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From the Ground Up
The Soft-Ride Boot, a product that has been on the market since 2005, has been drawing high praise from consumers when it comes to reducing the stress of travel on horses. Drawing on a lifetime of horse experience, the Ruetenik family was determined to create a better boot for therapeutic hoof care.
Through their company, Soft-Ride, Inc., father Roger, brothers Scott, Monty, and sister Debbie Ruetenik developed the Soft-Ride Equine Comfort Boot. Another brother, Dr. Brad Reutenik, is a human podiatrist and his experience in working with human orthotics was instrumental in helping with the boot’s design.
Soft-Ride Boots provide support, protection, and comfort and have been proven useful in clinic conditions for horses with chronic lameness issues, such as laminitis. They have been used at the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center (KESMARC) in
Lexington
, as well as many other leading veterinary hospitals and university teaching clinics.
T
he Soft-Ride Boot has been shown to markedly reduce the stress vibration horses experience during travel. It also offers traction, thanks to a non-slip sole.
“We were initially thinking of developing a type of mat for the trailer to make hauling easier on horses,” explained Debbie Ruetenik. “That would work but it was going to be very heavy, so we thought, why not make something we could put directly on the bottom of the horse’s foot?
“The boots are made of ballistic cloth material so there is excellent air circulation,” said Ruetenik. “The boot opens wide, making it easy to slip on and off, and it has a collar made of closed cell foam to provide a good fit.”
The boot stays snugly in place with Velcro™ straps, while inside, the gel-like orthotic insert offers cushioning and sole support. The insert molds to the bottom of the horse’s foot and supports the frog. Inserts are removable and washable and the entire Soft-Ride Boot is easily cleaned with water and hangs to dry. Unlike bandaging, where improper technique can cause actual harm to the horse, Soft-Ride Boots are simple to use, even by inexperienced horse owners.
The boots come in nine different sizes in quarter-inch increments to provide a good fit. They retail for approximately $175 for one pair of boots with standard orthotics, which are the
ones recommended for travel.
“We’ve definitely seen a difference in horses shipping with Soft-Ride Boots,” noted Alan Donnell, DVM, of Equine Sports Medicine in
Pilot Point
,
Texas
. Donnell maintains both a mobile equine practice and a clinic, La Mesa Veterinary Associates.
“If you’ve ever ridden in a trailer, you’ll understand the stress horses face from travel. You can feel the vibration all the way up through your legs,” Donnell said. “Shavings or straw bedding in the trailer don’t do anything to decrease the vibration.”
Donnell finds that the orthotic insert in the Soft-Ride Boots helps absorb the shock and movement of the trailer not just in the foot, but all the way up the horse’s leg. He has clients who have noticed a major reduction in problems with sore-footed horses when they haul to the show using Soft-Ride Boots. He is hopeful that scientific studies will soon be done to prove the anecdotal evidence he has seen.
Before discovering the benefits of using Soft-Ride Boots during shipping, Donnell initially used them to cushion the feet of horses with problems such as quarter cracks, abscesses, etc.
