. I don't recommend clipping them real short if you are from the desert and plan to go tromping a new un ridden path. This is just something my show horse pointed out one day after a day of what looked like walking through cactus. This is also hard on polo wraps or anything fuzzy. Most people probably didn't need to go do this they could have figured that out on their own but not me. When i have young horses or unfit horses to work i like to put splint boots on them to offer some protection if they take a unbalanced or clumsy step. If i am just going on a casual ride and my horse doesn't interfere with himself then i like to let them go bare legged to strengthen the muscles. They are less likely to injure themselves if those muscles can rely on each other for strength instead of a wrap. I have a friend who always wraps the legs no matter what even for the walker and he can't figure why the horses bow tendons while they play in their stall. This is when they are stressing those attachments that need a crutch and therefore are not as fit as the rest of his body so they are very open to injury from simple stall play. This of course is the extreme end of the controversial topic but on the other hand wraps are vital to the soundness of some other horses due to confirmation, age, discipline and of course terrain is a major crippler. If i am turning horses out to play i always use bell boots or anytime i will be changing direction quickly, ponying another horse or might have to navigate difficult footing or reaching high speeds. Young horses get them also but if i am going to be riding in a balanced frame in the arena i let them go naked if i don't have a horse with overreach or interference tendencies. there are so many situations that come into play to go over all my choices but it might help you see kinda where my thinking is. Speed events are good ones to say always on because so much happens so fast While warming him up or cooling down is a great time to do the same bare legged to encourage attachments to be strong as the horse is. the phrase a chain is only as strong as the weakest link can be said of tendons and ligaments as well. horses needing to be shod or with new shoeing strategies are good candidates for protection as well. i sure have been going on but i guess i didn't realize how many different scenarios i have to make the leg protection call on from day to day. the one that seems to puzzle me the most is when we train for trail classes for the show ring we try to teach our horses to be careful and not hit poles on walk or trot overs. It seems strange to me to protect the legs. We have always let the horses bump their shins a few times, then they seem to understand how important it is for them to pick up their feet cause it buzz's those hoofs quite a bit when they hit as well. Anyway this is just one persons strategy that has worked with the horses she has managed on the particular programs we have done through the years but it has involved some serious work over rough terrain through the years. Good luck hope you can get the information from the posts to follow and never be fooled by the always or never rules they are always suspect. i will always listen to opinions and may never decide if i agree completely or not but am proud i still listen and more importantly it is awesome that we are confident enough to ask each other.
lisae
I am sorry, i'm usually not this long winded.
Member:
kpaint

Posted on Saturday, Jun 13, 2009 - 12:47 pm:

Thank you Lisa for taking the time to post all that info. I learned something from it and I appreciate it!
Member:
lisae

Posted on Saturday, Jun 13, 2009 - 5:02 pm:

no problem, like i said I am not usually long winded to the extreme of my last post.
i guess you just happened to touch on a subject several of us around here have been expressing opinions about when backs are turned for some time now. it felt good to get it all off my chesty without interruptions. Thank you for the therapy. just a note that if you choose to use splint boots they are not usually marked left or right like some of the other boots but the velcro should face the front as it goes through the keepers and then fold back towards the rear. It supports the the tendons better at least that is what was drilled into my head and the bell boots the end on the outside . if double velcro first layer lays towards inside and top piece lays over to the outside. buckles to the outside if they are leather with buckles and holes but i think you get a better fit with velcro. here i go again, it sounds like i am the velcro expert but i am very velcro impaired.
lisa
Member:
maggienm

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 - 12:01 pm:

Great question.

This is something I have wondered also.

What you say makes a lot of sense Lisa.
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