Renegade Hoof Boot News

My name is Kathy and this is Wrangler. We just started endurance riding in 2009 and had not heard too much about hoof coverings/boots. I have to admit in my research the Renegade boot was ignited by the picture of the beautiful horse and rider going up the mountain side in the Tevis 2009 photo; someone I hope to aspire to be with my faithful, strong mustang in Renegade boots. Yes, it read like a fairy tale.

Prior to our first ride, I had tried Wrangler’s Renegade boots out twice; once the front twisted to the inside and the second time they seemed fine. The day of the ride came and to say the least I was very anxious, for more than one reason. This was it, can we do it…it was only a 30 mile but my last try at a fun ride, I tore my acl and ended up in surgery a month later…Wranlger could sense something was happening as we started our ride.

I kept looking down and concentrating to feel his steps, please don’t twist, please don’t come loose…my mantra. I rode with a veteran endurance rider and kept asking him, “how do the boots look Nate?” He kept answering…’fine’.

At the 18 mile vet check, they were still fine but I had to check for rubbing…I took them off to find only a small amount of sand and not a single hair rubbed. I was impressed but I was also too new to know, that was great. Wrangler barely broke a sweat and the vet said he was doing awesome.

We took off the the remaining 12 mile leg of the ride and I kept asking the question and Nate faithfully kept answering, “fine”. He finally started asking questions of my Renegade boots as his horse was shod. He noticed that I had taken them off with ease at the vet check and put them back on just as easily. He also noticed the flow thru design as we crossed a swampy bog and small creek. He said he had tried several different name brand boots and even a few spin offs but it was just easier to keep a horse shod but he was going to look into these Renegade boots in the future.

I thought I did a good thing by putting my horse in Renegades as he is a mustang and has very hard hoof walls, the farrier discouraged shoeing him…and now after a 30 mile ride, not a single rub, a sound vet check, a happy horse and an impressed veteran endurance rider…YEP, I am sure I made the right choice! Thanks Renegade! Kathy Pape (NM) and Wrangler

Congratulations to these riders that attended the recent Mt. Carmel XP 5 day 250 mile pioneer endurance ride! These riders rode successfully in Renegade hoof boots! Many riders used glue on Renegades but quite a few also chose to use the Renegade strap-on boots.

Feedback was quite positive from riders over the ease of use of the strap on boots. There were several riders who rode multiple days in Renegades including some that completed all 5 days successfully using a combination of both types of Renegades.

Chad Larsen was on hand to help fit, size and install the boots and provide support as well as provide hoof trimming services. Photos by Steve Bradley.

After my most successful year in Endurance last year wearing Renegade boots Bo Tucker and I did our first ride of 2010 on the55 at Old Pueblo March 5th. As you can see in the photo from Old Pueblo he isn’t wearing rear boots. Bo has come along great in Renegades. We seldom use boots on his hind feet at rides any more. Not because I have trouble keeping them on, it is just the opposite If I need them over a very rough section I can get off and put them on so easily. The two straps (toe and heel captivator) attach so easily and hold great, even through mud and water.

Renegade boots have helped Bo transition to much more bare foot riding. We have ridden through snow, mud, deep sand washes and water in the past year. My Renegades have never caused a rub and in fact in one incident actually healed a heel bulb cut that Bo got while playing in a turn-out before a ride. It (the injury) happened at one of the last rides of 2009. Kirt was at the ride and we decided although it was easy footing to use the front boots because the heel captivator would cover the wound. It was healed closed after I finished.

Both Kirt and Gina Lander of Renegade boots are always so helpful whether it be at a ride or on the telephone. There are very few companies you can call and actually speak to the inventor and manufacturer of a product nowdays!

In my opinion, these are a far superior boot to others on the market. They are easy to put on. Easy to take off. Fewer moving parts means fewer things to break or be replaced. They do not cause any rubs on my horses without the need for vet wrap, duct tape, special ointments or treatments to the horse before application to do a 50 mile ride. I have never had the problem of not being able to ride the next day on a multiday ride due to rubbing even with the above prep as I often did with another brand. I am back to being able to ride multiday rides this year. Not one rub or sore foot.

At the Git-R-Done ride last weekend I only rode the 55 miler, but there is a lot of sand and hard packed road. Once again, no foot soreness, and not one rub and we actually did quite a bit a cantering this ride. Not once did I loose a boot. I didn’t have a single strap failure. In fact I didn’t touch my boots at all during this ride. All straps and boots were intact and in place when I took them off at the end of the ride.

Oh, and these were my originally purchased set of Renegade Hoof Boots from July 2008. These boots are well over a year old. Looking it up to see because I think they are nearly 2 years old. These boots wear as well as anything on the market. They have easily over 500 miles on them. Check my record. Every competition mile has been in boots, except for the November 2009 Get R Done second day, which we did barefoot.

I will be more than happy to help anyone with boots at any ride I attend. Becky Hackworth

Take a close look at the wear pattern inside the boot in this photo. Here you can clearly see the evidence as to why most horses don’t need thick foam pads when wearing Renegades.

As mentioned elsewhere on the Renegade web site, Renegade Hoof Boots were designed specifically for naturally trimmed hooves with a low heel, a short toe and a mustang roll. When properly trimmed as was the horse wearing this boot, the outer hoof wall will be about 1/16″ positive to the adjacent sole. When trimmed this way, the boot is resilient enough that the sole adjacent to the outer hoof wall will make considerable contact with the insole of the boot allowing the sole to be a player in the weight bearing game as it should.

When hoof walls are unnaturally long, and or have high heels, most all of the weight of the horse is born by the just the hoof wall resulting in considerable load on the lamina which attach the hoof wall to the coffin bone within. Overloading of the lamina can result in hoof wall flaring, greater shock and concussion and reduced comfort and performance.

Also obvious in this photo is how well a naturally low heel allows the frog to bear considerable weight which provides support for the digital cushion. The digital cushion acts as a rubber shock absorber for the short pastern bone which can naturally rotate downward at extreme angles during various gaits of the horse. This extreme pastern movement is a natural part of the suspension system of the horse and can be readily seen in slow motion video of the galloping horse and sometimes in still photography.

The Renegade boot in this photo was used to complete 100 miles in two days on an endurance horse. It was not cleaned after being removed. To read more about this boot visit Karen’s blog or click here.

Be sure to check out our page on correct hoof conformation. Renegade hoof boots will not work very well if the hoof is not maintained with a natural trim.

I am very happy to report our 12 year old mare, Shuja Bint Melika, Has had a successful event this weekend.

The event was 102km ( I think that’s about 65 miles?) in extremely tough, rocky and steep country.

Melika not only won the ride but was awarded Best Conditioned horse with a lovely final trot up showing we was still sound and smooth.

I have attached a pic of our little girly in her Renegade glue on shells.

Cheers,

Jen Green