Well...not really Nike, but the equine equivalent to tennis shoes. Having been in the horse industry all my life I pride myself on keeping up on new trends, and better ways of doing things that are always being discovered. Theses hoof boots are one of the innovative ideas that I am really impressed with.
While doing princess carriage rides we are usually working in a mixture of public streets, or private property's. Once in awhile when on the road you will come across debris that you would rather your horse not step on. Broken glass is one. Hence why our horses always wear these protective boots when working. Not only do they offer protection they also allow the horse to go barefoot ( without metal horse shoes) when not working which is much healthier for their feet.
Barefoot is a recent trend that has gained popularity with horse owners from all over the world. Barefoot horses receive a special barefoot trim, and/or abrasive hoof trim method utilizing power sanding tools. Coupled with more frequent trims than shod horses, more horses feet these days are being kept healthy, and more natural without the nails required to hold on steel shoes.
Pavement can get hot here in Arkansas, and these boots also provide heat protection, a nice cushion when working on pavement (much like you wearing a good pair of tennis shoes), and are all but invisible in photos. Plus the huge benefit of being able to allow our our carriage horses hooves to be left naturally barefoot when not working. A win, win for everyone concerned. Especially the princess's carriage horses!
It is SO great to see your carriage horses going barefoot!!! I imagine you must also find that they have much better traction on pavement with boots than with shoes. Your horses look so happy! My husband and I own a Clydesdale gelding, so we have a real soft spot in our hearts for the big boys. Thanks for your website!
ReplyDeleteSasha
British Columbia, Canada
P.S. Our horses are barefoot-ers too! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sasha, not only do the horses have great traction with the boots, the other added perk is that we never scratch the drives or entries of the many churches we work at. Some of them have very ornate brickwork or cobblestone and steel shoes with borium or drill tac leave gouges. So the boots are a win from literally every angle.
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