Finally! The review I know some of you have been waiting for!
Zorro has been wearing the Trekking shoes since September. I feel we have done enough different things wearing these shoes that I can write a review.
Zorro wore these until about December when his feet plumped up, as they tend to do in the winter, and I could no longer get the Trekking shoe onto his foot. I believe the moisture of the snow causes Zorro's feet to just be a bit more plump and full. This hasn't effected boot fit until the Trekking shoe. Interesting!
The Trekking shoe is a much more slim model of boot. The top is tighter to the hoof wall than the other Equine Fusion shoes I have tried. There is A LOT of velcro which makes putting these on very annoying. And because that tops of the shoes are so tight, it can be a little harder to get the shoes on.
The rubber, sole part, of the shoe is the same size as the Equine Fusion Active shoes, however I could use the Active shoes all winter, and have been able to since I got those shoes. I do believe the slim, snug fit of the uppers makes them a little less forgiving as the hoof changes seasonally. If your trimming sessions are more than 4 weeks apart I don't think the Trekking shoe will work for your pony.
Also if your pony is foundered I would NOT recommend this shoe. Foundered hooves tend to grow very fast and distort easily which will make the fit of this shoe tricky. And I believe the tight tops of the shoes will not be comfortable for a foundered pony. Not to mention the openings on the front of these shoes allow all kinds of debris to enter the shoe. Little rocks, sometimes bigger rocks, sand, sawdust, dirt, weed heads, etc. You do not want your foundered pony standing on rocks inside his shoes. For a foundered pony I would recommend the Active shoe. You can fit a nice pad inside this boot and put a sock on them to act as a gaiter, for those that have to wear boots 24/7.
I thought all the velcro on the Trekking shoe would be a problem, in that it would come loose and attract all the weeds on our walks. But we have put these through the wringer with crossing water, going through sand and mud and hiking through hip deep sage bushes, cheat grass and other weedy areas and the velcro stayed shut and didn't attract any of the weeds. But I did find some weed heads inside the shoe. I have been pleased with how the velcro is holding up!
Something I have found that helps with picking up rocks and such is putting a Comfort Pad inside the Trekking shoe. This helps take up a bit more room in the sole part of the shoe, making that part fit more snugly. AND Zorro has brightened up considerably since I added the pads. I'm not sure if he appreciates the added shock absorption on the road or if his feet just really like the squishiness of the pad. I added some to Oliver's shoes as well and he seems to like them as well! They are both springier in their movements and very very forward.
Below are some photos of the velcro as of today, 5/2/21. These shoes have around 200 miles on them from last year, in September through to April of this year. This is subtracting the small amount of miles we did in Dec, Jan and Feb wearing the Active model shoes.
The last photo on the bottom right is of the Comfort Pad inside the shoe.
Below is Oliver in his Equine Fusion Shoes:
Oliver is currently wearing the Equine Fusion Ultimate in red on the fronts, size 7 slim. (The 7 slims are so teeny tiny!!!) and the Equine Fusion Active Lights, size 7 slim, on his hind feet. I am NOT a fan of the Ultimates and can see why they discontinued them. The velcro on that style simply does not stay shut well. There isn't a "smart lock" on this style of shoe so it simply has a bib style closure on the front. This isn't going to hold up. These boots have about 80 miles on them and I would say they won't last the summer. Partly because I expect him to outgrow them but also because the velcro will simply stop working.
When compared to the Active model I do like the Trekking shoe. I am lucky in that I can have two sets of shoes, the Active and the Trekking. This means I can change the shoes with the seasons. But if you can afford only one set of shoes I suggest getting the Active model. They are more forgiving as the seasons change and will fit better between trims, especially if you only have your pony trimmed every 6-8 weeks.
For the extreme stuff we do I am liking the Trekking model. The fact that they are so slim at the tops makes scrambling through the brambles a bit easier.
If you have a pony that falls in the middle of the shoe sizes, meaning the size 8 is just a little too big but the 8 slims are far too small, the Trekking shoe will probably be your best bet fit wise! With its slim design, it just fits much more snug.
Comentários