Kentucky Vegan Wool Tendon Boots Bamboo Elastic

Brush the pile out before you put the boots on, certainly if they have come off a sand surface: grains left sitting in the pile lie against the skin on the next ride. Set both straps to the same hole left and right and check after a few minutes of walking that nothing is slipping. Wash the boots in a wash bag at 30 °C and let them dry flat, without the tumble dryer and not on a radiator, so the pile does not get crushed or go hard. If you plan to wash them rarely, brush the lining out dry in between, once it is completely dry; brushing it wet works the dirt deeper into the pile instead.

Choose this version if your horse is sensitive to the edges of a hard shell, or if you simply prefer a soft lining against the skin. They suit showjumping, jumping-focused training and eventing training, on the front legs. If you would rather have a thin, flat lining that holds less dirt and asks for less upkeep, the Kentucky Tendon Boots Bamboo Elastic are the same boot with an open 3D Spacer lining. If you ride international dressage, it stays a training and warm-up item: in the dressage arena, boots are not permitted and they must be removed before you enter the space around the competition arena.

Brush the pile out dry first, so that no grains of sand are left hanging in it. Place the boot on the leg with the shell over the tendon and the rubber insert at the height of the flex zone, and check that the wool comes beyond the edge of the shell all the way round. Then hook the two straps on the same hole left and right: firm, without pinching. Wash them in a wash bag at 30 °C; let them dry flat and do not use a tumble dryer.

What exactly is vegan wool?

A soft plush lining of synthetic fibres, without sheepskin or other animal fibres. Kentucky uses the same material in headcollars, show rugs and girths, among other things.

What is the difference with the ordinary Kentucky Tendon Boots Bamboo Elastic?

The lining, and nothing else. This one has a full vegan wool pile, the other a flat, open 3D Spacer fabric. Shell, bamboo insert, ventilation, rubber flex zone and fastening are the same on both.

Do they protect better than the spacer version?

No. The protection comes from the shell and the bamboo insert, and those are identical. The difference is in how the boot feels against the skin.

How do I keep the lining clean?

Brush it out dry in between and machine wash at 30 °C in a wash bag. Not in the tumble dryer. Let them dry flat, so the pile keeps its volume.

Are they suitable for the hind legs?

No. This shape is meant for the front legs; the hind legs call for fetlock boots.

May I use them in competition?

At international showjumping events the rules set no requirements as to the shape of front boots, only a limit of 500 grams for everything that sits on one leg together. In international dressage, leg protection has to come off before the space around the arena. In eventing: not in the dressage test, the jumping rules in the jumping phase, permitted on the cross-country course. There is no FEI inspection and no list of brands.

How do I choose the size?

Measure the circumference of the lower leg and compare it with Kentucky's size guide. Not every colour runs through in every size, so check which combination is available.

• Lining variant within the Kentucky Bamboo Elastic range: the same shell, a different inside.
• Inside made of vegan wool, a plush of synthetic fibres.
• The pile extends beyond the edge of the shell all the way round.
• Tendon zone reinforced with Kentucky's bamboo insert.
• Airflow through holes in the tendon zone and a mesh panel lower down on the shell.
• Elastic fastening: two straps on stud fastenings.
• Brush out dry, wash at 30 °C in a wash bag, let dry flat.
• For the front legs, in three colours and three sizes.