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No one wants to be told that their horse might never be usable again and the chance of recovery slim. That was what I faced 5 years ago when my horse became increasingly lame in her front legs.

My horse Molly is a retired harness race horse who retired from her racing career at the age most horses begin their formal training. By the time she was given to me as a 3 year old, she had already faced the stress of training to race long before her body was ready. She showed potential and promise after a short period of breaking to the saddle. Within 2 months we were trail riding all over the area.

Within a year she started to go lame and my farrier tried every combination of shoes possible. She was often better with corrective shoes but would rarely keep them on long enough to make a difference. Molly was slowly getting worse.

By age 5 she was head bobbing lame on her right front leg while nerve blocks showed lameness in both legs. While waiting for radiograph results, I decided to remove the shoes completely and let her go barefoot.

That decision was 5 years ago and proved to be the best one I could have made. Within several months she was remarkably improved. Molly made an amazing recovery to become once again a 100% useful horse, but having a sound barefoot horse let to its own set of unique problems.

Being barefoot on the grassy fields at home was fine, but I soon learned that Molly needed some protection on rough surfaces. As we took up driving, the many miles logged on carriage roads made them even more necessary. Different styles of boots worked with varying success but what I really needed was a boot to stay on for long periods of time that would not come off the hoof and not rub.

If anyone is not familiar with standardbreds, they have the fastest trot of any horse breed. One of our favorite places to carriage drive is the Acadia National Park carriage roads, which allows us to fly along at standardbred speeds. One downfall of wearing boots is that some boots tend to fly off while trotting at speed. Many also allow pieces of rocks to get flung into the boot, cutting the soft tissue of the foot. I had experienced both issues too many times until I found the Easyboot Epics.

The Easyboot Epic solved all of the problems we were experiencing with the other boots. They provide a snug fit with the gaiter, which not only keeps the boot in place but prevents rocks and debris from entering the boot. A carriage horse in a national park always draws attention, and I feel better, as hundreds of tourists snap our picture, that their low profile also makes the horse look more presentable than while wearing bulkier boots. I also tested the boots while trail riding over rough and rocky terrain, and they held up to my expectations in that area as well.

Thank you for making a product to allow me to enjoy my horse to her full potential and to allow others to see how truly wonderful these retired racehorses can be. I can now enjoy driving or riding my horse and I don't have to return home in tears because I find raw rub marks or rocks that have cut my horse's foot. I started with one pair of epics, but plan to continue to use them on all four hooves from now on.

The picture I've included shows us returning from a long drive in Acadia National Park this summer with no rubs or rocks in her front boots!

Thank you for a wonderful product!

Lori Pennell

Photographer: Merissa Harmon