The Your Horse 'Bigger Boots for Bigger Bones' campaign

By Imogen Johnson

General news

07 July 2009 12:30

• Is your horse a chunky chap?
  
  Do you struggle to find protective leg boots that are big enough to fit your horse’s legs? Then what you’re about to read could provide a glimmer of hope.
  
  We’ve been in touch with one horse owner who’s sick of buying boots that just don’t fit her horse’s legs. Fed up, she began contacting boot manufacturers in the UK, and has found one who says it might be willing to help her cause.
  
  “My horse Neville is a 15.3hh heavyweight cob with approximately 11 inches of bone at the narrowest point of his cannon. As you can imagine, finding protective boots is always a challenge,” says Valda Sailsbury.
  “Not one to be defeated, I’ve been speaking to various equine boot manufacturers in the hope that one of them might be willing to help. After much searching, I’m delighted to say that the fantastic team at Equilibrium Products has responded very positively.”
  
  The team at Equilibrium Products has told Valda and Your Horse that it would be willing to consider developing a larger size boot if we can find enough people to place a minimum order. This is by no means set in stone, but it does show that Equilibrium will consider the development of a new all-round boot for chunky legged horses if their owners come forward and speak up.
  
  “If I can secure a minimum order of 50 pairs in one size then this really could happen. There would be a boot on the market suitable for horses like Neville which would be amazing,” says Valda. “Since I started competing Neville two years ago, I’ve bought every well known make of boot in most sizes and shapes, but to no avail. There’s simply not any type of boot on the market which will go round his leg and sit in the correct place.”
  
   Your Horse and Valda are asking any Your Horse readers, who struggle to find boots for their larger horses, to get in touch. We need to know that you would be willing to place an order for a pair of the newly developed boots (suitable for your chunky horse), so Equilibrium can see whether the new boot would be worth their while.

Along with your expressed interest, we also need you to fill in a form giving the following details:

• Your name, address and a contact telephone number
• Your horse’s type, breed and size
• The circumference below your horse’s knee
• The circumference at the middle of your horse’s cannon bone
• The circumference of your horse’s fetlock joint
• The length of your horse’s cannon bone
• (please also indicate whether or not the legs are clipped)

Click here to fill out the form and send it on to Valda Sailsbury at: maxi.cob@btinternet.com

Photos: Neville is an active chap and in desperate need of some boots that fit - he's got his hooves crossed that we get enough people to join the campaign!