Hoof boots have become more and more popular in the equine world. These hoof boots are exactly as they sound, boots made for your horse that slip over their hooves. They velcro or tie tight to help them stay secure over the foot.
They can serve many different purposes, such as being a more natural alternative to horseshoeing, adding a complete cushion between the horse’s hoof and the ground, or being used to treat hoof infections and protect the hoof. Here are the top hoof boots I recommend:
- Cavallo Trek Regular Sole Hoof Boot
- EasyCare Easyboot Glove Hoof Boot
- Yeezo Hoof Soaking Boots
- Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot
Whether you need hoof boots for a trail riding on a rocky path or perhaps for a horse that needs medical ointment to help treat an infection, there are many different types of hoof boots that will suit your needs. Here’s my list of the best hoof boots:
Cavallo Trek Regular Sole Hoof Boot
When it comes to hitting the trails or riding on hard surfaces, this is the boot to use. It’s form-fitting and lightweight on your horse’s hoof, allowing your horse to keep a normal gait. (I’ve seen horses wear awkwardly bulky hoof boots and walk as if you just put their shipping boots on 😂)
The thing that makes this boot great for trail riding is the thick rubber sole. No more worrying about your horse slipping on pavement or getting ouchy when they walk over a gravel road.
I can’t tell you how many trail rides I’ve been on where a horse has thrown a shoe. The Cavallo Trek Regular Sole Hoof Boots are great to carry in a saddlebag in case that happens. You can just slip the boot over the hoof with the thrown shoe and continue on your way.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Form-fitting
- Has a pull tab to make it easy to get the boot on the horse
- Has a replaceable velcro strap to tighten the boot around the hoof
- Made from a durable material
- The sole offers great traction and shock absorption for the horse
- Great for trail riding and riding on hard surfaces
- Will fit in a saddlebag
- Great for replacing a thrown shoe on the trail
Cons:
- I’ve had a few friends who lost one of these boots when they rode through a water crossing
While this product only has three reviews on Amazon (all of which are positive) I know these boots to be pretty popular between horse owners. They’re known as trustworthy and sturdy horse boots.
I don’t like putting shoes on my horses unless I have to; however, I do a lot of trail riding. Some of my horses just can’t stand riding across the hard or rocky ground for too long. These boots allow me to keep my horses barefoot while still offering their hooves protection on the trail!
EasyCare Glove Hoof Boot
The EasyCare Glove Hoof Boot is the ultimate boot for trail riding and endurance riding. It’s built to face any terrain, whether traversing up steep and rocky hills or crossing ditches of water. It’s all too common to be enjoying yourself on a trail ride to get back to the trailer and realize that you’ve lost a hoof boot. Well, with these boots, I doubt that ever happens.
How these boots work is that the horse’s hoof slips into the boot and then the boot is secured by a velcroing strap that goes around the pastern. This strap guarantees that the boot will stay on the horse’s foot.
Pros:
- Made from a tough and durable material that will protect the horse’s hooves from trauma
- The shell of the boot stretches to provide a snug and secure fit
- Form-fitting to the horse’s hoof
- Has a padded strap to allow for comfort
- Secures over the pastern, maximizing the ability of the boot to stay on
- The sole is built to withstand aggressive terrain
- Great for more difficult trail rides or endurance rides
Cons:
- Will not fit horses with abnormally-shaped hooves
- Whenever there is fabric involved (like the cushioned fabric that goes over the back of the horse’s pastern) you face the risk of stitching failing or coming undone.
These hoof boots have a 4.6 rating on Amazon. After seeing these compared to other trail boots for horses, these would probably be my first pick. These boots seem much more form-fitting and a lot less likely to come off in varying terrain. Once again, for you hardcore trail riders or endurance riders out there, the Easycare Glove Hoof Boot is for you!
Yeezo Hoof Soaking Boots
If you’re looking for a reasonably priced hoof boot used solely for medical purposes, then I would highly recommend the Yeezo Hoof Soaking Boots. These aren’t your stereotypical horse boots; in fact, these boots look more like a bag! This product is perfect for the times you have to soak or ice your horse’s hooves or lower legs.
You help your horse step into the bag, then fill the bag up with whatever you’re soaking the horse’s leg in. From there, velcro the bag snugly around the horse’s leg and leave them standing for the amount of time their hooves need to soak. This hoof boot makes it so much easier to soak a hoof rather than using a bucket. Horses will usually step out of buckets and make a mess!
Pros:
- One size fits all horses
- Reasonably priced
- Material is flexible, allowing for an easy on and easy off over your horse’s hoof and leg
- Material is durable and made to hold liquid
- Perfect for soaking or icing the horse’s hoof or lower leg
- Allows the hoof to soak completely compared to a bucket which the horse could step out of
- Comes with a thick pad that goes in the boot to offer something comfortable for the horse to stand on
- Easy to store and pack
- Great for travel as they can fold up
- Comes in packs of 2
Cons:
- The horse cannot be turned out in this boot; they should be held or tied when in use
- Horses may find these boots scary
On Amazon, this product is ranked 4.5 stars out of five. If you want to make hoof soaking easier, this is the way to go. For a good price, reusable material, and easy to pack for traveling, I wouldn’t go anywhere without the Yeezo Hoof Soaking Boots. I recommend buying a pair to keep in your horse trailer in case of emergencies when on the road.
Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot
The Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot is great when it comes to treating problems in the hooves. I once had a horse that developed a condition in one hoof that made it extremely sensitive to stand on. In the stall, she had a thick amount of shavings to comfort her, but when she was taken out to graze, I would put one of these boots on her to give her more comfort. She was able to put weight on and even walk on her hoof!
This boot can also be used to soak hooves or simply to protect them from the elements. I’ve seen people use these when it’s wet out but their horse has thrush real bad. They put on these boots to keep the hoof dry while the horse gets a little bit of turn-out time. These allow the horse to graze and move about (not too crazily of course) while protecting or treating the hoof.
Pros:
- Easy to get on and off
- Can be used for a number of reasons when it comes to medical issues with the hooves
- Can offer more support to a sensitive hoof while in a stall or in a small turn-out
- Will guard the hoof against moisture in the ground
- Retains water so is perfect for soaking hooves
- Can allow for supervised turn-out
Cons:
- Since the boot retains water, Don’t leave the horse out in the rain with the boot on. The boot could capture water and lead to further hoof damage
- This boot can slip off much more easily than the others
- Not suited for 24/7 turn-out or riding as the boot can come off easily
The Tough 1 Hoof Saver Boot scores 4.4 stars on Amazon out of 5. When it comes to purchasing this boot, the biggest issue will be to find a size that fits your horse. There are reviews about the boot coming in too big or small and no sizing chart to compare it too.
Why Use Hoof Boots?
Like mentioned earlier, there are a number of reasons horse owners use hoof boots. Here’s just a few:
Alternative to Shoeing
Many horse owners use hoof boots because it’s a good alternative for horseshoes. Many riders avoid horseshoes since they tend to contribute to the decrease of circulation in the horse’s body, provide hardly any traction, and can easily fall off the horse’s hooves.
While there are also benefits to horseshoes, some people prefer to have their horses barefoot. Hoof boots provide some of the same benefits as horseshoes, but without having to be nailed to the horse’s foot. Hoof boots protect the hoof from trauma and offer better traction. When you’re done riding, you can simply slip them off. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it’s a great alternative.
Medical Issues
When a horse has a medical issue with one of its hooves, it can be a bad deal. Usually, problems like this can keep the horse from walking or being too mobile. It can also be hard to find a way to keep medication or treatments regular since horses are always moving.
Hoof boots offer horse owners a way to treat the hoof’s health issue as needed as well as adding protection to the hoof when weight is applied. Here are some times when I’ve seen a hoof boot used to treat medical issues:
- Was used to keep a thrushy hoof dry during turn-out time
- Used to soak a hoof in Epsom salt in order to draw out an abscess
- One horse had to stand in a medical ointment for a certain period of time. The ointment was put in the bottom of the boot then onto the horse’s hoof.
- My horse had a hoof infection which caused her hoof to peel off. Her hoof became really sensitive. We put a boot on her to help her move around a little better and to keep debris and bacteria from getting in her hoof when she was taken to graze.
These are just a few examples I could think of. Regardless, if you own a horse or plan on owning a horse, having a hoof boot around for medical purposes can be a lifesaver.
Offers Good Traction
Another reason many horse riders use hoof boots is that the boots have a very sturdy and treaded sole. This offers great traction when riding. If you’re riding on pavements or very rocky terrain, the boots will help your horse to walk securely on the slick surfaces.
I remember one time when I was foxhunting and the flight took off at a canter down an asphalt road. All I could think of is how my horse could go sliding across this road if we weren’t careful. What I would’ve given to have had some good hoof boots right about then.
Endurance riders usually cover some very technical and somewhat-dangerous terrain. Hoof boots that offer good traction work towards the horse and rider’s favor of keeping them safe.
Now that you’ve read about boots for your horse, it’s time to read about boots for yourself! Check out our article, Short Horseback Riding Boots: Buying Guide, to learn about some of the best short horseback riding boots on the market.