How to Cut Equine Splint Boots

Make The Boot Patterns

• 1

  Cut two, 12 inch by 8 inch white cotton fabric squares.

• 2

  Cross tie your horse. Wrap one square of fabric around your horse's leg just below the knee. The fabric ends should meet on the outside of your horse's leg.

• 3

  Mark any clearly excess fabric with a marker. Remove the fabric from the horse and cut it down to a more useful size. Replace the fabric. Again, with opening to the outside.

• 4

  Secure the fabric with small pieces of tape. The fabric should be snug, but loose enough so that a finger can fit underneath.

• 5

  Trace the circumference of your horse's leg on the fabric with a marker. The top of the fabric should be lined up just under the horse's knee. Trace the bottom of fetlock. Make sure to curve below the horse's joint on the inside and above the horses joint on the outside. It may help to remember that splint boots have a downward curve on the inside to provide joint protection, and an upward curve on the outside to allow for joint movement.

• 6

  Rub a piece of colored chalk on the fabric covering the horse's inner leg. The fabric should be well-coated with chalk. (The chalk rubbing provides an additional pattern of the area to be reinforced later).

• 7

  Lay the pattern fabric completed in the previous step flat. The guideline marks should face upward. Use a marker to finish the patterns based on your guideline marks.

• 8

  Press the chalk rubbing on a piece of white paper with the chalk in contact with the paper. Push firmly and rub to transfer the chalk rubbing to the white paper.

• 9

  Trace the outside of the chalk rubbing with a marker. This tracing serves as the pattern for the inner splint bone reinforcement of the splint boots. Repeat for the hind leg trace.

• 10

  Cut out both the fabric pattern and the paper pattern with scissors for both front and hind leg patterns.

Transfer Cut-Out Patterns To Neophrene

• 11

  Lay the cut-out patterns on top the neophrene. Make sure all the patterns fit on the material before you continue.

• 12

  Trace around the patterns with the marker.

• 13

  Cut the neoprene along the marker lines. Take care to cut as smoothly as possible.

Completing the Splint Boots

• 14

  Place three to five Velcro pieces on the outside of each boot. (All additions are placed on the outside to leave a smooth surface against your horses' skin). The length of these Velcro pieces will vary depending on the size of your boots and horse. The hind boots are longer, so they require more Velcro closures for a secure fit.

• 15

  Place the reinforcement neoprene piece (the piece made from the chalk rubbing) on the the larger piece of neoprene. Again, place this addition on the outside. Check your original fabric pattern to make sure the reinforcement is placed on the corresponding boot. Remember, right and left, front and fore do matter!

• 16

  Use pins to secure the Velcro and reinforcement to the neoprene in preparation for permanent attachment.

• 17

  Sew the Velcro and reinforcements to the neoprene. Keep in mind they will need to hold up to a great deal of stress. Double stitching is best.