How to Fit Overreach Boots Correctly
Protecting hooves and heel bulbs – overreach boots
Boots, bandages and overreach boots protect particularly sensitive areas of the legs and hooves from knocks and blows. Shod horses in particular often run the risk of catching themselves with their shoes as they move and injuring themselves – grazes, splints, overreach injuries to the heel bulbs or lost shoes can be the result. Boots and bandages mainly protect the inside of the limbs – that is, the cannon bone, the fetlock joint and the tendons and ligaments. Overreach boots mainly protect against overreach injuries to the heel bulbs when a horse strikes into its front legs with its hind feet.
Overreach boots
A lovely hack across a stubble field can quickly turn into a nightmare if the horse strikes into its front legs with its hind feet at a flat-out gallop and injures itself.
So what’s the best way to find the right fit? The rule here is: trial and error beats theory. It even happens that a horse needs one size larger on the right hoof than on the left, for example. As a rule, the sizes S, M, L, XL, Pony, Thoroughbred, Warmblood or the designations Cob and Full are a good guide, and you can start by placing your horse in one of these categories.
If the overreach boots cover the entire back of the hoof, i.e. reach almost down to the ground, one part of the fit is right. Secondly, you should be able to run your fingers all the way round between the pastern and the boot to make sure the boot is not too tight around the pastern.
Last but not least, you can check the hold by giving the boot a gentle wiggle. The boot should not slip. With new overreach boots, you should also lead your horse round a few times before mounting to check that they don’t slip or rub against each other.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!
Best wishes
Your EQM Team