This is a tricky one. Before we dive in, it’s important to explore why you are considering this move for your horse in the first place. Has your horse recently recovered from an injury? Is he coming in from pasture with lumps and bumps? Before considering leg protection for turnout, you may want to have a chat with your veterinarian and your barn owner. There might be a suitable alternative pasture option for your horse – maybe it’s time to consider individual turnout instead of group, or perhaps with a different group of horses. Creating and maintaining the right herd structure based on personality isn’t so black and white. Sometimes it takes some changing around.
So now, to the boots. If you’ve considered all of the above suggestions already and are still thinking about booting in turnout, let’s weigh in a little more. Generally speaking, we put boots on horses to protect their legs from impact and interfering (usually while working) and to support their tendons. Some people use boots in turnout if their horses are prone to skin conditions like scratches and mud fever. We’ve already shared links to research that suggests most wraps and boots we use on horses’ legs trap heat, making them more susceptible to soft tissue injury. If you have an injury-prone horse, it’s worth talking more with your veterinarian.
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