I want to try this boot.
PHOTO: Renegade Pro-Comp Glue on boot.
Photo belongs to Renegade of Lander Industries
Phone: (888) 817-4794
I'm thinking seriously about Renegade Glue-on boots. Have any of you used them successfully? I have a couple of CMO's that I'll ride both days in September, another in October, and a long weekend planned for the first week of November. Have been to the Renegade site but not sure my specific questions were answered there. I can call them if I get my time zone/ hour thing worked out.
Will the glued on boots stay on in wet/muddy/mid-western conditions?
Can the glue-on be cut back? She is shorter than the sizing chart by about a half inch, but too wide I think to go down a size.
Can the Pro-comp be removed and reused a couple times?
How do you gently remove the pro-comp with the least damage to the boot? I'm economically challenged and would like to get at least two weekends out of a set of glued on boots.
I'm looking for a "better fit" for my mare, and a lower stressed competition. Glue on boots seem like they'd possibly make a weekend ride less hassle (providing they stay on).
Anybody?
Used them in Maine. They failed me miserably. She lost 3/4 in the first 15 miles and the fourth one nearly killed me when I tried to pry it off.
ReplyDeleteAny reason you don't do Renegade strap on boots? I've done Easyboots, Easyboot glue-ons, and Renegades, and strap on Renegades are the BEST in my opinion. Glue ons must be done precisely and well, and you run the risk of getting ouchy spots if there is any sort of glue/sole lump/etc under the glue ons. You still need to be carrying a boot in case you lose a glue on, and if you don't you get to pry them off at the end. I've had great success on various horses of different sizes and strides, in obscene muck and yuck and hilly work done at speeds, and the strap on Renegades are just awesome, no hassle, easy on and off. Just my 2 cents, or maybe 10. GOod luck! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's actually a financial consideration. To purchase 4 new renegades right now would sideline my primary goal for the year. I have eight Gloves, and they fit "okay" enough that we can train in them. I'm worried about the Gaiters though for competition. The footing here in the midwest can be so bad. We have heavy clay soil that just grabs the hoof. In fact I stepped out of my own boot yesterday :/ Under normal conditions I don't mind getting off, and reapplying a muddy boot. But if I'm competing at anything, I don't want that hassle. Journey's hoof is a tad to short for an 0 glove, and too wide for an 0.5. I can wrap her hoof with tape/vet-wrap, and get by okay with 0's. She bulges over the sides on an 0.5. So gluing on a glove shell would likely be a risky deal. I would like to try Renegades sometime, this just isn't good timing to replace 5-6 boots. So I was thinking about Renegade shells as her measurement did match up.
ReplyDeleteHave any of you used them successfully? I've used them for a multiday, a 100, and a single day 50. I had zero issues with the multiday (155 miles over 3 days), all of them came off during my 100, and 1 came off during my 50. Prep is very important with the glue on boots. They came off during my 100 because I didn't sand the hoof enough. One came off during my 50 in May because I forgot to sand the inside of the boot.
ReplyDeleteWill the glued on boots stay on in wet/muddy/mid-western conditions? Yes. the multiday was 3 days in the snow and mud. the one that came off on the 50 was after going through multiple bogs all day, near the 40 mile mark. The 100 was completely dry.
Can the glue-on be cut back? She is shorter than the sizing chart by about a half inch, but too wide I think to go down a size. Yes. The renegades hoof boot has a flat sole that can be cut down with a pair of nipper after the boot is glued on. it's one reason I prefer the renegade glue on over the easy boot - the ability to cut the back down to custom size.
Can the Pro-comp be removed and reused a couple times? Nope. Or rather - good luck. I originally tried to do this and in trying to spare the boot actually took a chunk out of my horses foot while prying it off. They are already a b*tch to take off, even when cutting them off piece by piece. And if you glue them so they are easy to get off, they will come off on the trail. The time I did get a mostly intact boot off, it was so full of glue chunks and I never was able to grind them out to the point where I would have been comfortable using them again.
How do you gently remove the pro-comp with the least damage to the boot? see above
Other notes
Plan on spending 15-20 minutes for each boot/foot prepping and gluing. Even professionally applied glue on boots will come off sometimes. Watch the youtube videos that renegade has that show the gluing process. They do it in real time and there is a lot of additional equipment you need - including a special glue gun (~$50), a tube of glue (~20-30) - which is enough to glue 4 boots on plus some extra, at least 5 or 6 tips (~$1, bought in a pack of $12). The shells are ~$30/pair I think. Unless you only ride 1-2 rides a year and only plan on gluing for those rides, you are probably better off finding a pair of used renegades (~100-140/pair). Or compromise and use used strap ons on the fronts and glue ons on the hinds for rides and only train in the strap ons on front if your horse needs the protection. 99% of my clients don't need hind boots except for endurance rides. And, in my experience the hind boots are what are troublesome in mud+hills+speed so gluing hinds on just for a ride is half the time/trouble of doing a full set of glue ons if I'm only doing a couple rides a year that need full set of hoof protection.
In summary, I'm really happy to have the glue on option for the once a year that I need it.....but it is NOT easier and it's hard on the hoof - even only having the boots on 4 days (day before I leave for the ride, travel day, ride day, day after) the hoof comes out smelly and IMO a little soft, and the amount of sanding prep you have to do hoof is not a good thing to do regualarly.
Comment was too long so had to do it in 2 parts!
ReplyDeleteThere isn't any difference in the prep or process to glue on the renegades versus the easy boot glueons.
So in summary.....glue ons are a great option if you are only going to do it 1-2x/year and are using strap on options the rest of the time. NOT a good option if you are going to be doing 4 or more rides a year IMO. Also, don't plan on being able to reuse the shells. AND you have a VASTLY more successful experience if you can find someone to show you IN PERSON how to prep the hoof - I was SHOCKED at how much sanding on the hoof had to be done - I got to watch renegade replace my glueons during Tevis in 2010 because they all fell off because I didn't sand enough.
Also - be really careful not to get glue under the sole or bottom of the boot. Major (irish horse, another blogger that uses renegades) was lame the first loop into the 50 we were doing a couple weekends ago because of this issue, the first time she glued. It's really hard not to do and I've done it - but fortunatley Farley doesn't care.
So.....I'm not totally against glueons in all situations, it's just not necessarily easier than strap ons. but I do tend to glue boots on when I have a big ride that I'm stressed about (Tevis in 2010, my first 50 in 2 years where I knew there would be bogs) so I do understand where you are coming from :).
Also - remember there are some perfectly good used renegades out there - I just sold a pair of renegades for $130 a pair that maybe had 10 miles on them. And something with "average" wear (still plenty of tread) might go for $100-110, which is the cost of a set of glueons+accessories.
Journey has very thin hoof walls. I don't think excessive sanding would be good. Competition-wise a few a year of "something" is about it for me. We live god awful far from most things. Closest events are 85 miles away which is okay, the CMO's are 500 miles for most. So I have to pick and choose and use gasoline wisely. So if I glued, it would be twice a year tops. Just not sure it is worth the trouble. We can run the gloves, but I have to use the "old style" gators, she just chews through the new ones like crazy. This puts us at risk for rubs. I have a system to avoid that, but it is not fail proof. My wraps could move, and then she'd get chewed up. Longest we've gone in my wraps/ gloves is 25 miles. I do possibly have a line on a couple of used renegades. I have to hear back what size she has, and if they are 0's I'll probably get them and give it a try. Journey's heels are very low, kind of think they'd work.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your responses. I think I'm leaning towards a strap-on pair.
Mel mentioned me (and Major the horse), I say go for the strap-ons, even if you save up for awhile. I glued on for a two-day event. The prep was tough, but do-able. But sticky! I was lucky to borrow the special gun, but the epoxy $30, shells, etc. I thought I did everything right. And a tiny bit of glue seeped underneath and I had to pull my horse at 30 miles, super lame. Pry the boot off (almost impossible, I couldn't have done it, my boyfriend did it with the head of a screwdriver, very carefully) found a piece of glue smaller than a dime and not even 1/8 inch thick. Enough to lame my horse. After that he trotted 98% sound (and is fine now a week later) but there went my competition.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping it would be one less thing for me to worry about, since I was trying my first 2-day 50 attempt. Instead I went home. I'll be using the strap one, which I have already been using successful for a few years.
I also only boot in front, never needed anything on the hinds, even on the tough rocky trails. Your horse might be different. I know there are some options for making the easyboots a bit more secure (like tape and such) but I really think each boot/hoof combo is so individual. Good luck!
Jacke, Please email me when you get a chance at ashley(AT)renegadehoofboots(DOT)com. I can discuss sizing with you if you have any further questions, as well as some additional options for used boots. ~Ashley
ReplyDelete(And we're in Arizona, currently on Pacific Standard Time, reachable 8-5 M-F if that helps.)
ReplyDelete