Stockist News July 2023

We want to thank everyone who took part in the I Love Mules contest. We were amazed by the number of entries we received and are grateful to those who helped to spread the word about the campaign.

We have narrowed it down to three finalists. Head on over to our Facebook page to vote.

Congratulations to Alison Scott & Equine Synergy. Your customers have made the final selection! We encourage you to share with your followers to vote.

We received many stunning images of mules, which we will use to understand our customers better and create fresh marketing materials for the mule market. Look out for these materials, which will be available soon on the Stockist Hub.

Join us for another PHCP Webinar

We are happy to announce that we are teaming up with PHCP again for another Scoot webinar!

20:00 - 25 July 2023 NY USA- EDT. See the schedule in your time zone by clicking the link. We welcome your topic suggestions and questions. If you can't attend live, the video will be on the Hub later. You will receive an email invitation to the webinar soon.

Submit your question

Did you know? We are constantly updating the Hubs FAQ page to keep our information relevant to the questions you need answered. The FAQ's now include tech support answers!  

Behind the sizing scenes

At Scoot, our full-time sizing specialist, Steph, plays a crucial role in making our operations successful. You may have already interacted with Steph, but you may not be aware of her extensive equine experience and knowledge. Having responded to thousands of customer enquiries, Steph has addressed numerous barefoot journey-related questions. We hope that sharing her expertise will be beneficial to you when you encounter challenging enquiries.

Tell us a little about your equine background prior to Scoot.

I have been lucky enough to ride my whole life- I got my first pony when I was 2 and have been addicted since! As I got older, I became heavily involved in the competition world, focusing mainly on eventing. I also worked as a groom/rider for 3 years, which gave me some amazing experiences working with all sorts of horses and professional people - I learnt a huge amount. I currently have just one horse, he is a lovely young warmblood called Joe- the plan is to get him out eventing soon!

Have you noticed a change in riders' perception of barefoot?

A positive change is definitely happening when it comes to horse welfare. With more knowledge out there about the benefits of barefoot, I definitely think people are starting to make the change to better their horses health. People like Peder Fredricson (Olympic Show Jumper) are really helping push the barefoot movement too.

What is the first step you take when sizing via photos?

The first thing I like to look at is the angles of the hoof, so the front and the side on photos. I find it helpful to know if I will be sizing for Enduros, Scoot Boots or if the hooves are just not going to work at all. I can usually tell a lot just by looking at these photos.

When would you request a customer to retake a photo?

Those of you who size via photos would know, customers are not the best at taking the correct photos! Lol! I always have to ask customers to retake the side on photos. It is super important to get the right angle with this photo, I find that if the photo is not taken from ground level or not taken directly from the side of the hoof, it can really distort the shape of the actual hoof. I also have to ask a lot for customers to retake the length photo starting the tape at 0 at the toe. With such a small difference between sizes, it is way too easy to make a mistake when they send photos with the tape around the wrong way.

Are there any patterns to sizes with particular breeds?

Hmmmm hard to say. Arabs seem to often need slim shaped boots in sizes 0-3 roughly, Icelandics also need slims often in the smaller 0 sizes. I notice certain breeds like Thoroughbreds tend to have flared or flat feet, which can be tricky to size. Tennessee walking horses often have very long toes I notice also……the ones I see are often too long in the toe for Scoots. The Enduros have helped with some of these horses though, the ones that have long toes (and often underrun heels too).

How important is it to know the riding discipline, when offering sizing advice?

For me, not that important! Scoots are so versatile! But I do take note if the customer is into jumping and the horse needs Enduros. The Enduros are only suitable for low level jumping, so I do mention that to them.

What tip you would give to get the best fit?

Practice lots! Choose the right boot for the hoof and don’t be afraid to ask the customer for more information (eg. when will the hooves be trimmed next etc) or more photos!