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Renegade® Classic and Viper® Captivators

Posted on by Karen Chaton

Renegade® Classic and Viper® Heel Captivator Comparison

Renegade® Classic and Viper® model heel captivators were designed to work on healthy barefoot hooves, and for optimum performance, those with natural heel heights, good balance, and are regularly maintained. As a result of there being so many different shaped hooves, each captivator will work with different heel shapes.

This comparison chart shows the differences, especially in the captivator, between the original Renegade® Hoof Boot and the Viper®.

Renegade and Viper Hoof Boots

Benefits and Advantages of Both the Renegade® Classic and Viper® Captivators

  • The large surface area dissipates torque and pressure evenly 
  • Patented Pivoting design allows the horse to move without restriction
  • The large surface area provides better boot retention
  • Comfort for your horse
  • Ease of use
Renegade Hoof Boot in Sport Orange

Renegade® Classic Captivator

The Classic captivator is slightly larger than the Viper captivator. This captivator is less structured, and will generally be more accommodating of a wider variety of hoof shapes. If the bulbs have less definition, or are not well-spaced, or the heel height is slightly higher, the Classic captivator style is often going to be the best choice.

Renegade Classic Captivator
This boot has been cut away and the liner removed to show proper placement.
The shape of the heel and bulb make this hoof particularly well suited for the Renegade® Classic captivator.
Viper Hoof Boot Emerald Green
Viper Hoof Boot in Emerald Green

Renegade Viper® Captivator

The Viper captivator is a bit lower profile and is a solid shape. As an example, think of a more structured underwire bra versus a sports bra. Therefore, it is more suited to horses that have more pointed, well-developed heel bulbs. Also, it is a bit more streamlined in the design.

Notice the heel bulb shape. Each bulb is well defined and well spaced, therefore making it more suited for a Viper captivator.

How can I tell if the captivator I’m already using is optimum?

Inspect the inside of your neoprene liner. Ideally, you want to see that the inside of the liner is being worn evenly, over the entire surface.  Optimally, the wear pattern will show no pressure points. The wear pattern is easy to see because the gold color rubs off under pressure. Rubbing in a small surface area indicates that more pressure is being applied to that part of the captivator. In conclusion, your captivator isn’t fully performing as it was designed to.  

Let’s compare between the ideal and not so ideal

Renegade Viper hoof boot
Viper® captivator: showing that pressure is being distributed over a much smaller surface area. This particular horse has large, wide heels and is better suited for the Renegade Classic model.
Renegade Captivator wear pattern
This Classic Renegade® captivator is doing a good job dispersing pressure over a large surface area. This boot has been used on two 50 mile endurance rides by a horse with a large, wide heel. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Renegade® Hoof Boot Customization

Boots can be ordered with a Renegade® Classic shell and a Viper® captivator, and vice versa. Also, you can also order a larger or smaller sized captivator than the boot base. This versatility with so many custom options will accommodate many different hoof shapes and sizes. Use the Notes/Comments box on the individual online boot listing to request such customization on your order. If you have questions on the suitability of captivator styles for your particular horse, please email us photos of the horse’s hooves/heel bulbs.

The Importance of Fit

In conclusion, having a properly fitted captivator is vital to hoof boot retention. Each captivator was designed to cover as much surface area as possible. As a result, this reduces pressure points on the sensitive tissues of the heel bulb. For example, all hoof boots experience an extreme amount of torque when a horse is going up a hill. Incidentally, dispersing that pressure over a larger surface area is going to keep your horse comfortable and improve boot retention.  Therefore, using the proper captivator for your horse’s heel shape is vital for success.  

Need Help? 

Head on over to our Renegade® Hoof Boot YouTube channel on how to eliminate captivator interference problems.  Also, we have a tutorial on proper heel captivator positioning here. 

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