The Best Horse Knee Boots – 5 Reviewed

Protective Boots for Horses

Knee boots for horses serve an essential function in the same way as horseshoes. The best horse knee boots usually come in various materials and sizes. Protective boots for horses are comfortable; thus, they don’t reduce the physical performance of your horse when in the fields. Protective horse knee pads and boots assure you of the safety of your horse.

The Purpose of Equine Knee Boots

The purpose of horse knee boots is to prevent the joints from injuries. As a horse lover, you must always ensure that your horse is safe every time you exercise or run it around.

If your horse gets injured during exercises, it may take a lot to bring it back to shape. You may have to put in a lot of time and resources to acquire a full recovery. The horse knee boots usually serve as a reasonable precaution.

Horse knee boots are generally at work, even during special events. You may spot riders using horse knee boots on their horses during races. You may protect your horse from frequent knocks and bangs with the best horse knee boots.

Horse knee boots usually act as bandages that have gone through much improvement. You may use tight bandages if you do not have the best horse knee boots from the market. The ordinary bandages may work almost the same way.

However, you should keep in mind that you cannot use the same dressing for a long since, with time, it will lose the natural tension. After a bandage becomes loose, using it on your horse’s knee will just be meaningless. A loose bandage lacks the factors that make it suitable for protecting a horse’s joints.

Knee and Limb Injuries in Horses

Stress subjection to the knee muscles may cause different injuries. These injuries come when you do not use unique horse knee wraps or boots. Below are some of the limb and knee injuries that may occur in horses:

• Fractures
• Flexor tendon injury
• Laceration/wound
• Ligament injury
• Bony concussive trauma
• Penetrating foreign body injuries

Fractures

The type and location of the limb usually determine the extent of limb fractures. The site and type of limb may suggest how severe the injury may go. At any moment, an acute traumatic fracture may take place. In most cases, the injury comes when the horse is under a lot of pressure, mostly during exercises and other activities.

Flexor Tendon Injury

You may easily recognize a bowed tendon, heat, swelling, and even lameness. These injuries mostly take place above the foot. On the other hand, the deep digital flexor tendon injury, also known as the superficial, occurs in the foot’s higher sections.

Veterinarians may diagnose the injury further and perform an ultrasound to see if there is a tendon injury on the lower areas of the foot. In a few cases, this injury takes place on the hoof capsule. The injury may sometimes go up to the heel bulb region. MRI is the best for detecting flexor tendon injuries in much lower limb sections.

Laceration (Wounds)

The natural appearance of the laceration wounds usually comes from traumatic injuries. The level of these wounds usually depends on the extent of the injury. It is essential to check the status of the injury so that you may be sure about the treatment method.

Ligament Injury

During horse exercises and other heavy activities such as horse races, injuries to the ligaments may be very prone. The most common type of ligament injury that may take place is the suspensory ligament injury. This type of ligament injury usually affects the proximal third section.

Other factors, such as foot imbalance and fetlock, may also lead to severe ligament injuries. When it comes to diagnosing different ligament injuries, veterinarians usually need to have a more detailed investigation. The investigation aids in determining the form of treatment that the horse may need to receive.

Bony Concussive Trauma

More frequent concussive loading of the joint often leads to skeletal concussive trauma. With this condition, there is an onset of lameness which is usually persistent in most cases. Treatment of this condition requires more than one assessment session.

The assessments typically focus on functional and structural changes in the bone. A proper diagnosis of this condition helps veterinarians to get the exact picture of the injury and bring it back to the races in no time.

Penetrating Foreign Body Injuries

You may notice this type of injury with a small scab over the dorsal carpus. Another sign of this injury is visible with the presence of a black tract on the sole. The only indicator of foreign body injuries in most cases may be the black tract. You may determine the extent of the damage by checking the direction of maybe a clench or a nail.

After knowing about the movement of the foreign object, you may quickly learn about the injury’s extent. The injury could either be a septic navicular bursa, subsolar abscess, or damage to the deep flexor tendon.

Different Types of Horse Knee Protection

Different horse knee boots usually protect horses. Below are the main types of protective boots for horses:

1. Sports medicine boots
2. Splint boots
3. Open front boots
4. Polo wraps
5. Cross country boots
6. Bell boots
7. Tendon boots
8. The sausage boot
9. Traveling bandages
10. Traveling boots
11. Hock boots

Sports Medicine Boots

For maximum protection and support, these protective boots for horses are the best. With a sling strap going all the way to the fetlock, your horse gets safe from going through hyper-extension. Prevention of hyper-extension assures the safety of your horse from ligament and tendon injuries.

Sports medicine boots work well during such strenuous occasions. Such harrowing events include barrel racing, reining, cutting, and many others. These boots also work well for horses that have previous joint injuries. These boots also hold some heat inside, which helps increase the horse’s performance.

Splint Boots

Also known as brushing boots, splint boots play a considerable role in preventing the horse’s legs from getting brushed. These best horse knee boots mostly shield the splint bone but do not aid in providing additional support.

The abilities of these boots make them one of the essential pieces of equipment for your horse, mostly during physical training. These boots keep your horse’s legs cool and are easy to wash when cleaning.

Open Front Boots

These boots are special for jumping occasions. With these boots, the back and inside sections of your horse’s legs remain safe. The hard shell of these boots assures your horse of safety, but mostly during races involving jumping rails. For the horse to feel the rail when the jumping time comes, the front section of the boots remains open.

Polo Wraps

Human scrapes, and some minor bumps may be a considerable problem for horses. The unique polo horse knee wraps help reduce the chances of the horses becoming victims of these problems. Remember to use Polo wraps during events such as races. Do not use the wraps when riding on trails since dirt and grass may stick to them.

It is important to use electrical tape when securing the polo wraps. The polo wrap may not accidentally come out during races or exercises with proper securing.

Cross Country Boots

For every horse event, cross country boots are essential. In case you are in a race that involves water pons, these boots are the best way to go since they do not hold in water. Cross-country boots ensure the safety of your horse’s cannon bone when it hits a hard surface. The protection comes from a hard plate on the front section of the boots.

These protective boots for horses serve well also during non-event occasions such as trail rides. These boots’ comfort level makes them ideal for almost every occasion.

Bell Boots

With these boots, your horse is sure about protection against overreaching. Overreaching happens when horses accidentally step on their front hooves using their back. When overreaching occurs, it is more likely that the front shoes may come off.

Tendon Boots

Tendons are vulnerable during horse races, exercises, and other horse activities. These boots play a massive role in protecting the tendons during jumping situations. These boots also protect horses against brushing themselves from materials. The capability to prevent the horse from brushing its legs adds some features to the brushing boots.

The Sausage Boot

This type of boot works on only one leg. The boot prevents brushing of the legs during activities such as races, exercises, and trail riding. With this boot, you may be sure your horse will not strike its feet or hooves together when moving. Older animals make the best use of these boots.

Traveling Bandages

When a horse is to cross very long distances, traveling bandages come in to play an important role. Traveling dressings tend to work as horse knee wraps. Combining them with other horse boots is essential to have much more positive results with the traveling bandages. The traveling bandages are effective, but the presence of different boots has replaced their use.

Traveling Boots

These protective boots for horses serve the same purpose as the traveling bandages. However, these boots are much more efficient since they are easy to use and have additional features. These boots help your horse a lot when it comes to long journeys.

Hock Boots

These boots prevent horses from injuring themselves as they travel in movable stables. In most cases, you may only notice Hock boots in valuable horses. With these boots, valuable horses’ hocks remain in great shape during journeys despite how long they may be.

Our Top Pick Equine Knee Boots

With sufficient research across several places, we came to select Back on Track Therapeutic Knee Boots as the best pick. Several features make these protective boots for horses the best among many that are available.

Factors to Consider Before Buying Horse Knee Boots

There are several things to look at to get the best horse knee boots on the market. Below are some of the main factors to consider:

• Material
• Fastening system
• Length and width
• Purpose
• Padding
• Weight

Material

The materials that make up the best horse knee boots are the first thing you should look at before buying. Different materials make up different horse knee boots. The most common materials include synthetic/genuine leather or also neoprene. These materials are all good for horse knee boots. With the best material, you can have long-lasting horse knee boots.

Fastening System

The fastening method or system of the best horse knee boots is another critical factor. This system needs to be easily understandable and straightforward to use. A complicated fastening system may be very tiresome because you may need to make several adjustments.

When checking different fastening systems, do not go for the buckled ones. You need to go for something durable. The buckle fastening systems never last for long.

Length and Width

The width and the length are as crucial as the above features. These protective boots for horses need to be long enough to go around the whole leg of the horse. The knee needs to receive maximum protection, so the length and width should be as long as possible.

Purpose

Before buying horse knee boots, you need to be aware of the purpose that the boots serve. For instance, there are curative and preventive horse knee boots. Preventive boots usually prevent blisters, bruises, and other injuries. On the other hand, curative boots usually aid in quickening the healing process after injuries.

Padding

The padding of a horse knee boot should not be that much. Too much padding may seem to protect the horse a lot, but at the same time, it will lower its speed. With heavy padding, your horse may not even get to run correctly.

Weight

For your horse to give out the best results, the horse knee boots must not be heavy. When horse knee boots are heavier than usual, the horse may have difficulty moving around. The lighter the weight, the higher the efficiency of your horse.

Equine Knee Boots at a Glance

Product	Best for
Back on Track Therapeutic Knee Boots	Injury prevention and recovery
Professionals Choice Equine Knee Boot, Pair	Injury prevention
Classic Equine Horse Knee Boot, Black	Injury prevention
Neoprene Knee Sweat Boots Leg Protection Care Horse Barrel Racing Reining Training	Recovery and injury prevention
Tough-1 Ice Therapy Knee/Hock Wrap	Injury recovery

What are the Best Knee Boots for Horses?

Below is the complete review of the best horse knee boots in the current market:

Back on Track Therapeutic Knee Boots: Best for Injury Prevention and Recovery

About

This horse knee boot contains a special neoprene lining on the exterior section, thus creating a soothing sensation for the horse. The smooth and delicate fabric on these boots is perfect for quickening the recovery period of a horse’s knee. Despite being soft and soothing, this horse knee boot is tough and prevents horses from frequent injuries.

Brand: Back on track

Color: Black

Size: X-large

Age range: Adult

Material: Polyester, neoprene

Pros

• These boots play a massive role in improving the strength of leg joints.
• The horse knee boots are sturdy, strong, and demanding.
• These boots help reduce pain, heal injuries, and treat severe inflammations.
• These horse knee boots prevent and protect horse knees.

Cons

• These horse knee boots are a little more costly than others.

Professionals Choice Equine Knee Boot, Pair: Best for Injury Prevention

Amazon’s Choice Award for Best in Horse Care Boots by a Professional’s Choice

About

These horse knee boots are the best when it comes to the prevention of bruises and bumps. The material of this horse knee boot safely guards horses against most of the other common knee injuries. This product comes in pairs with every purchase. There is also a warranty that lasts for six months.

Brand: Professionals’ choice

Color: Black

Size: Universal

Age range: Adults

Material: Polyester

Sports type: Equestrian

Closure type: Pull-on

Pros

• The boots remain on point when in use.
• This product falls under Amazon’s choice.
• The boots do not have extra padding.
• The pairs are solid.
• The boots are sturdy.
• These boots are very affordable.
• The boots do not have other pudding.
• These horse knee boots have velcro fastening straps.
• The boots are suitable for traveling.

Cons

• The boots are not good for fieldwork.

Classic Equine Horse Knee Boot, Black: Best for Injury Prevention

About

With a high percentage of neoprene in the construction of this horse knee boot, horses may be sure of having a smooth feeling and robust protection. Loop attachments also come in to aid in making the fastening process much more straightforward.

The AQHA/NRH Champions, Don Murphy and Todd Sommers, approve this product. This approval increases the trustworthiness of the horse knee boots. These boots come in ones and not pairs.

Brand: Classic Equine

Color: Black

Size: Universal

Age range: Unisex adult

Material: Neoprene

Pros

• The product gives supreme support.
• These horse knee boots have an innovative design.
• The AQHA/NRHA approves this product.
• These boots cover the pastern joint and other sections, such as the fetlock section.
• The product maintains the health of joints by keeping them healthy.
• These boots prevent bruises as well as bumps.
• During irregular strides, these boots become the most suitable.
• These boots do not require any adjustments during use.
• The product works for curative and preventive purposes.

Cons

• These horse knee boots are not available in pairs. You can only acquire them individually.

Neoprene Knee Sweat Boots Leg Protection Care Horse Barrel Racing Reining Training: Best for Recovery and Injury Prevention

About

Thanks to these boots, swollen knees can be a massive issue for horses no more. These Neoprene horse knee boots come with the ability to increase the recovery period as well as prevent any injuries to come. With a comfortable fitting capability, your horse does not have to undergo any comfort problems while using this product.

Brand: Jacks

Color: Black

Size: Universal
Age range: Adult

Material: Neoprene

Pros

• These horse knee boots are very durable.
• This product has a knee-hugging design
• The boots have the capability to cure and protect.
• The boots are not expensive.
• This horse knee boots feet well.
• The boots are the best for training and barrel racing.
• This product is very stretch resistant.

Cons

• These horse knee boots need a few adjustments when in use.

Tough-1 Ice Therapy Knee/Hock Wrap: Best for Injury Recovery

About

When it comes to reducing inflammation and kicking away joint pains, Tough-1 Ice is the best. These horse knee boots come with special soft gel ice cells that significantly reduce pain and lower inflammation levels. With the icy feature, the recovery period of a horse’s knee injuries becomes relatively minimal.

Brand: Tough-1

Color: Black

Size: Universal

Age range: Adult

Material: Polyester

Pros

• It quickens the recovery process of the knee.
• These horse knee boots are pretty durable.
• The boots fit well due to their natural material
• These horse knee boots support the joints.
• The knees remain healthy while inside.

Cons

• These horse knee boots do not work so well in fieldwork.

Final Thoughts

Different types of horse knee boots come in to keep the leg joints of a horse working correctly. Choosing the best horse knee boots concerning different specific events assures you of maximum positive results.