Scoot Boots - My Padded Collar Mod
Helps with:
Rubs
Boots flying off
Comfort
Securing gaiters
Directions: Just tape around the rim to make a collar. Use as much or as little padding as you like for a custom fit. You can tape right over Scoots Trail Gaiters, Endurance Gaitors, or get some thick density foam/padding and make your own custom padding. I use Cloth/Duct Tape. You don't want it too grippy - you don't want it too slippery.
Why it works - the same reason why human perform shoes and boots have a padded collar. It gives the shoe a rim and helps hold the foot in while providing comfort as your ankle twists and turns while in motion.
Other Comments:
1. The Scoot Boot Gaiters do need help staying on for extreme riding.
a. Glueing them on as Scoots recommend - does not work. Sand, dirt, mud, water and the constant movement/friction and flex of the boots themselves just completely kills the glue. The glue sticks onto the gaiters well but doesn't hold onto the boots themselves well.
b. Velcro and Buttons do not stay on
2. My front boots now have over 950 miles on them and are quite beat up - still going strong though and with this mod, I'll be able to squeeze every bit of life out of them that I can.
3. The biggest wear is showing at the toe where it looks like it's showing stress wear from the toe digging in and shoving off.
4. List of things broken/failures:
a. One brass screw top - just sheared it right off - easily replaced.
b. Tore one of the front straps a little - that strap has gone ahead and done hundreds more miles without worsening so it must have been some freak thing that tore it in the first place.
c. Lost a few pastern straps
5. The white stuff you see on the boots are the remnants of my Sikaflex + Scoots experiment. That resulted in absolute failure. Lasair hated the texture of the Sikaflex. Also, if you use Sikaflex, that means the hoof can no longer move freely in and out of the boot - that causes issues with Scoots since that's how these boots were designed to work.
6. Scoots are coming out with Oval Boots - these should work better for a bunch of horses - good news!