Shoes for Horse Work

[Pandacinny]

I'm just starting to get some volunteer time at a local horse rescue. Basically this means a lot of barn work. I don't have any prior horse experience, so I won't be working directly with the horses an awful lot.

Can you guys recommend some good shoes/boots for barn chores? The tennis shoes I wear at small animal clinics just will not cut it. I'm looking for something that isn't incredibly expensive, but am willing to pay a little for the ideal shoe since I plan on being at the rescue at least once a week.

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[cupolovet]

muck boot (that is the brand name) makes comfortable neoprene/rubber boots that aren't too pricey

 

[Rebeki]

I've worked with horses quite a bit and you could probably get away with an old pair of tennis shoes, especially if you won't be having a lot of interaction with the horses. I was a working student for a year and wore tennis shoes the whole time. If you are looking for something a little more sturdy, you could also try a pair of hiking type boots which you could get pretty inexpensively and should be comfortable too. Sounds like a great experience - Enjoy!🙂

 

[OSJ]

muck boots or similar are really good.

 

[VAgirl]

I also got by with sneakers in hot weather and hiking boots in cold. They're not as great from the stand point of cleaning them off (so not ideal if moving from one facility to another, where you'd like to be able to rinse and disinfect), but for just hanging around one barn/facility, they were perfect for me.

Oh, though I had to keep them in the trunk of my car as they didn't smell too pretty anymore.

 

[Catch91]

Well, I can help you here. I own a horse, and I've been around horses for 9 years, working and riding, and you should definitely invest in a pair of work boots. If it's cold where you live, go with insulated. I don't know how much direct work with the horses you'll be doing, but tennis shoes are dangerous. Definitely a big no.

 

[Rebeki]

...you should definitely invest in a pair of work boots. I don't know how much direct work with the horses you'll be doing, but tennis shoes are dangerous. Definitely a big no.

I think investing in a pair of work boots depends on how much you are going to be working at the horse rescue and how much money you want to spend. I know that there were times when I didn't have the money to spend on a pair of work boots and for your purposes I don't think that they're an absolute necessity.

I knew someone would call me on the safety of tennis shoes around horses. For me, the comfort of tennis shoes while schlepping out to turnouts and mucking stalls outweighed the minimal risks of a broken toe. I guess I don't value my toes that much😛 Ironically, I'm very safety concious while riding - helmet and boots always. I do value my brain quite a bit.

 

[Orthonut]

I'm just starting to get some volunteer time at a local horse rescue. Basically this means a lot of barn work. I don't have any prior horse experience, so I won't be working directly with the horses an awful lot.

Can you guys recommend some good shoes/boots for barn chores? The tennis shoes I wear at small animal clinics just will not cut it. I'm looking for something that isn't incredibly expensive, but am willing to pay a little for the ideal shoe since I plan on being at the rescue at least once a week.

Thanks!

I like the muck boots, but if you are wanting to use the same boot to maybe do some ride alongs, I don't really like them for the safety/smooshed foot aspect.

I like these:

Danner boots. I get mine thinsulate insulated and goretex lined *(which makes them about $300/pr d/t my HUGE feet-but you can get factory seconds MUCH cheaper)* because I work in a cold climate. You can get the non-lined/non-insulated "regular" Danners for lots less. They hold up well for YEARS.

or these if you're on a strict budget:

Georgia Boot's steel shanked "Logger" style-you can get these for around $100 dollars and they hold up fairly well, unless you spend inordinate amounts of time standing in a manure puddle in the cow-sale yard with your arm up cow's arses while your boots are pooed on-and you fail to clean them regularly/condition them-then you'll only get about one season out of them. But if you hose them off and condition them they'll last a few years.

Amazing how much one can say about farmwork shoes/boots while she is procrastinating in the library

 

[SillyFilly]

It's not just broken toes you'll risk in tennis shoes - toenails rip off more readily if threatened, and they're just not as stable. The mesh in those shoes will also make them much nastier for stall cleaning - nothing like urine soaked shavings in your shoes forever!

Just wear a sturdier, more comfortable shoe - boots like mentioned, or a muck type shoe. 🙂

 

[VAgirl]

From a biosecurity standpoint, you want rinse-able, disinfect-able shoes for ride-alongs. The ones pictured above don't meet those requirements. However, you could put a latex/rubber overboot over them and that would work.

 

[Hollycozza]

In Australia we mostly wear boots like these

http://www.blundstone.com.au/product_info.cgi?subpageID=safetyworkwear&sub_categoryID=130264#

not sure if you have anything equivalent? 🙂

I love not having laces, makes the shoes so much easier to put on and take off!

 

[hislightrq]

I'll second the post from Australia. Those kind of jodpher boots are great because they are waterproof, protect your feet, can be used for riding, and are easy to get on and off. That is what most of the vet students and vets use in the UK. They can be a bit difficult to get in the US, but definitely worth it.
Other than those, I second the Muck boots as that is what I used for equine experience in the states.

 

[Orthonut]

From a biosecurity standpoint, you want rinse-able, disinfect-able shoes for ride-alongs. The ones pictured above don't meet those requirements. However, you could put a latex/rubber overboot over them and that would work.

The boots I picured above are rinseable and disinfectable, just not autoclavable.

 

[chyactnate]

I say just wear what is comfortable. I always wore sturdy sneakers when working around them. I have gotten stepped on so many times between my 21 years around them and barefoot (I was 3) and all and never broken anything or nails ripped off. The only time I wear my paddock boots is when I ride. I think if you are only working once a week at the farm and not coming in contact with the horses you can wear sneakers, just make them your barn sneakers as they will get gross.

 

[VAgirl]

The boots I picured above are rinseable and disinfectable, just not autoclavable.

My mistake, then. I'm only familiar with the rubber style ones.

 

[ylrebmik]

I volunteer at a horse barn and as long as you have something sturdy you'll be fine. I just went to Farm n' Fleet and got a pair of outdoorsy boots... on sale and cheap(ish). I work with the horses too... and if you aren't going to be working with them then just go for something cheap.

 

[Kylana]

Heh, I just wear rubber/rain boots when I am at the barn (except when I'm riding of course). But I wear rubber boots everywhere -- wildife rehab center, dog walking at the SPCA, heck even to class...

 

[aretoo]

I've ridden and worked with horses for 10 years, and I've always worn old running shoes to work with the horses (or old winter boots in the winter). Blundstones are really good too (except for when riding), but they can be pricey so I doubt you'd want to go buy a pair.

We have to wear steel-toed boots/shoes to work in the large animal wards at the teaching hospital at school, so you could wear those for extra protection. I liked wearing my pair around the barn at home, but it's not so great to go back and forth between barns so I stopped that.

We all wore crocs to muck/turnout/etc (while telling the camp kids not to, of course..) for a whole summer at the barn at home before my coach decided they just weren't safe enough, lol. (true that..)

 

[PlantersPunch]

Just curious, I've always been told not to wear steel toed boots around horses because they are heavy enough to bend the steel into your feet if they stepped on you, has anyone else heard that?

Other than that I LOOOVE my muck boots, they are too hot for the summer for me but amazing for the rest of the year. I also love my wellies (with wellie warmers for winter). The hunter brand wellies are expensive but you can get the same idea for much less.

If you wanted something to ride and work in, a decent pair of paddocks boots work great.

 

[Rebeki]

Just curious, I've always been told not to wear steel toed boots around horses because they are heavy enough to bend the steel into your feet if they stepped on you, has anyone else heard that?

I have heard the same thing...but I've also heard that it isn't true too😕

There must be some stats for how much weight the steel toes can withstand. Anyone?

 

[pressmom]

If you put in a search on "steel toed" you'll get a previous thread on this topic.

 

[SillyFilly]

I've always thought that too Planters Punch, but I worked at NCSU's barn and the "safety monitor" from Field Labs made us wear steel toed boots. I hated it personally, but I think it is smart to wear boots/shoes with extra toe protection - even if it is just an extra layer or protective material like leather.

 

[Orthonut]

Just curious, I've always been told not to wear steel toed boots around horses because they are heavy enough to bend the steel into your feet if they stepped on you, has anyone else heard that?

Mythbusters just tested that, and in order to get the steel toe to even intrude on the foot enough to cut it they had to drop a MASSIVE amount of weight from a great height-I forget the numbers but it was readily apparent that steel toes would be fine (they even specifically tried to do the "but it will cut off your toes" thing and couldn't get it to even dent the boot-they had to do the "myth busted but now we want to blow something up" thing.

The only caution I have with steel toed boots is do NOT wear them if you are going to be fighting a forest fire. Your toes will be burned/cooked. (We always thought that was a rumour too until we had some idiot go out and buy the exact boots we told him not to and lo and behold, first fire that season the ******* got second degree burns-you'd think hey, I should squirt some water on my toes since they're cooking, but Noooooo, he just kept on digging trail...so glad that job is over)

 

[Angelo84]

Mythbusters just tested that, and in order to get the steel toe to even intrude on the foot enough to cut it they had to drop a MASSIVE amount of weight from a great height-I forget the numbers but it was readily apparent that steel toes would be fine (they even specifically tried to do the "but it will cut off your toes" thing and couldn't get it to even dent the boot-they had to do the "myth busted but now we want to blow something up" thing.

The only caution I have with steel toed boots is do NOT wear them if you are going to be fighting a forest fire. Your toes will be burned/cooked. (We always thought that was a rumour too until we had some idiot go out and buy the exact boots we told him not to and lo and behold, first fire that season the ******* got second degree burns-you'd think hey, I should squirt some water on my toes since they're cooking, but Noooooo, he just kept on digging trail...so glad that job is over)

Did this take into account small surface areas? For example for a thousand pound horse you would have 250 pounds per foot (actually more on the front and less on the back) but ignoring that that 250 pounds is concentrated into a very small area let's say a 6 inch circle. So depending on how they did the test it could not be valid for large weights in a small area. But I didn't see the show so.. Or if its a draft horse at 2500 pounds? Just wondering.

 

[lenadeb]

Did this take into account small surface areas? For example for a thousand pound horse you would have 250 pounds per foot (actually more on the front and less on the back) but ignoring that that 250 pounds is concentrated into a very small area let's say a 6 inch circle. So depending on how they did the test it could not be valid for large weights in a small area. But I didn't see the show so.. Or if its a draft horse at 2500 pounds? Just wondering.

Yep. They exerted far more pressure than a horse. Figure a steel beam was dropped and did squat, then they actually used a hydraulic ram to finally make an impact.

I was a poster on the original steel toe thread - wear steel toes. Period. Logger soles (aka "Vibram") are best for muddy situations. If you really know your stuff, you have plastic overwraps for your boots AND you rinse your boots AT the farm call site before you leave as the word gets out fast if you are clean or not (biosecurity between farms is critical and vets are notorious for toting disease on their dirty boots).

 

[bclover]

In Australia we mostly wear boots like these

http://www.blundstone.com.au/product_info.cgi?subpageID=safetyworkwear&sub_categoryID=130264#

not sure if you have anything equivalent? 🙂

I love not having laces, makes the shoes so much easier to put on and take off!

My 2 cents...

- Duluth Trading Company carries these very shoes in the US

- Muck shoes and boots, while great for handling mud, manure, etc., and I love them for relatively quick barn tasks, they have no support and, IMHO, don't do much for foot comfort over the long haul.

 

[PonysMagic90]

I've grown up around horses and cows, I'm one of those people who's always known that this is what I wanted to do with my life, so I started getting my volunteer hours in a year ago, I agree with the washable warm boot type if you're doing any large animal work, but here's the fun bit, I got a pair of rain boots for christmas that absolutely scream, they're kind of like a swirly mural of color....they definately make a great conversation piece with the farmers😀 and, I am a girl, and being one, LOVE shoes, so it lets me express myself a bit too!!