Why I Love Scoot Boots

A few years ago I decided to stop shoeing my horses and let them stay barefoot. Considering how much I love trail riding, I knew Rumor and Gracie would need hoof boots to protect their feet on rough terrain. I found out about Scoot boots after searching hoof boot groups on Facebook and seeing what boots everyone liked. I’ve now been using them for a few years and wanted to share my thoughts on them.

Pros of Scoot Boots

• Lightweight & Flexible
• Plenty of vents for water/mud to flow through and out
• Stay on in deep mud
• Good grip on the bottom for slippery mud or rocks
• Fit multiple hoof shapes (i.e correct hoofs, underrun heels, etc)
• Can add color – toe, mud and pastern straps come in various colors

Scoot boots were actually the second boots I tried. The first hoof boots I tried were a waste of money. They constantly came off in the pasture; therefore, I never got to test them on the trails. It didn’t take long for them to come apart either. Those ended up in the trash and Scoot Boots were purchased.

I really liked this design over other brands. One of my favorite places to ride has thick, deep mud at the start of the trail and I would worry about losing shoes. If shoes could come off, I knew boots could too. Plus, I needed something that wouldn’t rub sores or hold mud/water in the boot. To me, these just made the most sense.

I’ve now used them many times to trail ride at many different places and I can truly say, they work well! I’ve never lost a scoot boot or had one come off. Rubbing has happened a few times but no open sores. Just pink skin from irritation. You can prevent this by stretching the boot out before use.

Cons of Scoot Boots

• Toe straps can be hard to put on
• Mud straps are hard to get on and time consuming
• Need multiple sizes
• Rubbing can happen
• Sometimes manual stretching needs to be done
• Toe straps need to be replaced as they stretch with use

I bought the mud straps and toe straps in bright green and pink. I use these every time I trail ride. It sucks you don’t get color options when you buy the boots. These things are considered extra which makes the initial purchase cost that much more. In my opinion, mud straps are necessary for trail riding.

Unfortunately, mud straps are a pain in the you know what to put on. It takes time and patience on your part and your horses. The mud strap have loops on them that the toe straps are pushed through to keep the boots securely in place on the hoof. Getting the toe strap through the loop is the hardest part. Once the mud strap is on the toe strap, the toe strap then becomes hard to hook. Needless to say, if you have arthritic hands, the scoot boots likely aren’t the best option for you.

The only other complaint I have, is the rubbing that happens as they are broke in. Some people don’t experience it and others do. The scoot boot rep I bought my boots from showed me how to “heat stretch” the boots when they are new and this fixed the rubbing problem for me.

Summary

I don’t believe any hoof boot comes without its own problems. I think what boot we choose to use has to depend on multiple factors like:

• Cost – how much are you willing to spend on boots?
• Hoof shape – does your horse have normal shaped feet (round with good heel height) or abnormal (long toe, club foot, low heel, etc)
• Why you need them in the first place – Are you getting them to use for turnout or riding? Will you be riding in rocky terrain?

I own 4 pairs of these boots in multiple sizes because I love them that much. My favorite color combo is green and pink. I find that these colors together are super cute. They also are easy to see from the back of my horse when I’m looking down to make sure they don’t come off in mud. Many of my trail riding riding friends have commented about how surprised they are with how well they stay on. If you need hoof boots for trail riding, I highly recommend Scoot Boots.

If you want to buy Scoot boots or learn more about them, I’d recommend joining the Heartland Scoot Boot group on Facebook. Stacy Pratt runs the group and is the rep I’ve purchased all my boots and accessories from.

So Tell Me

Is your horse barefoot? Do you use hoof boots for riding?

If so:

• what boots do you use?
• what type of riding do you use your hoof boots for?