To reduce the risk or severity of any leg injuries due to unforeseen occurrences during transport, we highly recommend that the equines wear shipping boots or other leg protection, however this decision is ultimately left at the client's discretion. The unforeseen occurrences can be anything from a vehicle accident to the equine being startled and kicking at the wall or losing its balance.
If the equine is not already accustomed to wearing protective leg wraps or boots, we highly recommend that the leg wear be applied several times in the weeks prior to the transport, or before, and the equine be allowed to walk around, back up, turn, and move freely until comfortable and standing calmly. If you have never introduced leg wear to an equine before it can be unpredictable and it is recommended that you consult the advice of someone who has a lot of experience in desensitizing equines in the safest manner possible. Often, the equines initial reaction to the leg wear can be awkward and sometimes concerning in appearance due to the way an equine moves around when first wearing leg protection... picture a "cat with tape on its paws trying to walk", in fact some equines will try to kick out with their rear legs or stomp with their front legs in an attempt to get the leg protection off. It is a good idea to just allow the equine to move around, restrained with a lead rope, and graze in a familiar area, or with a "buddy", for a while making this a more pleasant experience. This will prepare the equine to wear leg protection during transport and remain calm, comfortable, and better protected.
We reserve the right to remove leg protection prior to or during transport if the leg wear is causing undue stress to the equine or if the equine's behavior while wearing the leg protection or applying leg wear could potentially cause the equine to become injured or injure a person or other equine nearby. If leg protection is removed, we will notify the owner/agent of such and explain the reason for the removal.