Correctly ship your horse
Shipping boots
High boots
- These complete boots protect very well the low joints (fetlocks and hocks). Very thick, they keep the tendons safe as good as stable bandages.
The price: about from €38 to €106 for four boots.
The price depends on seams and inner padding quality. You must not hesitate to invest a certain amount, otherwise you will only waste money and see your low-quality protections get quickly damaged.
Low boots
- Less expensive, they are also less efficient. They protect tendons very well and fetlocks well enough. With their straigh cut, they will tend to slip down a bit along the limb. They are definitely not suitable for a horse that beats or paws.
Application
- Place your boot just under the knee or the hock and close your protection with the aid of Velcro fastenings. Your tightening must be firm enough if you don't want to find the protection down on the hoof after some kilometers.
The price: about from €23 to €45 for four protections, according to size and quality.
The poll protection
This small cap can be used as a precaution to protect the horse's poll. But it is highly recommended for horses that tend to move back fast when they get out of the horse box.
The poll protector is less necessary in case of a travel by truck, as the ceiling is much higher.
Price : about € 23
The tail protection
This kind of protection sock is designed to replace the tail bandage. The latter, when forgotten, could actually cause a garrotte effect, leading to unpleasant and extremely painful wounds, and in the long term the loss of the tail hair.
Much more comfortable than a bandage, the tail protector doesn't compress the tail because it is hold by Velcro fastenings and by a girth going along the back.
Using it, you will therefore find it much less dangerous.
Hock protector
This protection is highly recommended for horses that beat during the travel. It is important to note that a horse that beats can get out of the truck without any visible wound but can show the signs of bone or joint injuries some months later.
Overreach boots
Their target is not protecting bulbs but preserving the coronet band and preventing a possible shoe removal. They are especially recommended for horses that paw during the travel.