Each have their pros and cons, but here are some reviews of some I have tried.
Do remember that Hampton lives outside 24/7, so his bell boots really do get abused.
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Professional Choice ballistic overreach boots
Price: $28
PC has some cool colors, too, but only if your horse has normal size feet. Once you get into the XL, they only have black or white. Hampton wears an XL, and sometimes I will buy him XXL.
Pro: These things are TOUGH. I have had a pair last several months before. Mud, rain, riding, etc.
Con: They hold a lot of mud. And will still turn, especially when mud gets up under them. Basically making them useless, and trapping mud against the feet. Ugh.
Grade: B+
Horze ProBell boots
Price: $18
Pro: Another TOUGH bell boot, and it doesn't matter if these turn.
Con: The velcro seems to wear out fairly quickly, and the material is such that I think it might rub a more sensitive horse.
Grade: A - overall my favorite so far.
ThinLine Gatorbootz
Price: $50
I am a fan of Thinline products but man did they miss the mark on these.
Pros: Uhhh ....
Cons: These lasts two nights on Hampton before they were off. They are also flimsy, not well made and noisy when you ride. They are also expensive.
Grade: F
Roma rubber pull ons (and similar brands)
Price: $12
Pros: These last a long time as long as your horse is not one to *ahem* chew them off. Won't name any names. They don't trap mud, and are not likely to rub.
Cons: PAIN IN THE ASS to take on and off.
Grade: B+
I've got a few on my radar to try next including Kavallerie and Majyk Equipe.
Who has other suggestions?
Oh Hampton! Centaur pull on boots are my all time favorite go to. They're super fat on the bottom for extra long wear time. Though the first time you put them on they're a right bitch. A pair seriously last me years on Pig and about 6-8 months on Bast. And, yes, my barefoot horses live in bells year round. Because short backs are a thing and I hate Coronet scrapes. Lol
ReplyDeleteI use the rubber pull ons because *someone* removes anything with velcro. If you soak them in hot water they are a lot easier to get on. I mostly let him wear them until they fall off on their own. Because I’ve spent an hour trying to get a pair off before a show.
ReplyDeleteThe brand that fits the best and lasts the longest for my horse is Eskadron. They are ridiculously expensive but last at least 5x longer than every other brand I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried a lot of brands.
ReplyDeleteIf I left Carlos in bell boots he would tear the velcro off if they had velcro or slowly chew the rubber ones off >:[
ReplyDeleteI have always used the KL Select Italian Bell boots. My first horse had been hot shoed incorrectly before I got him, so he had some odd, uneven foot growth. He TORE through other bell boots, but the KL select would late 6+ months on him. May has worn her pair for more than a year (now she's barefoot... so no bell boots). The black ones are (for me) easy enough to get on and off for competition, but stay on well in the field.They're also LONG ENOUGH to properly cover the foot, which is apparently a difficult concept for some manufacturers.
ReplyDeleteI started feeling stressed just thinking about trying to pull those non-velcro ones off! Such a pain!
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