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The Best Sport Medicine Splint Boots For Barrel Racing

The Best Sport Medicine Splint Boots For Barrel Racing

by | Barrel Racing, Product Reviews, Tack & Equipment

The Best Barrel Racing Leg Protection

When it comes to barrel racing, choosing the right leg protection for your horse can be overwhelming but also very important. Getting started in barrel racing itself can be daunting, something I help with here in the guide to barrel racing The right splint boots not only protect the legs from potential injuries but also offers support. There are many to choose from with new brand poping up all the time. hey all in essence do the same thing, but which is best for your horse, and also you.

We will compare some of the top splint boots, some that I have personally tried and some I still use today; Including the Classic Equine Legacy2 Support Boots, Professional’s Choice 2XCool Sports Medicine Boots, Tough 1 Extreme Vented Sport Boots, and Weaver Prodigy Athletic Boots.

Splint boots offer essential support to the tendons and ligaments, in barrel racing we know it is a high demanding sport. The right boots will help from the legs from getting too hot and full of dirt that can cause discomfort and potentially further issues.

Let’s gear up with the best splint boots and make every run the best it can be.

Classic Equine Legacy2 Support Boots

If you go to a race you will see lots of Classic Equine Legacy2 fronts and the newer release of the Flexion Legacy2(pictured above) for good reason. They are made from 100% virgin neoprene, these boots are easy to use and countour around your horses legs really nicely.

For those riders who are really particular about fit, the inner rib is a game-changer. Positioned between the tendon and the cannon bone, this rib ensures the boots maintain perfect alignment, ahh yes, we love that for you!

 The Classic Equine Legacy2 Support Boots or any of their Legacy line boots are a good choice for any level barrel racer. They fit great, are easy to put on and just look good!

Professional’s Choice 2XCool Sports Medicine Boots

If breathability are high on your checklist, then the Professional’s Choice 2XCool Sports Medicine Boots are for you. Ditching the traditional neoprene, these boots are made from ultra-lightweight, super-breathable materials that make them different in the world of barrel racing.

But, also beware, I did hear that the material isn’t as protective as neoprene due to the mini air pockets that allows them to be more breathable. Overall, Professional Choice does have quality porducts and you can’t go wrong with this choice.

Tough 1 Extreme Sport Boots

These boots are designed to give your horse full support with the suspensory sling, which offers flexible support to the fetlock and tendons. Plus they look cool!

The boots also come with nicely places velcro that help them shape perfectly to your horse’s legs. Keeping out dirt and debris which is always a treat for the horse.

In a nutshell, if you’re after a pair of boots that offer good protection, cost effecient and a fit that feels custom-made, the Tough 1 Extreme Vented Sport Boots are definitely worth trying out.

Weaver Prodigy Athletic Boots

These boots are designed to offer support and protection with their innovative Dynamic Sling System, which cradles your horse’s suspensory tendons and ligaments like a well-fitted glove (they say).

The combination of a neoprene liner and stretchy binding creates a snug fit that feels almost custom-made for your horse’s legs.

I have not personally used them but these boots have been tested and fine-tuned by a variety of industry professionals. If its good for them it must be good for us, right?

They’re easy to put on, and provide your horse with the freedom to move naturally. The Weaver Prodigy Athletic Boots are worth a shot! 

How to Choose the Best Splint Boots for Your Horse

There are so many option out there. Econoclast, relentless, Tacktical, and many more smaller brands that I will share below.

Evaluate your horse’s specific needs. Are they prone to injuries, or do they need extra support? Do you just want to look good with funky paterns and colours?

Breathability is another thing to consider. You don’t want your horse to work with hot legs as it can cause injury. A lot of boots get hot naturally so it’s important to take those bad boys off your horses leg as much as possible. This means after your runs too, take them off. This also included the overreach boots too!

Other Choices Good Choices

There are lots of high end leg wrap options out there. Here are a few others you can choose from.

Iconoclast

Josh Andrews Dura Boots (would like to try these)

Tacktical Leg Wraps

Polo Wraps

Then of course there are polo wraps. Some use them on all four legs, some use them only in the hind legs, some say they dont offer enough protection. They are less convenient then the splint boots as they need to be cleaned and rolled up before each use.

They are also better suited for the more advanced as you can mess up applying polo wraps quite easily. (But, if you want to learn, there will be a blog and video showing you how to properly put them on soon)When it comes to our horses precious legs and tendons, we really want to get things right! Having said that, polo wraps have a place, but my opinion is id say stick with more protection and convenience alone, these do not get my vote for barrel racing.

Explore the many options out there, you will find the ones that work for you and your horse.

Let us know below which ones you have tried which ones you like in the comment section below.

Tie Downs for Barrel Horse: Essential Tool or Temporary Fix?

Tie Downs for Barrel Horse: Essential Tool or Temporary Fix?

by | Horse Training, Tack & Equipment

Control or Crutch? Asking “Does your horse need a tie down?”

Tack and equipment are a big part of training horses. Every horse and rider is different and we have many options to choose from.

Headgear, can be a controversial topic. While some view them as necessary, others argue that they are merely a crutch for training or underlying issues. Having experimented with different types of headgear, I understand both sides. This blog post will explore the truth about all types of headgear such as tie downs, bonnets, headsetters, discussing what they offer, how they work, and potential drawbacks for our barrel horses.

How do tie downs work

They are used to help control a horse’s head position, ensuring their head sits below the tiedown. But as Trevor Brazile notes, in his article here “Tie-downs are not built to be pushed on the whole time.” The goal is to create a clear boundary without limiting the horse’s natural movement. 

It’s important to remember that misusing a tie down can cause more harm than good. By using a tie-down properly,  riders can help their horses perform at their best without sacrificing comfort or freedom of movement.

Personal Experience: When I Found Tie-Downs Useful

 

Throughout my barrel racing journey, I’ve tried many different types of headgear. When riding a particularly chargey or hot horse, I found tie-downs offered a barrier that the bit didnt always provide, espeically when things happen so fast like in barrel racing.

I personally try to stay away from anything that restricts the movement of my horse. If I feel a need for a tiedown, before I just throw one on my horse I will ask a few questions first.

  • could there be a underlying issue with my horse? What could it be? (example, teeth need to be done, they are body sore somewhere, 
  • Am I using the tiedown to fix a training issue

Tiedowns have a place in the tack room but not on every horse. It is our job to decide when it seems fitting to use a tie down and for what purpose.

Ask “does my horse need to become more stiff?” Then perhaps a leather tie down will improve your communication and create that wall for them to feel secure and stable and making them stiffer throughout their body.  

“Does my horse toss their head anytime you use the reins?” Then maybe it’s time to understand your bits better and uncover the reason why your horse is tossing its head before you mask the behaviour with another tool.

The Pros of Using Tie-Downs

      • **Easy to Use**: Tie-downs are simple to attach and adjust, making them beginner friendly to set up.

      • **Instant Results**: You are instantly creating a boundary for their head. But be sure to teach your horse the new boundary before you get on.

      • **Balancing Aid**: With a thicker leather noseband, tie-downs can give the horse something to lean against, helping maintain their balance.

    The Cons of Tie-Downs: Potential Stiffness and Misuse

         

        • **Causing Stiffness**: When a tie-down is too restrictive, it can lead to stiffness in a horse’s neck and shoulders. Imagine trying to run with your head held in an awkward position—it’s not comfortable for you, and it’s certainly not comfortable for your horse either.

        • **Becoming Tense**: Over-reliance on tie-downs can encourage a horse to become bracey. Instead of responding smoothly to cues, they may push against the restriction, making their movement tense and jolty.

        • **Risk of Pain**: Poorly fitted tie-downs can cause the horse pain. Whether it’s cuts or bruising, the wrong setup can do more harm than good. Always double-check your gear with someone who knows how to properly adjust a tiedown.

        • **Fixing a Symptoms**: It’s tempting to use a tie-down as a quick fix for behavioral issues, but this doesn’t always mean youre fixing the root issue. Real improvement comes from a proper training foundation and clear communication. 

        • **Causing Anxiety**: A too-tight tie-down can make a horse feel trapped, leading to increased anxiety and tension. This added stress can cause a lot more issues in the arena.

      By understanding these pros and cons, you can make more informed decisions about whether or not a tiedown is right for your horse. 

      Food for Thought

      Horses communicate without the use of speech, therefore it is our job to listen to them in other ways. This is through our intuition, our energy, verbal cues, posture, body language and other hidden components to language horses respond to that we as riders can be unaware of.

      At the end of the day, tools are simply tools. There isn’t one magic tool to make our horse perform how we want. It takes understanding how to communicate more effecively, becoming a more empathetic rider and being the horses leader to create healthy working realtionships.

      It’s our job to educate the horse, if they aren’t educated then we have no one else to blame but ourselves. Use the tools, but don’t rely on them to do all the work.

      When there are no shortcuts, there are also no holes.

      While tie-downs can be a helpful tool in the barrel racing toolkit, they shouldn’t be your go-to solution for every problem. Remember, a solid training foundation will always outweigh any quick fix from equipment.