Just like how you need a good pair of hiking boots, so does your horse when the time comes to hit the trail. Hoof boots are designed to fit snugly onto your horse’s hooves to provide the animal with comfort and traction when walking on uneven terrain. Additionally, hoof boots protect a horse’s hooves from chipping and bruising, making the riding experience much more comfortable for both you and the animal.
However, with there being so many hoof boots on the market, choosing the ideal ones for your horse can be a time-consuming process. To make that process easier for you, we have compared the numerous hoof boots on the market to bring you these reviews of the five best horse hoof boots you can buy today.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
The 5 Best Horse Hoof Boots – Reviews 2021
1. EasyCare Easyboot Cloud Hoof Boot – Best Overall
EasyCare is a pioneer of hoof boots and is renowned for the impressive quality and reliability of its products. Dr. Neel Glass, the company’s founder, created the hoof boot for his horse that was suffering from navicular disease—a debilitating heel disease that can cause lameness.
Seeing the immense benefits it had for his horse, Glass founded EasyCare to allow other horses to enjoy the same. As you can imagine, with 50+ years of experience, this brand rarely misses the mark when it comes to quality.
The EasyCare Easyboot Cloud Hoof Boot is designed for supreme comfort. It features EVA padding that acts as a shock absorber, ensuring the animal remains comfortable regardless of the terrain. As a result, this hoof boot is ideal for horses with chronic hoof conditions, such as abscesses, thin soles, laminitis stages, and chronic lameness. You will also be pleased to know that you do not have to buy new boots once the pads wear out, as you can buy replacement pads.
Another impressive thing about the EasyCare Easyboot Cloud Hoof Boot is its superior air circulation, thanks to its three air vents. Proper air circulation in a hoof boot is vital, as it prevents the buildup of infection-causing bacteria within the boot.
This boot is easy to put on and take off, with the entire process taking less than a minute. What’s more, it comes in a wide range of sizes to ensure you can get a snug fit.
Unfortunately, the EasyCare Easyboot Cloud Hoof Boot is that it is not meant for turnouts.
Pros
- Designed to provide therapeutic relief to horses with afflicted hooves
- Great air circulation
- It comes in a wide range of sizes
- Replaceable EVA pads for superior comfort
- Snug fit
2. Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot – Best Value
If you are on a budget, the Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot is an option worth considering. Like the EasyCare EasyBoot, the Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot is designed for horses with hoof ailments.
This boot’s design allows it to hold medication, ensuring you do not have to keep wrapping the hoof with diapers and duct tape. As such, if your horse is on medication, we recommend using the Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot since it promotes faster healing. Additionally, it is triple-layered to ensure maximum protection from the outside environment.
This boot is also excellent for soaking your horse’s feet, eliminating the inconvenience of fighting your horse to stay still in a pan or bucket.
Nonetheless, since the Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot is designed to help treat sick hooves, it is not suitable for turnouts. Fortunately, at its price, the Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot is one of the best horse hoof boots for the money. That means you can always purchase a separate hoof boot designed for turnouts.
Pros
- Ideal for promoting healing since it can hold medication
- Great for soaking
- Comfortable
- Triple-layered to protect the sick hoof from the elements
- Great value for money
Cons
- Not especially durable
- Not ideal for turnouts
3. Cavallo S80-4 Simple Hoof Boot – Premium Choice
The Cavallo S80-4 Simple Hoof Boot is considered the “Cadillac” of hoof boots. This boot is designed to not only promote healing from hoof ailments but also for riding. Therefore, unlike the two products reviewed above, you can use this hoof boot for all purposes.
The Cavallo S80-4 Simple Hoof Boot features a thermoplastic urethane sole that acts as a shock absorber, providing your horse with maximum comfort regardless of the terrain. Another great thing about this sole is that it does not restrict blood flow, thus allowing the horse to wear this boot for extended periods without experiencing discomfort.
The Cavallo S80-4 Simple Hoof Boot is one durable boot, thanks to its genuine leather construction. Additionally, the leather finishing ensures this boot is both water and rustproof.
As you can imagine, the Cavallo S80-4 Simple Hoof Boot’s superior quality makes it one of the priciest hoof boots in the game. However, considering its versatility, it is worth the price.
Pros
- Premium quality
- Waterproof
- Promotes healing
- It can be used for trail riding
- Genuine leather finishing
4. EasyCare 025421 Easyboot Trail
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The EasyCare 025421 Easyboot Trail is one of the most affordable riding hoof boots on the market, making it an excellent option for those looking for a hoof boot for turnouts.
This boot is remarkably comfortable. For starters, it features two rolls of padding to provide as much cushioning as possible—other boots typically have one roll of padding. Additionally, the outer construction is flexible to allow the horse freedom of movement without compromising fit.
The EasyCare 025421 Easyboot Trail comes in a wide range of sizes to ensure that your horse can find a boot that fits snugly. You will also appreciate its easy-to-wear construction, thanks to the double Velcro that makes it easy to slip on and off.
Unlike most hoof boots, the EasyCare 025421 Easyboot Trail is incredibly light. The lightweight construction ensures that the horse can wear this boot for extended periods without experiencing fatigue.
The only drawback to this boot is that it collects dirt rather quickly, meaning you might have to keep cleaning it. Its durability is also questionable.
Pros
- Lightweight and comfortable
- It comes in numerous sizes
- Effortless to slip on and off
- Affordable
Cons
- Collects dirt easily
- Questionable durability
5. Shires Poultice Boot
The Shires Poultice Boot is an excellent choice for those looking for a hoof boot that combines versatility with affordability.
For starters, this boot is waterproof, making it great for continuous soaking. As such, you can use it to apply medications without compromising your horse’s comfort. However, what separates the Shires Poultice Boot from other boots in its category is that it is also suitable for turnouts.
The Shires Poultice Boot is quite comfortable too. It has a wide neck that you draw shut with a buckle, ensuring a snug fit. Additionally, the sole is textured to reduce the risk of slipping.
The only issue with this boot is that it only comes in a limited size range.
Pros
- Waterproof
- Great for soaking
- It can be used for turnouts
- Textured sole to prevent slipping
Buyer’s Guide
The purpose of a hoof boot is to keep your horse comfortable and happy. However, as mentioned, these boots vary considerably in quality, style, and functionality. As such, you should exercise due diligence when choosing the ideal boot for your horse.
The following are the most important factors to consider when choosing the best hoof boot for your horse.
Fit
Fit is everything when it comes to hoof boots. After all, a boot must fit well for it to be practical and comfortable. Typically, boots sold individually tend to provide a better fit than those sold in pairs since the former can be tailored for an individual hoof.
To find the ideal fit for your horse, you will need to measure its hoof first. That will involve:
- Trimming the hoof
- Measuring the width (the widest part of the hood at the bottom)
- Measuring the length (from the toe to the buttress)
Once you have your measurements, compare them with the appropriate size chart. It is worth noting that size charts differ between brands. If your horse’s measurements do not match a specific size, consider ordering a size up.
The ideal size should fit your horse’s hoof snugly. While a snug fit can be challenging to slide on and off, it makes your horse feel as if the boot is one with its hoof. The most important thing to ensure is that it does not cause any rubbing, as that is what contributes to sores.
Comfort Features
Each boot comes with a unique style to allow your horse maximum comfort. For instance, the EasyBoot features a low-profile interior that hugs the hoof without touching the horse’s skin, making it an excellent choice for animals with sensitive skins.
Nevertheless, the most crucial factor when it comes to comfort is interior cushioning. Padding acts as a shock absorber, allowing your horse to walk on hard surfaces comfortably. Therefore, opt for hoof boots with high-density foams inside.
Construction Material
The material used to construct a hoof boot determines its durability, as well as comfort. Most boots have either leather or synthetic material construction. The benefit of leather is it has a classic look, is extremely durable, and is easy to clean. However, as you can imagine, it is pricey.
Synthetic materials such as high denier nylon might not be as classy as leather but are also quite durable as well.
Fastening Mechanism
As mentioned, for a hoof boot to be practical and comfortable, it has to fit snugly. Additionally, it should be easy to slide on and off. A boot’s fastening mechanism plays a significant role in determining how well it performs in those two aspects.
Since the fastening mechanisms vary considerably between boots, you will need to consider your personal preferences. Some boots feature a strap system, while others use an adjustable clamp.
Sole
Hoof boots feature different types of soles. These vary in design, as well as in the depths of their tread patterns. Your choice of sole will depend on various factors and circumstances. For example, if you ride on flat and smooth trails, your horse might not need a sole with deep treads.
Additionally, if you plan on riding for longer periods, it would be best to choose a boot with a lighter sole.
Conclusion
Hoof boots are arguably the superior alternative to horseshoes. They provide your horse with comfort and support during trail riding, ensuring a pleasant experience for both you and the horse. Additionally, hoof boots allow horses with sick hooves to enjoy turnouts without experiencing pain.
While boots are pricier than horseshoes, they tend to be cheaper in the long run. That is because they do a better job at keeping a horse’s feet in good condition than horseshoes do.
Nonetheless, it is not advisable to keep hoof boots on at all times; you should allow the animal’s hooves to breathe. Therefore, only use these boots for riding, trailering, and turnouts. However, for sick or injured animals, it might be better to allow them to wear the boots continuously to promote faster healing.
Hopefully, these reviews have been beneficial in your search for the ideal hoof boot for your horse. If you are still on the fence, consider going with the EasyCare Easyboot Cloud Hoof Boot. This boot has been designed to provide your horse with superior comfort while promoting faster healing from hoof ailments. Additionally, it is of outstanding quality, promising you durability.
But If you are on a budget, you cannot go wrong with the Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot. It is affordable, comfortable, is excellent for soaking, and reliable.
The other hoof boots on this list are great options too.
Featured Image Credit: VCoscaron, shutterstock
Nicole is the proud mom of Baby, a Burmese cat and Rosa, a New Zealand Huntaway. A Canadian expat, Nicole now lives on a lush forest property with her Kiwi husband in New Zealand. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts’ knowledge with pet lovers across the globe.
