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Dear friends at Renegade Hoof Boots,
It is with great joy that we announce the successful finish of the Ride Across America for Hearts Up Ranch.
December 10th, 2011 at 1pm marked the final steps of this ocean to ocean journey as we walked our 5 horses and dog into the Atlantic in Virginia Beach, VA while loudly cheered on by a huge supportive crowd who had journeyed from all across the country and as far away as Alaska to see the final victory steps. The 3,928 mile trek crossed 10 states and took a whopping 21 months to complete! Every animal that started was able to finish, and not one eastward trailer ride was taken the entire way. With elated laughter and tears, we accomplished a life-long dream and experienced the most emotional day of our lives!
To summarize a life event of this magnitude in anything less than a book is simply impossible! But the truly amazing thing about this journey is that all five of our equine heroes completed every step BAREFOOT!
They had all been barefoot for several years being used in rugged mountain country in Wyoming while we got used to using hoof boots. There were always challenges with them, but we got by ok. When we started the Ride Across America, we were sponsored by two well known hoof boot brands which we gratefully accepted. However, with daily use on five horses being ridden for hours and hours and miles and miles each day, we began to get frustrated with the time consuming application, lack of proper fit, twisting, ripping, rubbing, and not staying on. In fact, by Utah, we ‘had it’ and made a farrier appointment.
We had only recently heard of Renegades so the day before the appointment, we decided to make one last ditch effort with barefoot and gave them a call. The rest is history! We canceled our farrier appointment and tried Renegades on one horse for a few weeks. Within three days, we were absolutely in love with our new boots! We shortly switched our boots to Renegades and used them from that point, over the Rockies, and all the way to the Atlantic.
We found the Renegade® boots to be of impeccable quality. The soles were very durable and had superior traction, the Velcro lasted well, the wires and padding rarely wore out, they were extremely easy and fast to put on and take off, they did not twist when fit properly, they did not rub our horses heels or anywhere else, and they allowed the horse to move properly and with ease. Yes, this is over thousands of miles with continuous use! We loved how each part was easy to replace and did not require replacing the entire boot because a small portion wore out. They also lasted for hundreds of miles. It varied depending on how each horse walked and how tired they were, but we averaged 500 to 800 miles per boot (usually only toward the lower end if they were exhausted and dragging their feet) with the maximum being at 1,100 miles before replacement! Even when the toes wore through, they continued to protect the hoof for many more miles keeping the horse very comfortable. Additionally, calculating the average horse owner’s riding habits, making an investment in Renegades would actually save quite a bit of money in the long run when compared to shoeing a horse. What’s more, the customer service, generosity, and absolute concern for each individual situation was unparalleled by the staff at Renegade®. You won’t find that kind of service just anywhere.
We had committed to accomplishing this journey with the horses we started with in good condition or not at all. This meant absolute attention and top priority to their comfort level and needs. It is known by ‘Long Riders’ that the two most difficult challenges in successfully completing this type of ride are issues with the horses’ backs and issues with their feet. We had our challenges with their backs. But not one hoof problem whatsoever in nearly 4,000 miles of continuous barefoot riding. Not one! This is a huge testament to the benefits, viability, and feasibility of maintaining a barefoot horse. Not only does it work, it works better! We could not have done it without the assistance and generosity of Renegade® Hoof Boots and for that we are forever grateful!
We offer big congratulations to Renegade® as well for such an accomplishment with their invention and a cheer for the future of happy horse feet. We are proud owners of Renegades for all of our horses and are on a mission to inform every horse owner about the benefits of barefoot with the right equipment. You can not get better equipment than Renegade® Hoof Boots and we 100 percent recommend them to every horse owner!
With infinite appreciation and thanks to your kindness,
Jeannette and Richard McGrath
HeartsUpRanch.com
