Team Easyboot

Our First Actha Ride of the year with many more to come!

2011-04-05T08:15:08-07:00

With alot of excitment a large group of 62 riders met on a cold morning on March 19th, to compete in the Lone Wolf CTC at Dansville-Georgetown Trail System, near Maple Valley, Washington. They were all there for the first ACTHA (American Competitive Trail Horse Association) ride of the year in our area. ACTHA rides are not a over all timed event except for at the obstacles. When at each obstacle we are timed and then judged on how well we ride through the obstacle, 10 pts for the horse and then 10 pts on the riders. So a possible 20 pts at each obstacle.
There are 3 divisions-open/advanced, pleasure/beginner and then a junior division. Actha also offers a buddy division where folks can just ride along with their friends but not compete or do the obstacles. So they offer something for everyone!

The Lone Wolf course was 7.2 miles long and was on some beautiful trails that had 8 obstacles thrown in along the way that we were judged on.
It was a fun day for all as we rode together in our small groups and then could enjoy watching our friends compete in each obstacle.

My horse, Curly, was booted up in his all time favorite boots, the Gloves. They are me favs too- I love how stream line they are with no hardware and the aggressive tread of them!

The Gloves worked very well on the diverse trail conditions at this trail system and then never hinder us while riding through the obstacles. And I even saw some other booted horses which is still a rare thing to see here in the Puget Sound area.

Anyway
We had alot of fun and Curly and I even won the open division.
It was a great start to our year.

Martha Nicholas
Buckley,Wash

Riders meeting
Curly and I heading out with our group to the starting point of the ride.
Enjoying watching my good friend, Nancy on Rose, sidepass over the log. They placed 3rd out of 42 riders in the pleasure division. Way to go Nancy and Rose!

Glad to be choosen... again!

2011-02-21T21:54:36-07:00

Since nobody has posted on here in a while, I figured I'd atleast post something. Wanna thank Easycare for choosing me again to be part of Team Easyboot. I look forward to continuing what I have done in the past and more! Thanks abunch folks!

Safe Riding,
Todd

more Glove gaiter repairs

2010-05-02T06:34:12-07:00

I am having fun figuring out better ways to repair my gaiters while waitting for the Glove's new style to arrive.

Here is my last work. I tried using the flexible Tear Meader to glue them before stitching them and am curious to see how it holds up. I also really like using that strap to reinforce the bad tears.

The before and after

Repaired Glove Gaiter

2010-04-25T09:44:49-07:00

As we all wait for the new style of Glove gaiters to arrive, my dang horse is keeps tearing the gaiters. Which is normal for him with any of the different boots designs that I use (Epics, Grips,Bares and now the Gloves).

So because of this I have repaired numerous gaiters! I hand stitch them, glue the tears/holes closed, sew them with my sewing machine when possible. And then for hard repairs like stitching failure at the plastic strap which connects to the boot. I take them to Mike's Western Tack for him to stitch up on his heavy duty sewing machine.

So last nite I repaired another Glove gaiter using a piece of the strap that came with my other boots. It is the strap that is to be used to pull the boots on with.

I think it will get me by until the shipment of the new Glove gaiters arrives.

Martha

from Buckley,Wash

Hi to all the Team members

2010-03-27T10:04:00-07:00

Wow

None of us have posted anything in quite awhile.

So I thought I would try to get this going again by posting something/anything.

I am, as we all are, totally impressed with the Gloves! Love that boot!!!! But still waitting for the special Dome pads for it so I could add them when I know I am going to ride on extreme tread. Just hinting!

Humm My only problem is what do I do with the 9 other pairs of boots sitting on my boot shelf. I used the studded boots for the snowy/icey rides but what about the others.

Oh what I do with them is I have loaned a few out to diehard shoe lovin friends to 'make EasyCare's point'. Which is always fun to do.

My 0 Grips have been used over slider shoes to add traction while on trail rides and to prevent any small rocks from getting stuck under the sliders. My modified Bares, with the cable/buckle on them and my #2 Grips have help a super active and healthy 35 year old QH to be able to go out on trails rides again. The old guy is thrilled to be out , ears forward, leading the trail rides. He doesn't act a day over 20 which shows the love and care of his owner by how good he looks. That friend had hired Pam Beall to be in charge of 2 out of 4 of her horses. The 2 special retired barrel racing horses now are much happier with Pam and are not sore after being shod or trimmed by the farrier. I kept telling that gal that a horse shouldn't be sore after being trimmed. The owner and Pam witnessed this when after the first trim, the 35 year old walked off carefully for the first few strides until he realized that it didn't hurt. I guess it was a wonderfully thing to watch the old gelding's face as he realized there was no soreness. Now onto the same gal's 22 year old mare who had to be shod up special ($). Pam worked her magic by using Equicast, then went to glue-ons and now has the mare happy and sound being barefoot and booted. The owner had the joy of riding the mare for the first time in 10 years with her moving out happily, not off or sore! Now I can't see this gal going barefoot with all 4 of her horses. She has said that she will keep her main horse shod but there is the 3rd one that I think could have it's shoes pulled soon. And a added bonus of this is her farrier has become a believer and has requested Pam's # to pass onto another client's horse who needs help.

In my area there are mostly shod horses so it is always excitting with I can help spread the news of the boots.

Martha

from Buckley,Washington

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-11T21:11:24-07:00

Better late than never since I seem to never get to surf the web anymore. Just wanted to wish everyone at Easycare and the Team members a HAPPY and SAFE NEW YEAR!

Safe Riding,
Todd

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Easyboot Caged Stirrups

2009-12-01T21:30:49-07:00

When Team Easyboot first started I ordered a pair of the new caged stirrups. I have used them for two years now and this photo was taken at the Canyonlands 5 day. I LOVE these stirrups. They are comfortable and I never have to worry about getting caught up in them. And the cage helps protect the my toes from trees, brush, rocks or whatever I may run into them :-)

Our first 100 Completion

2009-11-03T21:52:24-07:00

Hi all,

Well I know it's a bit late but better late than never. I just want to let everyone know that Fortune and I completed our first 100 mile ride on Oct 17th at the Armadillo Endurance ride in the East Texas piney woods in Kennard, TX. We started at 4:00am Saturday morning and crossed the finish line at 2:32am Sunday morning, 22 hours and 32 minutes. It was an awesome experience and I am throughly looking forward to our next one. We did the ride in Gloves on all four of Fortunes feet and had no problems with them, even going through some of the thick mud along the trails in the woods. Had no rubs thanks to my socks and Fortune looked fantastic afterward. My dad even flew down from Seattle to be with me during the ride and got the full on experience of what it's like to crew. He had some help from my good friend Ann Goolsby whom we probably wouldn't have completed without her! Our next ride will be at the Central Region Championships in February at the Freeze R Burn in the LBJ National Grasslands in Decatur, TX where we will be doing the 75 miler. She'll be sporting her Gloves again as we have already done this ride twice. Once in Bares and once in Gloves.

Safe Riding,
Todd

Glue-On Gloves

2009-10-09T11:32:51-07:00

I finally have been able to give the Glue-on Gloves a try and have been very happy with the results. The first time I was gluing them on, I was a bit distracted as it was busy at the barn and I forgot to rasp the hoof wall, although I cleaned the hoof really well. Despite this the boot did stay on for 5 days. I wasn't entirely surprised though when one came off in the field and the other came off without too much prying. I did notice that when I looked inside the boots I had missed spots so there wasn't glue all over the inside of the boot wall. So I tried again! :)

The second time I brought my horse in about an hour ahead as the fields were wet. I cleaned her hooves and left her in her stall on shavings to let her hooves dry out a bit. I did not use a heat gun or any kind of cleaner (like denatured alcohol), I just scrubbed the hoof well with a wire brush. I also did make sure to lightly rasp the whole hoof wall where the boot would be glued to. I then made sure I put glue all over the inside of the boot wall and not just in spots. I noticed that the Adhere can be hard to squeeze and while I didn't think it was particularly cold in the barn, the tube was cool to the touch and probably could have benefited from a bit of a warm up (I might not have struggled as much) before using. Other than a few minor things, I found the boots were easy and quick to put on, just had to have everything laid out ready to use (much like when foaming on boots). I had also drilled holed in the bottom of the boots and both times I used Equipak CS inside the boots. I know that some people are using Sole Guard in the boots and say it sets up slightly softer than the Equipak but I found the Equipak worked well.

The boots stayed on for 14 days through riding, pasture turnout, muddy normally boot sucking mud, cold wet rainy conditions a lot of the time. They probably could have stayed on longer but at the end of the weekend on the 14th day it seemed convenient to remove them at that point and I could see my mare's hooves had grown quite a bit so i didn't want to let her get too out of balance. I did have to work at them to take them off and pry with a flat head screwdriver in between the boot and the hoof wall (so they still weren't ready to fall off!). I was really happy to see them stay on so well through those kind of conditions because I am planning to use them at endurance rides next year. Now I just have to sit down with my boots and dremel the old glue off :) My mare still has glue stuck to the outside of her hoof wall but I figure it will eventually wear away or get rasped as I trim.

Glove boots and Walking horses

2009-10-05T08:35:00-07:00

I tried my glove boots on the back of my TWH this past weekend and was very pleased at how well they did. I have been using and loving the Gloves on my horses front feet, but was worried about how they would do on the back feet since he twists his back feet when he gaits. I had heard from others with gaited horses that they had had problems with the Gloves coming off the hind feet, so I packed a set of bares, just in case.

We started out on the trail, went through creeks, sand, woods, fields and mud and never had a problem. The ride was 17 miles with a lunch stop and we completed it in 4 hours, so I would say my horse was gaiting most of the time. I am planning on getting some of the power straps to take up a little bit on the slack on his back feet, but I love the way they performed.

By the way the other 2 horses I was riding with also had boots on and when we stopped for lunch several people wanted to know all about the boots and the horses. Boots make both me and my horses happy!

Back on the trail...finally!

2009-09-13T12:00:33-07:00

Hi Team,

After what has seemed a never ending hiatus we are finally back. Fancy gave us a great colt and May has healed and rehabbed quite nicely and is ready to go. Of course throughout her rehab I have managed to wear out her Epics and need to get new boots.

I had really wanted to switch to the Edge with the new gaiter for training and use the glue ons for mult-days. Of course our first ride back is going to be Owyhee which only leaves me 2 weeks to get things squared away. Since we have been on the bench the past several months I let myself get out of the loop so I am looking for any and all help/advise.

I called Dave Rabe but he is at NC and has his phone off or something, was hoping he could stop by or we could meet up to get us set up. He has ridden May before so is familiar with her feet. This is so unusual for me to not be ready. All fitting, adjusting etc I have done myself but I have not had the opportunity to try out all of the new things yet this year. I would really like to get May out of gaiters completely due to her propensity for scratches and all the effort it takes to avoid that situation. The glove looks like it will work perfectly for Fancy and since she is just coming back I have more time to get educated and decide.

Will anyone from the team be up in Idaho for the ride? I really need to get back in the groove ASAP now that both mares are ready (one for competition and one for training). Thanks for any help.

On another note, has anyone tried the Riders Rasp? Wondering if it is as useful and easy to use as it appears. Thanks

Tami

Easycare Fit Kit

2009-09-02T06:07:41-07:00

Got my Easycare Fit kit for the Gloves last week. Woohoo!!!! Now I can try different sizes on and see which one is the best. I was able to use 1s with the gaiters and had them fit just fine with no rubbing, but now I am all set up to try the Glue-ons, and definitely think that the fit could/should be tighter. Bought some 0.5s but think she may even get into a 0... I'll see this weekend. I can finally get back to riding, as my horse was unexpectedly sidelined after our last big ride in August by a kick to the back of the knee - stitches, stall rest, two rounds of antibiotics to treat a bad infection, x-rays to rule out a bone chip...all is on track now. And I can bend her leg enough now to get back to boot fitting and finding that perfect fit. :)

For anyone who might be reading this - I am in Quebec, Canada, and I go to most of the rides of the Ontario Competitive Trail Riding Association. I'll be keeping my Fit Kit in my trailer for anyone who would like some help fitting Gloves.

New Team Easyboot Member in Maine

2009-07-21T16:33:38-07:00

Hey y'all, I'm new to Team Easyboot. Zephyr and I will be doing product testing for Garrett... mostly the new Gloves and Glue-Ons. Next week I'll be doing 150 miles in the thick-toe glue-ons (at the Western Maine Pioneer Ride), using Goober Glue. Wish us luck! Look for my ride report on Garrett's blog after August 1. Still trying to come up with a name for my articles there... maybe Boot Maine-ia?? Northeast Boot Scootin' Boogie???? I'm taking votes...

-Sharon L. in Maine (& Zephyr)
www.zegifts.blogspot.com

Glove's Power Strap

2009-07-14T08:58:48-07:00

Hi Team

I just wanted to comment that I have installed the power strap onto my Gloves for the hind. Due to so much use and how my horse moves and twist the hind boots a little. My Gloves were loosing their shape a little on the top side and a little dirt was getting into the boot so I put on the straps. The straps work great and solved the problem and saved my Gloves.

Martha

from Buckley, Wash.

Foaming on Gloves

2009-06-16T05:45:48-07:00

Well, I decided to give it a go and foam on some Gloves for a rocky 30 mile CTR ride. I had a backup pair of Epics just in case. I added the power straps to the Gloves because my mare does get a tiny little gap at the top of the boot. They seemed to fit tight and did not move when i tried to shift them so I went ahead and got them foamed on. This was without the gaiter since it was a CTR and the gaiter costs points. And I foamed them on the day before the ride, so my mare trailered in them too. The boots stayed on for at least 20 miles without a problem. Then we hit this patch of knee deep thick hoof sucking mud and I lost one boot. I put on my Epic and kept going. On the last stretch we hit another muddy section and the other boot came off. This one I didn't realize until later and do not have it back yet. I finished the ride in Epics.

So overall foaming the Gloves on works if the boots are a tight enough fit (with the Power straps for me) and you don't go through mud :) The lack of a buckle doesn't give it the extra staying power in that kind of mud that the ones with buckles do. I foamed on other boots - Epics - for a friend and those stayed on. Now that I've tried it, it is probably best to use the Glove with the gaiter and stick to the boot models that have the buckles for foaming on. :)

Lysane

Foaming on Easyboot Gloves

2009-06-02T07:45:07-07:00

I was wondering if anyone has tried foaming on the Gloves? I am going to try them on my horse without the gaiters and see what the fit is like...I am thinking of trying to foam them on. If the fit is not tight enough, I have the power straps or other boot models to try... but it would be nice to know more about foaming on the gloves (since I have their foam!) :)

Lysane

Exciting Times

2009-04-15T07:45:58-07:00

Hi Team members

Isn't this EXCITING to be on the Team during this time with Garrett coming out with all of his new products?

I check his post almost daily just to keep up with what he is doing.

I love how he is always thinking of what is best for the horses feet and their comfort.

And we have the honor of being a part of it by testing the products.

How Cool Is That!

Martha

Buckley,Wash

Barefoot Horse Hoof Boot Riddle

2009-02-27T08:34:50-07:00

How do you give your horse all the benefits of a Glue-On below the hairline hoof boot and give your horse the benefits of being barefoot all day except when ridden?

Click here to see the answer.

Gloves solve coronet band rubbing issues

2009-02-19T09:31:29-07:00

Hi Team

I just want to share how much I like the Gloves. And that with their low profile, they have solved the coronet band rubbing problems for us. As you can see from the photos the hind boots twisted a little but caused no rubbing. The twisting happens because of how my QH moves and uses his hind end. The photos were taken after a 2 1/2 hr ride. First part of the ride was through some good mud holes with hills, second part was more flat land and we had fun doing a lot of transitions. I had Grips w/Domes on the fronts and the Gloves on the hind.

So where I stand now with using the Gloves- The boots can twist away for all I care since it won't injure my horse's coronet band anymore.

I really like everything about the Gloves!

Most of all - the tread that Garrett choose for them. I like it better than the Grips tread since it will clean out, where the Grips holds in the mud and clay which causes hydroplaning for me. I had been trying to achieve this tread by taking my Bares to the chop saw and widening out their grooves. I'm not kidding! Traction is my biggest concern living in western Washington, down the road from a rain forest. I also have sets of studded boots I use on days when I know it will be slicker. I pretty much pick the tread I think I will need for each ride.

And as you can guess I am totally excited about the Edges!!!!

Martha

Buckley,Wash

Love the Gloves!!!!!!!

2009-02-18T21:25:41-07:00

I have been using the Gloves for a few weeks now. They've been in the mud, rocks, and snow and they have just been super! Thunder has them on his hinds and has Epics on the front. He doesn't forge with these. With the Gloves he travels natural, the same as when he is barefoot. The Gloves haven't got the extra bulk of the other designs, no hardware sticking out and I think that helps. The lower profile means no rubbing at the hairline! The gaitors on the Gloves just roll out of the way and does not interfere at all with putting the boots on. Also because there is no hardware or anything to fuss with, a person has less chance of getting stepped on or anything when using these. The ONLY thing I can think of that might improve them would be a bit greater breakover at the toe. The Gloves are a great idea and the best thing Easyboot has thought up in the history of booting! Way to go!!

75 in Gloves

2009-02-16T18:39:18-07:00

Well,

Fortune and I completed our first ride of the season, The Freeze R Burn, a 75 miler, with Gloves on the front and Bares on the rear. My mare did fantastic! The Gloves faired extremly well. I love the fact that I can take them off and put them on so quickly. I never had a problem with them on trail even in some of the sink holes that Fortune drank out of. I had duct tape over the screw heads that attaches the gaiter to the boot and had no rubbing of her heel bulbs. I understand that this screw is being looked into, but the duct tape seemed to work for us. I am hoping to try them on all 4 feet for our next ride, a 100 miler, in April.

Safe Riding,
Todd
≈~___≈(\
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Love the Glove

2009-02-07T20:01:14-07:00

Hi all! I have been using the Epics on the front feet and the Gloves on the rear. My horse doesn't forge as much with these as he does with Epics all the way around. In fact I thought he traveled very well.

I really like the Gloves, they are easy to put on, the gaitor stays out of the way when I put them on them. They have gone over just as many rocks as the Epics and look great. So far I have no complaints about them except I have to do the math and convert inches to centimeters to determine the size. LOL! Karen B

Team Easyboot 25% Discount

2009-01-14T10:59:45-07:00

Team Easyboot Members are now eligible for a 25% discount off MSRP on all EasyCare products. It's our way to thank you for the support, feedback and testing. In addition it helps get each Team Easyboot member into our new hoof boot line and spread the word.

The new Team Easyboot discount is available to Team Easyboot Members only and is effective February 1st, 2009. The discount will run for the 2009 calender year. Please reserve discounted orders to Team Member use only. The 2009 products will be available in a couple weeks. More info on the new products can be found at www.hoofbootnews.com.

In addition to the Team Easyboot discount you will still be involved with new product testing and feedback. More 2009 Team Easyboot updates and changes will be available soon.

Thanks again for the help and being an EasyCare ambassador.

Garrett Ford

Preventing Coronet Band/Periople Rubbing

2009-01-07T18:20:38-07:00

I just wanted to let folks know that I have tried a few different ways to stop the coronet band/periople rubbing and feel I have solved the problem. I came up with just raising the hoof up in the boot so the taper couldn't make contact with the coronet band/periople area. I used a leather horse shoer pad that is about a 1/8 inch thick and it worked well (refer to my Team blog dating Oct 1, 2008,it shows a photo). I also tried combining it with a 6mm pad but that made it too thick and I couldn't get the hoof in the boot. What I am doing at this time as a experiment is using new Dome pads, which I normal don't use in the hind boots.But I know I need to keep checking them and watching for thinning and tearing of the pad at the heel buttress area, which will lower the hoof in the boot. I don't expect the pads to last very long due to how quickly my horse wears through them. But because of the suggestion from my friend and EasyCare dealer, Pam Beall, on using the Domes, I had to give it a try. >I just read my past blogs and saw that the Domes failed and I had some rubbing.

Which brings me back to the leather pads. Using them seems like they will be a long term fix for this rubbing problem. And because of my trails surfaces varying so much and I pick the best tread for that days ride. I needed something that I could easily transfer over to another boot/tread style.

I guess I should mention that the rubbing has occured from different reasons, sometimes from the boots twisting but not always. When it first started I went to a smaller sized boots and also made sure I had them on really tight. But with my riding area being so difficult with a wide variety of trail surfaces, we have had more then the normal amount of booting challenges.

But now Garrett has developed a whole new line of boots, all having a lower profile. So that should eliminate any rubbing from happening. I have been closely watching and reading all of Garrett's updates on the new Edges and Gloves. And can't wait to try them out. I even like the tread he has picked out for them and am excited to test it out on my trails.

Anyway

I hope this info helps! You can also refer to my other past blogs on this subject, their dates are Sept 10,08 and May 28,08.

Martha Nicholas

Buckley,Wash

Gloves and Socks at DVE

2009-01-05T14:20:54-07:00

I got to test the new Gloves at Death Valley. Used them for three days on the front feet of my mare (Garrett did not have the size she needed for the hinds yet. DVE has rock and sand and even ice. I love the new tread and had no slippage issues (just a tad on some of the ice, but nothing short of studs will help there, LOL, and less slippage than with the other boots or shoes..). There was little to NO sand in the boots (some washes were past the pasterns for a good while). The boots are REAL easy to put on (nice at 5am, LOL) and stay on. Only one slight concern is a screw in the back of the boot holding the gaiter on...my low-heeled mare showed potential to rub her bulbs on it, but already talked to G about it and that will be addressed. Of course I still have a gaiter-challenged horse (gets those dime rubs on the pasterns), But G is making new gaiters from a whole new material that I am eager to test...
Until that time, I also got to test a set of Todd's pastern "socks"...I LOVE them...no sand got in them, no rubbing from them, AND it STOPPED the gaiter rubbing! 155miles and not a hair lifted..I LOVE these... A bit of a learning curve to get them on (so they'll fit nice and tight), but once I figured out a good way, it was 2 socks and 4 boots on in less than 5 minutes in the morning...LOVE it...
Nat

Problems with this Blog?

2008-12-23T23:09:27-07:00

Is anyone else having problems with the feed on this blog? I'm not getting emails or anything anymore and I have been trying to find out why. When I tried to subscribe to it with another email nothing happens. I kind of depend on the emails so I miss getting them.

Brandi

Merry Christmas from Equine Explorer

2008-12-23T16:34:37-07:00

Would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas with a video Christmas card, check out all the different places our easy boots have been.

Merry Christmas from EquineExplorer on

Easyboot Glove passes the endurance test at Las Cienegas

2008-12-07T15:04:01-07:00

The Easyboot Glove passed the first endurance test over the weekend and Las Cienegas. Read more here.

Need Advice on Epic Gaiter fitting

2008-11-27T11:01:48-07:00

Hi All,
I recommended EB Epics to a friend with an Icelandic Pony, she ordered 4 of them and loves them, except the gaiters don't extend far enough around the pony's pastern to hook together. She's thinking of trimming the pony's shaggy legs but this being winter that would be a last resort, not to mention his looks. Does anyone have any suggestions? We stretched them as far as possible and had about 1/2 inch overlap, then wrapped them with vet wrap for our test ride. This worked pretty well for our three hour ride. I'm wondering if Easy Care would make extensions, if not I could probably make some for her.

Teri Payne in CA

EB Epics

2008-11-20T21:08:31-07:00

The endurance season is over, the shoes are off, and I am playing with the easyboots again. I have had better luck with the Epics on Thunder's front feet. The cows are out, the country is very rocky and rugged, not speedy, but the boots have stayed on through creeks, mud, rocks and most important is no rubbing from the gaitors. I haven't yet received any Edge boots to try out or anything but when I do we'll see how boots work on all 4 feet. :-) Karen B

Australian Pleasure Ride

2008-11-02T22:35:57-07:00

Hi All! Just wanted to let you know that the Carroll's Saddlery Pleasure Ride was held mid October in the most perfect weather. The ride is based at the Great Western Recreation Reserve and was fully catered, so all riders have to do is turn up with their gear. This year there were about 100 riders, a little down, but not bad considering the effect of global downturn, high fuel costs etc. The beauty of this ride is that it is not a race, so you can ride at your own pace with your friends and really enjoy the scenery. The ride is also UNIQUE in that most of ride is across private land. The rec reserve committe work with local landowners to ensure there is a great variety of landscapes to traverse! A lot of endurance riders bring their young horses for their first experience of a camp out, and because there is no hype the horses settle very quickly. Frank & I really have a great weekend; as a sponsor, I like to ride through the group and therefore have the opportunity to speak to most people. The ride officially kicks off on the Saturday morning but quite a few people turn up several days beforehand and make a real holiday of it. First days ride is about 35km with a lunchstop and Sunday ride is similar. There are always lots of comments and enquiries when they spot Frank wearing his boots. I have been using a set of 4 Epics. Bought at the same time and rotated (like tyres) one pair lasted 15 months and the second pair is still going after 17 months (though just wearing at the toes). I use comfort pads with them and couldn't be happier. I have not had any fitting problems at all. Frank wears size 2 front and back, but husband and trimmer, Greg, needs to leave a bit more hoof on the back feet and we need the tightest adjustment. Let me know if you need any info on this ride for 2009!

Cheers, Anne Carroll

Sock Update

2008-10-31T20:45:07-07:00

Just to let everyone know, Fortune and I did a 50 last weekend with the "socks" and they performed beautifully. No rubbing what-so-ever. I have been working with a patent company and hopefuly can get theses things out on the market. I could not be happier with their performance. We will be testing them out on a multi-day next weekend.

Safe Riding,

Todd

Loss of a Team Easyboot horse

2008-10-31T02:21:57-07:00

I had to have my beloved Murphy put to sleep on Sunday. He had broken his cannon bone in his stable overnight and there was nothing the vets could do. I am extremely upset and am missing him so much.

The vets think he had a weakness in his bones as there was no sign of a struggle such as him being cast or even rolling or getting caught in anything. He has had long term problems since I have had him with spavins and painful hind legs and we can only think this was a sign that this would have happened at some point.

I am planning on being straight back in the saddle with looking at another horse tomorrow - I therefor plan to still be involved with the easyboot team as long as you'll still have me!

I run my own yard now and all the girls are being so supportive with my loss - which is why I am so keen to make a lovely home to another horse, nothing with ever replace my first as I am sure a lot of horsey people understand but when they give us so much joy and pleasure some of us are just born to share our lives with them.

I look forward to hearing all the news and stories of team easy boot

Kind regards

EB Epics, frayed cables frustration

2008-10-18T11:42:27-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I am having ongoing cable problems, even with brand new buckles. I'd first like to know how often other people go through cables? How many hours of use? Do you wait until they are frayed or just replace them. (just curious) How many frayed stands (if any) will you let slide before you replace them? Where do your cables first show frays? above the crimps? Where the cable wraps for size, or right in the center of the cable, where it touches the buckle?

Well, my cables just don't last more than 8 hours in the saddle before they are useless. They usually fray one stand in several places, but almost all are above the crimp and where you wrap it for sizes. I also always have a frayed strand where the buckle is, right in the middle. I'll tolerate one or two frayed stands and get another few hours out of the cable, if I'm lucky. Even on and brand new pair of boots, I have frayed cables after two short break in rides!!

i first blamed this on the old buckles style, so I took a file and smoothed the edges. No luck. The boots were old anyway, I traded them in. The new boots and buckles were used on the beach for one week, then both buckles AND cables were trashed! Broken pieces off one buckle, and deep dings and grooves on the others. I'm saving these to return to Easycare. I think salt water did these no favors.

Now I have completely new buckles to replace the salt water damaged ones. After just four hours on a ride and both wires are damaged! Both in the center where it goes through the buckle grooves, two broken stands. I had no replacements for a four hour ride today. (I'm a pleasure rider, not endurance) I covered the frays with duct tape and hoped they would not get worse. The tape slipped on one boot and ny the time I returned, there were only two strands somehow holding the wire together still. This i 8 hours in brand new buckles and wires??! Te other boot that the tape stayed on now has four broken strands right where it beds around the sizing fork. ?name for this? It won't last any longer either. My two back boots, only used for rides over 2 hours, are frayed one strand each in the smae location.

Does anyone else out there have problems like this??? My old generation buckles didn't do this to me, just these new ones. The old ones just bent sideways when I stepped on them to close the front. Does anyone know why this could be happening? How to stop it? Cables themselves are cheap, but shipping is more than the cables! All my spare cables are used up, now I'm stuck waiting one month for new ones and more spares. My horse is helpless without those front boots, and this keeps happening.

Advice welcome. I have to wait until Monday to order new cables. Meanwhile, I'd like to not have this happen anymore, What a pain!

Thanks!

Jen

Periople rubbing update

2008-10-17T08:41:46-07:00

Hi Folks

I just wanted to let you know that the 1/4 inch leather pad is still working great! It has raised the hoof up enough in the boot to stop all the rubbing and it was a easy fix. I went to the local shoer supply store and bought a X heavy (1/4") and a reg (1/8") leather pads. I tried combining the 1/4" pad with a Easycare 6mm pad but it was too bulky and raised the hoof too much up in the boot but I am sure the 6mm would work with the 1/8" pad but I haven't tried it yet. The leather pads seems to be holding up quite well even after several hard rides. Hope this info helps out others who have had this problem.

Martha

Socks

2008-10-01T20:41:21-07:00

Howdy folks.

Well, I've had a chance to use my new "socks" a few times and I can say I've been really pleased with the way they are working out. To bring you up to speed, the "socks" I'm talking about are made of 2mm neoprene and I'm making them to help with the gaiters rubbing my mares legs. I was at loss as to how to stop it. Vet wrap seemed the only way as I also tried regular socks and nylon stockings all to no avail. I then came up with this idea. I have had 4 made so far, all different sizes (just experimenting with different sizes) and I have found a size that will work with my mare. They are easily put on and taken off and best of all they have prevented rubbing on the few training rides I've done. One was just a 11 mile pleasure ride (my wife and I went camping last weekend) and the other was a fast training ride loping for about 6 miles at about a 12 mph pace. I intend to continue trying them out. Since I have found a size that works, I am having 3 more of that size made so I can experiment on all 4 legs. I have also found a place that sells "breathable" neoprene so I'm looking into that as well. I've posted some pictures of them and my mares legs where I've been getting the rubbing but the hair has grown back pretty good in those places... yahooo. I'll keep ya posted.

I have my pictures backwards but the first picture is after the ride, rest is from before. The last is showing where the rubbing is happening but her hair has grown most of the way back.

Safe Riding,
Todd

Happ's Trail Challenge

2008-09-21T07:32:34-07:00

Hi Folks

Here is some info from the last trail challenge of the year which was held at Happ's in Ethel,Wash. Happ's TC is different due to it being a cross country one which I think is the funnest to ride! As always it was alot of fun for all who rode that day. Happs' has 6 different rides split up by age and riding levels. There is a Training ride by age groups-14 and under, 15 to 25, and 26 and older age groups. Then the same groups but in a Advanced rides. The winners of each group went on to the Championship ride which was to ride the Advanced course bareback (the winners from the Training rides were allowed to use their saddles for safety). I rode in the Championship ride since I had won my rides and I must admit that it was scary at times since I was bareback. My horse Curly was great and didn't over jump anything so I didn't fall off. And I am sure I ripped some of his mane out at the Hurricane Ridge due to how dang steep that obstacle was. Anyway how the day ended was by us winning the Championship ride by a 1/2 a point which really suprised me.

Trail Challenge are alot of fun to ride because it is all about good horsemanship and communication while going through obstacles. The obstacles are made up of things you would see or do out on a trail ride. They are always alot of fun to ride and they have a way of showing a person what they need to train for and work on with their horse. LOL Martha Nicholas Buckley,Wash

Old Mac's G2 in action on historical turf

2008-09-15T13:28:11-07:00

On Saturday Munich, the capital of Bavaria, celebrated its 850th anniversary with a day of hunting and a historical coach parade in the gardens of Schleissheim Castle. For centuries Schleissheim`Castle used to be the summer residence of the Bavarian Kings and Princes, now its one of the most famous sights around Munich and attracts more than a million visitors each year. On Saturday the Governor of Bavaria Kurt Beckstein as well as his majesty prince Luitpold of Bavaria invited 60 huntsmen and women with their horses and again about the same amount of coaches for a day of hunting. Even though the weather wasn't really promising in the morning, it stayed try and the gardeners of the castle prepared an excellent turf so that the hounds and horses had ideal conditions for a fast and exciting hunt. The try weather motivated about 5000 spectators to drive out of town and cheers on the riders on their hunt through the wide alleys.

Enjoy the pictures and try to find the boots in it :-).

The day was closed with a large dinner followed by a ball in the halls of the castle that were in ancient times reserved for the upper nobility and are now open for everyone.

Stocking use update and something new to try

2008-09-14T12:13:02-07:00

Well, had been using the nylon stockings for our training rides for a while with some fairly good luck, so I figured it was time to try them on an actual ride. I have been doubling up on them, using a pair on each leg, and it seemed to working well on the training rides, like I said.

Unfortunately , they did not work to well on the actual ride. After the first loop Fortune had rubs on all four pasterns, the front legs actually down to the point of bleeding. I removed the boots and stockings and replaced them with vet wrap and we completed the ride with no more problems. I am at a loss as to what to use to not get rubs.

I have been experimenting with some different fabrics and making "socks" out of them but have not really found anything I like except for the some really thin neoprene. The first pair I had made didn't fit her (made them too small) so I'm having another set made. My idea is to have them cover from the coronary band all the way up to ankle and be able to fold them over the velco on the gaiter. I do not have any trouble with her heel bulbs or anything esle being rubbed just her pasterns from the gaiters. I think the neoprene will work if I can get it to the size where I can pull it up over her hoof like a sock. I would like it to be a one piece construction. I thought about velcro but decided against it. The neoprene I'm using is 2mm thick which is very thin and I have also found a place that sells "breathable" neoprene which might be even more worth looking into if these "socks" work as I'm am a bit reluctant to use neoprene in the heat, but again, it is covering a small area and the gaiters are neoprene as well so it may not be an issue. I had it stitched top and bottom to keep the neoprene from tearing but did not use elastic thread which the lady who is making these for said I can get and would probably help. When I did try to stretch it over Fortunes foot the thread broke (didn't help being too small either) but it did stretch quiute a bit before that happened so something learned in making each of things. I hope to have newer ones this week to try. I'll keep ya'll posted.

Safe Riding,
Todd
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Periople rubbing

2008-09-10T22:09:17-07:00

Hi Team member

Here is my newest thing I tried to prevent the periople rubbing. It is happening again and was about to cause bleeding again. My horse's hoof has a very noticable dent from the damage done last time a few months ago. I have been putting duct tape on the tapers and the hoof to help prevent the rubbing. It did alittle BUT. Well today I rode with my trimmer Pam Beall, and I was whining to her about this problem again. She came up with this idea going off the old Old Mac inserts that folks had to use back in the day. So I cut a wedge out of a old Dome pad and taped it into the boot ,shimming it to keep the tapers off the hoof. It worked well during our 2 hr ride. As you can see from the photo everything stay in place. I still had put a piece of tape on the periople and hoof wall. The other photo is a pic of the boot retaped for the next ride. For anyone not understanding what periople rubbing is I included a photo of it taken back in May showing the problem. It seems like this isn't a normal problem for most folks but it is for my horse.Anyway hope this info helps other. I will keep you posted. Martha from Buckley,Wa

Calendar help

2008-09-10T20:50:32-07:00

Alright, either I'm just that ignorant that I can't figure it out or I'm just missing something, but can someone please instruct me on how to post events to the Team Easyboot calendar in Google. I have exhausted myself trying to figure it out. All help is greatly appreciated.

Safe Riding,
Todd

Changing Bare bungee to easyup buckle

2008-08-21T07:37:16-07:00

I'm looking for instructions on changing the bare bungee out for an easyup buckle and I can't seem to find any on the easycare website. Can anyone point to where it would be on their website if its there? I already looked under Epics and Bares "Tips" and nothing.

Lysane

Karen has left her post--and we will miss her!

2008-08-08T16:19:39-07:00

Most of you know Karen Chaton. She is an avid endurance rider, a barefoot advocate and is highly dedicated to educating people and helping them ride in boots. Karen has left her marketing position at EasyCare for personal reasons. She did a great job for us while she was here and we valued her insights and expertise. We respect her privacy and and do not feel that it is appropriate to go into the details of her leaving or pass along her contact information. However, those of you who know her will no doubt run into her at a future endurance ride.

We will miss her energy and enthusiasm and wish her all the best. While she was at EasyCare she launched a number of great programs, was instrumental in re-designing and updating our website, and helped numerous customers with booting issues. She also kept up her rigorous work schedule while attending her usual amount of rides! We will miss her creative ideas and all that she did for us while she was at EasyCare.

Cathie Hook, who has been with the company for five years, will be taking over Karen's duties (more on that later.) If you have specific inquiries please address them to marketing@easycareinc.com. Please be patient with us while we make this transition. We will be in touch with all of you!

Epics make chasing cows fun!

2008-08-01T00:53:07-07:00

Hi fellow horse lovers-

I just got back from 3 consecutive days of gathering cows on terrain that varied from sandy washes to sticky clay-like mud, to rocky tundra and everything in-between. Let me tell you, My Epics kept my horses' feet safe and sound, with nary a rub or sore spot. I booted all 4 the first day, then just booted his fronts on the last 2 days. I guess I got pretty lucky with the fit. The modifications I used were, I cut out the back strap, inserted dome pads, made some duct tape bulb protectors, and also used knee-high nylons to sort of keep everything together. I believe the nylons also help the boots to slide on easier. I also used cotter pins through the second hole of the buckle, just in case. We covered alot of ground in those 3 days, lots of steep ups and downs and narly, thick, chest-high brush and those boots endured the whole adventure quite well.

I was amused by the smart remarks from the other cowboys about my horse wearing "slippers" or "sneakers", especially at the end of the day when a few or their horses came up with stone bruises and lost steel shoes. My horse was still full of energy and giddy-up, and never took a bad step.

My horse is living proof that once you find the right combination of fit, pads and customization technique, you can go anywhere with them safely and comfortably.

Theres a run in my hose!

2008-07-16T20:07:33-07:00

So I ran in to Amy at the NASTR ride back in June and we got to talking about how she was using the knee high stockings and having great luck. So I thought I would give it a try on May - the horse who gets rubs when the wind changes direction. So when I found a great deal on them I just had to try them out. We have been out only a few times since my last surgery and mostly on short flat rides. May's feet were actually doing quite well with nothing but we all know that will not be the case at 50 miles. The vet wrap works ok but she gets a wad of sand stuck in the front of the hoof and her corronet gets irritated. Amy says she has no problem with sand, it all comes out, so that sounded great to me (and if her boy could wear stockings with no complaint then surely the curious little mare will too.........)

We get ready to ride on Saturday and I pull out my stockings. May thinks they look like food and that they feel funny but no big deal. How easy was that! Well I get to the last one and of course snag it and it runs, but no big deal right. Not so much. May proceeded to stand with her right rear foot in the air, looking from her foot to me to the foot with this look like "seriously, we are not going out like this right?". It was just about the funniest thing I had ever seen and she would not put it down, even for a treat. I walked her around and she just kept looking at that foot. Finally I took it all off thinking that there had to be something seriously wrong with that boot. Nope, a new stocking with no run and all was well again. Mares!

But, anyway, back to the important part, how did it work. Well it worked ok. We had small rubs at the top of the gaters on the fronts only. Rubbed the hair off but did not break skin. I did realize that I had not retightened the gaters as I had been doing prior to starting the ride. The next week we did a 30 mile ride and I did recheck the gaters prior to start to snug them up and we had less of an issue. This time I did notice that the back of the pasturn area was pretty pink and I wonder if it was from heat generated by the nylon. She did not get scratches though so that was good and did not seem to be sore. The next morning there was no redness. We use Epics in case you are wondering.

I used only a single layer wheras I think Amy had doubled up. Please correct me if I am wrong Amy. It seems to work well and is cheaper than vet wrap. Thanks Amy for the tip. Our only question is what brand holds up best and should older mares wear support stockings???????

Tami

A friend in need

2008-07-04T08:53:18-07:00

Hi Guys,

I have a friend who asked me to help her at the Fort Stanton ride but, unfortunately, I am unable to attend that ride. She would like someone to help her foam on her boots as this will be her mares first ride using boots. If any members are attending this ride, please e-mail her here kindredspirit@wildblue.net . She would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks abunch!

Safe Riding,
Todd

Team members at Juniper Ridge

2008-06-30T15:50:56-07:00

Hello everyone, saw that we were lacking in postings here so thought I would put up a new trail in the White Mountains of Arizona. We are in Colorado now. I was reading Garretts blog and saw his comments on how different his horses feet are now that they are in Colorado. We too have found meaningful changes in our horses hooves as we change location. More water means more sloughing of frog and soul . We have to pay more attention to trimming and do it more often. If we have periods of more rain we find we need to use our boot more often as hoofs are softer than when it is dry.

Juniper Ridge Trail from EquineExplorer on Vimeo. Hope you enjoy the video. Check out Phlame, back boots no front. Didn't notice this until we got back from the ride.
Happy Trails from Carol and Larry Crisp

Riding Trail Challenges in western Washington State

2008-06-22T21:54:15-07:00

Hi Team

Just wanted to share how I rode at the Mossyrock Horse and Riders Club Trail Challenge in Washington State yesterday. It was alot of fun for all who rode and for who just watched it. The club put on a really nice event so if anyone lives on the west side of the Cascades, I highly recommend going and riding it. For more info on future events, just go to their web site. There are 3 more coming up so far this summer-Nisqually BCH trail challenge June 28th, then Happ's trail challenge July 19th and Sept 6th, both also have web sites with full details.

Martha from Wash.

Thank You from Dave Rabe

2008-06-19T12:02:10-07:00

I want to thank everybody for their support and for all of their donations and contributions after my trailer accident in March. Everything really helped me to get going again. My horse that survived the accident Rushcreek Okay has completed three endurance rides since the accident and is doing really well. I was able to get my truck repaired and had a new flatbed put on it and just recently purchased another horse trailer which was made possible because of all of the help and contributions that came in from so many generous people. There are so many individuals and companies who have supported me in many ways that I am afraid if I listed them I would miss somebody. Please know that I am genuinely appreciative of all of them and for everything that everybody has done for me. Dave Rabe

Photo: Dave and Okay at the Washoe Valley Ride, May 2008

Timber Mesa Trail

2008-06-07T14:41:50-07:00

Team Easyboot Members on the trail.
Timber Mesa Trail from carolcrisp on Vimeo.