If you ride horses on trails, you have probably heard about Scoot Boots. As relative newcomers to the boot market compared to other brands, the Australian company offer color options on the boots, a different design approach to the actual fit, and claims of easy application without sacrificing the ability to stay secure during the ride.
At the Equine Affaire in November 2018, I spent a lot of time with the Scoot Boot reps who had traveled from Australia to present their product. I was honestly surprised as I found myself going back 3 times with follow-up questions and thoughts to look at the boots over and over. In the end, I decided the company really was on to a good idea with their approach and became a stockist (dealer). I now have a full fit kit of all the Scoot Boot sizes and offer Scoot Boots in addition to Renegades and Easy Care products.
Elijah sporting his new Scoot Boot slims with Lime Green straps!
What I love about these boots: open heel bulb design to prevent build up of sand and debris that causes rubs, more forgiving fit which would be useful when booting as a temporary solution following a lost shoe, and easy of application (no mallet required).
Since these are boots we don’t have experience with on our personal horses, I have already purchased a full set for Teddy to use in his conditioning as we get ready for the upcoming endurance season.
Feel free to contact me to discuss your booting needs!
It’s been a while since we posted, but that doesn’t mean nothing has been going on. This year, we are participating in the Green Bean Endurance Challenge. We are the only team that is a full family (I think) and our team name is “No Child Left Behind”.
Since we have 7 horses and plan to ride a lot of miles this year, we have been working on getting in slow conditioning miles rides. The weather hasn’t been very cooperative, but today was decent, so we saddled up 5 mounts and headed out. We rode for just under 2 hours and only covered about 7.5 miles. The goal wasn’t speed, but rather restoring fitness that has been lost through the winter.
I rode Mojo, Anna rode Dakota, Alex rode Teddy, Vicki rode Duchess, and Amanda rode Huey. Amira and Devil stayed home for this outing. As I mentioned last fall, we are going to be riding in shoes this year. So far, Mojo and Teddy are both shod all the way around and Devil has front shoes. I’ll be honest, I’m really impressed with how much nicer Teddy moves in shoes over boots. I am working on spreading out the herd’s shoeing schedule so all 7 are not due at the same time. The move to shoes from boots (after 12 years riding without shoes) is a big shift for our family and has come due to a number of reasons.
First, is quality of the boots. I have given my honest feedback to the boot companies. I have seen a decline in the quality of a number of boot products and I’m frustrated with the constant wondering what will fail next.
Second is cost. Yes, I am a dealer for multiple boot companies which means I get boots at a discount. However, I also don’t pay labor for the shoeing. Based on the decline in quality, we are wearing out boots faster than in years past. That coupled with the increased cost of the hoof boots means it is now cheaper for our family to ride shod horses over booted horses. This wouldn’t be the case if we were paying for my labor expense associated with shoeing. For perspective, I recently found a receipt for a pair of Epics we purchased in 2006 for $102. Those same boots today, purchased from the same retailer, would cost $199.82! I’m not sure what all is driving the cost of boots up, but it is driving me away from using the product.
The last factor is convenience. Let’s be honest. Booting gets tedious. It’s really nice to pick out a hoof and ride without having to pound boots on all the hooves.
Due to all the rain, we crossed plenty of water. The creek running near the entrance of Pachaug turned into a water-crossing training site. It was between 2.5-3′ deep and everyone went through it (some a few times). Here’s a short video of the kids crossing the creek. Enjoy the pictures from our ride!
Everyone knows I get very passionate about farming in general, but horses in particular. As my trimming business has been increasing, I find myself constantly talking about the products we like best on our own farm. So, after some discussion, Anna and I have decided to start selling some equine products. The good news is, some of these double as great Caprine (goat) products too! We are now dealers for Easy Care Inc horse hoof boots, Zephyr’s Garden topical horse and dog products, and NibbleNet hay slow feeders. All of these products are items we use on our own farm and can attest to the quality and value. We absolutely love the Zephyr’s Garden products because they are non-toxic, so they are safe for the horses, kids, and goats! Check out our Equine Products page for details!
