How to take off hoof boots
| June 24, 2015 | Posted by Melinda under Uncategorized |
Step 1
Hope that the boots fell off in the 2 days post ride since you saw the horse, but not feeling that lucky assemble the tools needed – hammer and long flat headed screw driver. Thank my lucky starts I’m married to a carpenter and the garage is *teeming* with such tools.
Step 2
Except it isn’t. The screwdriver was easy – on the dryer with the multitude of other tools on their *way to the garage. WHY CAN’T I FIND A HAMMER. Can’t call the husband, he will ask why I need a hammer and since we all already know what his opinion is of the glue on boots, forgiveness rather then permission is key.
*Used in the loosest meaning of the term. In strictly theoretical terms.
Step 3
Give up and move a thousand items to uncover my toolbox and my perfectly adequate hammer.
Step 4
Drive to stable and confirm that indeed the boots are still firmly and perfectly in place.
Step 5
Make sure your timing is impeccable (feeding time) and you have allocated enough time which double the time needed to put the boots on which is approximately 45 min (I have 30 min to get home and make dinner).
Step 6
Find a stool. This is going to take awhile.
Step 7
Break the seal between boot and hoof chisel and hammer style carefully and patiently
Step 8
Yell at horse for not keeping the correct foot weight bearing
Step 9
Give up and try to pry the boot off with brute force before adequate releasing the seal which annoys the pony to the point where you wonder whether she’s deliberately going to step on you the next time you sit on the stool. Go back to *patiently* chiseling glue and boot and avoiding hoof.
Step 10
Finally get the boots off. Admire my work. Was the least annoying, least bloody, least amount of cussing boot removal EVER.
Maybe I AM getting better at this!
(Matt still thinks glueons are stupid)
————————————————-
What I posted…
One year ago: (are you kidding me? that’s when I started clinics. Of course I didn’t post anything)
Two years ago: Wild West Part 1, part 2, AND part 3 (overachiever…)
Six years ago: Bluegrass
You are brave.
And a tool user.
A girl should *always* have her own tools. I can never find a flat-headed screwdriver in Jim’s many stacks of stuff. Mine is in the horse trailer, where it belongs (and where he doesn’t know to go looking for it).
Agree! It was easy when I had my truck – my truck tool box had all my tools. Now that I sold my truck, the tool Box is in the garage and stuff gets stacked on it which makes me lazy and not want to go to the ttrouble. There has got to be a better way. I have started leaving tools at the stable. If I need it at the stable it stays at the stable. So that’s where my hammer and screw driver is now. Along with the grinder and dremmel and wire cutters and star wrench and…… ;).
Ok, you rock tool-using pregnant lady! Now I feel even worse…I sprained my ankle unloading the truck after Wild West. I made my boyfriend (he of much more patience than I) take off the boots. Major whacked him in the head kicking a fly too. I seriously owe him!
How you told me to do it at Wild West was vastly superior to anything I’ve tried so far! I was so glad I onoy had two instead of four though. How’s the ankle? Does it keep you from swimming?
I’m glad they were easier to take off. Still same hard though!
I have to stay off my ankle for at least a week, no exercise, I’m on crutches. I’m going completely stir crazy! At least I did it after the ride!