Draft horses serve a variety of needs including work horse, cart horse, dressage horse, vaulting horse, lesson horse, “husband horse”, or just wonderful companion horse. As with any size of horse, their health and happiness often begins with their hooves. Due to the incredible size of draft horses however, common foot problems can become very large as well.
Lameness can be a problem with draft horses, as with light horses, and can be caused by a myriad of issues including abscesses, hoof cracks, or an incorrect palmer angle. Draft horses have been known to struggle with hoof quality due to breeding issues and difficulty finding vets and farriers with draft expertise. Because of this and their great size, drafts may develop hoof cracks or chips more easily than light horses. Given this, hoof boots may help protect these gentle giants and mend their hooves when necessary. What unique challenges do these larger equines present when it comes to hoof boots?
Finding appropriately sized items is always the first step, and often struggle for draft owners, as your options shrink as the size of your horse goes up. Each manufacturer has their own sizing system so it is important to pay close attention. Cavallo BFBs (Big Foot Boots) are a great option for many drafts. The below video is an example of how to properly size Cavallo’s hoof boots.
Check out the BFB from Cavallo for an example of a hoof boot specifically designed for draft horses.
