Boots for horses - useful or unnecessary?
What are gaiters anyway?
Gaiters are a type of leg protection for horses. They are placed around the fetlock and the cannon bone and fastened with Velcro or button closures. They are made of an impact-resistant material such as plastic or leather, with a padding filling of neoprene or fur.
Which types are there?
Hard shell gaiters you know mostly from jumping or eventing. They are made of plastic and are lined with neoprene or artificial fur / lambskin on the inside. The horse's fetlock and flexor tendons are effectively protected against bumps, kicks and scrapes with the other leg. Make sure that you choose work boots for your horse's hind legs that are slightly larger than those for the front legs. Or use fetlock boots on the hind leg to protect the fetlock.
There are also models made of faux leather or leather that are high-cut and include the fetlock and cannon bone. They are usually closed with Velcro fasteners.
The fetlock or gaiters, mostly known from dressage, enclose the entire fetlock and the cannon bone up to the carpal joint. When Dressurgamaschen they are ideal because there is a high risk that the horses will injure themselves due to lateral movements and reinforcements. Dressage gaiters are particularly elegant and are often lined with lambskin or artificial fur, also known as faux fur.
Spoon gaiters consist of a plastic or leather part in the shape of a spoon and a neoprene base with a Velcro fastener. The spoon gaiter is anatomically shaped on the inside. The gaiter is closed on the outside with at least two to three or a very wide Velcro fastener. The gaiters are particularly suitable for horses that graze when running. They are less suitable as protection for show jumping or off-road, as they only effectively protect the inside of the horse's leg from impact damage.
Other styles apart from work leggings
In addition to the models that are used during training, you get other gaiters as leg protection for the stable, regeneration or transport.
Stable gaiters are suitable for horses who, for example, have been ordered to rest in their stalls due to an injury and are therefore a little restless. So that they do not injure themselves during the rest phase, these soft models are put on and securely closed with Velcro.
Leggings for regeneration are usually equipped with materials that increase blood circulation and thus promote the transport of oxygen and the removal of waste products. The therapy gaiters can be used after an injury or to prepare the tendons for increased loads. Therapy gaiters can also be used for cooling. the Horseware Ice Vibe cooling gaiters are a popular model in this area.
There is also suitable leg protection for transport. The horse can become unbalanced while driving in the horse trailer or transporter. Injuries can also occur when loading and unloading the horse if it stumbles or slips. the Transport gaiters are cut in such a way that they protect the legs beyond the coronet of the hoof. Make sure they are snug enough because they must not slip.
What material are gaiters made of?
Most work boots for horses consist of a combination of a plastic outer shell and a neoprene inner lining. But there are also gaiters made of leather, imitation leather or just neoprene without an outer shell. Some brands use materials like carbon or kevlar to significantly increase impact protection.
In addition to the common neoprene lining, there is also Sheepskin or faux fur linings. These offer greater protection against pressure or chafing. Lambskin is also temperature-regulating and transports moisture well away from the horse's leg.
What is the difference between a gaiter and fetlock boots?
Gaiters are cut significantly longer than fetlock boots. In addition, fetlock boots mostly only have a spoon-shaped protection on the inside of the fetlock joint. Most fetlock boots attach to the outside of the leg with Velcro. But there are also fetlock boots that are closed at the back. They are often used in combination with gaiters on the front leg. Both variants are suitable as leg protection. fetlock are just as easy to put on and take off as gaiters. Fetlock boots are usually only used on the hind leg.
Gaiter or bandage: which is better?
In contrast to bandages, gaiters are made of much harder material such as plastic or leather and are often used for jumping, eventing and cross-country disciplines. Bandages, on the other hand, are mostly used in dressage.
Gaiters are of course easier to put on and take off than bandages. However, they also have the major disadvantage that they can chafe if the fit is not tailored to the horse's leg. However, the shock-absorbing effect of gaiters is higher than that of bandages.
You can bandage when you need support and minimal shock absorption. The supporting effect is particularly desirable in the case of tendon damage. When bandaging, make sure that you do not interrupt the lymph flow and blood circulation. So you should not pull the bandages too tight. It is best to also use bandage pads so that there are no pressure points or chafing.
Which brands are particularly popular when it comes to gaiters?
There are some brands that specialize in the design and manufacture of gaiters. These include, among other things Veredus and Kentucky Horsewear. But also popular equestrian sports brands such as Eskadron,BR, Back on Track, Equestrian Stockholm or Busse and Waldhausen make high quality leg armor.
The Italian brand Veredus manufactures gaiters for almost every area and requirement. The Olympus Vento and Carbon Gel Vento models, with and without skins, are particularly popular. The fur consists of a highly technical synthetic fur - from Veredus Called "Save the Sheep". The manufacturer stands for maximum protection with an excellent fit for all products. Special materials such as Kevlar, carbon or micro-perforated Aerox neoprene are used for this. The range also includes cheaper models made of plastic or imitation leather with Velcro.
Kentucky Horsewear is known for exceptional designs and horse-friendly materials. This is also reflected in the protection for the horse's legs. In addition to the popular Air Tech all-terrain gaiters made of hard-wearing artificial leather, the Belgian company also offers hard-shell gaiters, wrap-around gaiters and bell boots, as well as fetlock boots. The products are characterized by a particularly good fit, very good ventilation and protection against pressure points and chafing.
The popular equestrian sport brand Eskadron primarily offers wrap-around gaiters with faux fur lining that match the color of the collection. But hard shell gaiters with neoprene or soft models are also represented in the range. The Flexisoft gaiters and the Pikosoft boots are particularly popular alongside the collection models.
Auch Equestrian Stockholm has color matching collection models. These are made of faux leather with a crocodile structure and faux fur. As usual with wrap-around gaiters, they are attached to the leg with Velcro fasteners.
Leggings FAQ
You can use all variants in dressage. However, most riders bandage the horse's leg instead of using gaiters for dressage work. If you don't want to put in much effort and don't want to bandage, use dressage gaiters. These usually have a soft upper material, which is also durable. If your horse rubs the horseshoe along the hoof or knucklebone, you can use so-called gaiters. These also protect the sensitive ankle joint. Alternatively, of course, you can also use hard-shell boots in combination with bell boots to eventto prevent the hind feet from entering the front feet.
For versatility, mainly for riding off-road, you should choose closed models and bell boots. The risk of injury from branches or undergrowth lying around is highest here, so the outer shell should be shock-absorbing.
Jumping boots should protect the fetlock and knuckle bones from falling poles. You can also use bell boots to prevent horseshoes from stepping into the ball of the foot and causing serious injury. The outer shell should provide good impact protection and be shock absorbing. You should also use closed leg protection here so that the horse's leg is protected all around.
To protect your horse when driving on the trailer or transporter, you can use transport gaiters. These protect the horse's leg from the pastern joint or from the hock joint to over the coronet border to the hoof. Bell boots are not necessary here.
Since the appearance of the horse's leg changes with bandages or gaiters, this makes it difficult for the judges to judge. Therefore, you must remove any leg protection before entering the dressage test.
If you want to protect your horse's leg in the pasture, you can use gaiters. However, these should only be created if absolutely necessary. For example, if your horse is very wild and rages and plays a lot with other horses. In order to prevent chafing and pressure points, as well as damage caused by heat build-up, you should put on the gaiters as little as possible. If your horse wears horseshoes, you can try hoof bells first to protect the sensitive ball of the hoof.
You can wash gaiters according to the washing instructions. You should always put them in a laundry bag should you use the washing machine. Pay attention to the care instructions for gaiters with real lambskin. Plastic and neoprene gaiters can usually be cleaned at a low temperature with a simple detergent on a gentle cycle.
Conclusion: gaiters make sense in certain cases
Whether you put on gaiters in dressage is up to you. If your horse touches the fetlock joints while running, it makes sense to protect them. You can also protect your horse's legs from tendon damage from blunt trauma. Make absolutely sure that the gaiters do not slip when riding. In addition, body heat must not accumulate under the gaiters.
You should definitely protect the horse's leg when jumping or off-road. Matching gaiters and optional bell boots are essential here. The risk of your horse hitting the obstacle with its sensitive legs or kicking itself is simply too great to ride without proper leg protection.
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