DSLD stands for Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis (I've also seen it called Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Disease). In its advanced stages it is easy to spot as the pasterns eventually have a severely dropped appearance. Image from https://www.smartpakequine.com/learn-health/dsld-in-horses These photos are from the article I've linked below, which has more info. These are of the same horse before DSLD was apparent, and in advanced stages.  I can't tell you how many posts I've seen of someone who either just bought a horse, or was about to buy a horse, and posted pi ..read more

Your hoof boots are an investment and a good fit is key to successful booting. But how do you know you are getting the very best fit? I can help! I will look at your measurements, send you several sizes of fitting shells to try on, and a link to a video explaining how they should fit. But that's not all - the proof is in the riding -  you get to trial your new boots for 2 weeks!    STEP 1: MEASUREMENT PHOTOS For remote fittings I will need measurement photos of clean hooves, ***taken as soon after a fresh trim as possible***. Please either  label the pho ..read more

We had invited some folks to ride a 16 mile loop with us starting at the Goose Creek trailhead outside of Bozeman, MT. Our friends weren't able to make it so we revised plans and decided to start out from the Newman trailhead instead. Better to do this one without company as it was iffy whether the first section would be passable. We like starting here as there is a really nice creek at the trailhead. Here is the loop. We had thought we'd be motoring but ended up taking about 7 long hours to do about 19 miles. (I forgot to turn my GPS on at the start so missing a little bit of mileag ..read more

Finally got to do some Scoot Boot mud testing after a few days of rain. Our pen is all clay, no sand and we just graded it so it is extra sticky, deep and mucky. If you're not familiar with the clay mud we have around here, it is so bad that it has a name "Montana Gumbo". It can pull your human boots off, and I once made a little clay bowl out of it - really!  This short video will give you an idea of how these boots go in the mud. Turn your sound on if you want to hear the slo-mo squishy sounds :) The boots did not come off or twist at all.  It's hard to see in the vi ..read more

Dakota and I had (mostly) a great week of riding the last week of May. Dakota is one of two Arabian half-brothers we picked up about 18 months ago. They were 11 years old and had never been trained. We trained them ourselves and they have been coming along nicely (or so I thought ;) ... more on that later). My husband was away rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and I was feeling confident enough about Dakota to get him out by myself and then with some friends and put our Scoot Boots to the test. We first did a 7 mile ride around our Bozeman Pass neighborhood alo ..read more

One of the most common things I hear when choosing a boot size with a customer is "These new boots (or fitting boots) seem snug and my horse is only 2 weeks into the trim cycle. I'm worried they won't fit at 6 weeks".  When fitting there are several factors we check. Ideally the gap at the front of the boot will be about a pinky's width, there will be a little bit of room on the sides of the boot to allow for growth widthwise. And most importantly, you should be able to get a finger between the horse and the horizontal heel strap (this test is done with gaiters OFF, but please use your g ..read more

When purchasing Scoot Boots I recommend using the trail gaiters that come with them, at least until the boots break in. But if you've worn out your gaiters or are having any issues with them, this article covers some options to consider.   Trail Gaiters These are the gaiters that come with new Scoot Boots and work well for most horses.  Trail gaiters are the easiest option and cover the areas that have the most friction and work for most horses. If they have been working well for you, it may be best to not mess with a good thing! I have them available here: https://timberlin ..read more

If your Scoot Boots are overall a good fit, but just a bit tight at the heel, heat stretching may be the perfect solution to customize the fit perfectly for your horse. Boots can easily be stretched 5 millimeters (1/8") or more which will add a full size to your heel straps.  I can heat fit the heel straps for you, or, you can do it yourself. It's not that difficult, and will save on shipping if you already have your boots.  There are two methods of heat stretching: boiling water, or a heat gun. I recommend boiling water if you haven't done a heat stretch before. It ensures the str ..read more

This is part of a 3-part series on glue on hoof boots and covers how to glue on boots with Sikaflex 227. If you're not sure which type of glue you'd like to use, please click over to the following article first: Which glue should I use for gluing on my Scoot Skins? (More photos and video to be added to this article later) Scoot Skins are the glue on version of Scoot Boots. Gluing on Scoot Skins or other hoof boots with Sikaflex 227 is ideal for shorter term applications such as an endurance ride weekend, or a week-long riding trip.  Sikaflex is a caulk-like product which rem ..read more

This is part of a 3-part series on glue on hoof boots and covers how to glue on boots with Glue-U SHUFIT or other fast-set glues. If you're not sure which type of glue you'd like to use, please click over to the following article first: Which glue should I use for gluing on my Scoot Skins? Glue on Hoof Boots are a great solution for endurance riding and multi-day riding. You can leave them on for a full trim-cycle if desired, and sometimes do multiple resets! There is zero worry about rubbing which is why they are a go-to for endurance riders doing rides of 50 miles or more. Scoot Skins ..read more