Types of Boot for Horses

Since wraps can be difficult to work with and can end up injuring your horse if you don’t put them on correctly, many riders prefer to use boots for their horses. Boots can be used to help a horse’s performance and to correct problems like overreaching or they can be used to prevent injury.

 Primarily, boots that are used for riding are to protect the horse’s legs from blows or bruising and to prevent overreaching, cutting, brushing, and other stride problems. Boots are generally more expensive than wraps but boots are usually made of much higher tech materials and last longer than wraps. Here’s a brief guide to some of the many different types of boots on the market:

Shin boots – These are mostly used on show jumping or eventing horses. They can be worn on the front or rear legs to protect the leg if the horse hits the rails of the jump.

Knee boots – These are usually worn by young horses or horses that have had previous knee injuries to protect the knee from injury and provide extra support. Horses that participate in sports like cutting, roping, or jumping can benefit from wearing knee boots. Trail horses that regularly go over rough trails can also benefit from wearing knee boots.

Coronet Boots – These boots are almost exclusively used by polo ponies along with polo wraps to protect the horse’s legs from the stresses and rigors of the game but also to protect the leg and hoof from getting hit by the polo ball or the polo mallets of the players.

Polo Boots – Serve the same purpose as polo wraps but are easier to put on and have less risk of injuring the horse because you can’t really put the boots on wrong the way you can put the wraps on wrong.

Brushing Boots – These boots are a little lighter than polo boots and are usually made of breathable nylon. They are used on horses that have a tendency to brush their legs together or knock their legs together when they’re being ridden.

Speedicut Boots – These boots are similar in purpose and design to brushing boots but they are longer and are cut higher on the leg to protect more of the leg and the knee. If your horse has a problem with brushing, ask your vet to recommend either brushing boots or speedicut boots for you to use on your horse.

Heel Boots – Heel boots are used mostly for horses that do eventing or jumping to help protect the heel from hitting the ground or hitting a fence. Heel boots are not allowed in some jumper classes so if your horse needs heel boots and you plan to show the horse, ask in advance if heel boots are allowed.

Bell Boots – Bell boots are the most commonly seen type of horse boots. Bell boots are all purpose boots and protect the hoof from many different kinds of injuries. If a horse has had a hoof injury or a problem with Laminitis, the vet might recommend that the horse wear bell boots when it’s ridden to prevent another hoof injury.

Bell boots are also very useful for horses that tend to overreach their stride. Jumpers often use bell boots when they’re training to help the horse lean to correct its stride on a jumping course or when jumping higher fences.

Tendon Boots – Tendon boots have a thick pad sewn into the boot and are used to correct overreaching and also to protect weak tendons. Any horse that has had a previous leg injury or has suffered from muscle atrophy or isn’t in the greatest physical shape can benefit from wearing tendon boots during vigorous exercise. Lots of riders will also put tendon boots on their horses in wet, muddy or extreme conditions to give the horse a little extra support.

Poultice Boots – These are medicinal boots that are made extra wide and bulky. When you have to dress a wound on the horse’s hoof or on the sole of the hoof, usually, a poultice boot is a handy way to make sure that the dressing stays clean and stays on the foot without the horse pulling it off. It’s always a good idea to have a pair of poultice boots around the barn.

Walking Boots – Walking boots are very similar to poultice boots except they are not as big and bulky. Walking boots are used to protect a horse that has had an injury to the hoof but doesn’t need a dressing. A sole bruise would be one example of an injury that might require a horse to wear a walking boot. Or chronic Laminitis or even thrush could cause an injury to the extent that a walking boot would be necessary to protect the horse from doing further damage to itself.

Walking boots are also used in the winter or in very wet, snowy, or icy conditions to help the horse walk better and to protect the horse’s feet from the ice, snow, mud, or other conditions. Just like poultice boots, it’s a good idea to have a few sets of walking boots around the stable because chances are good at least one of the horses in the stable will need at least one walking boot at some point or another.

All of these boots are made in many different styles and from many different materials. If you have questions about what type of boots your horse should wear to help its performance or to protect the horse from injury it’s always best to ask your vet for a recommendation.