Frequently Asked Questions

We use FedEx for all domestic and international shipments, so your order can be shipped via ground or Next-Day Air and can be delivered to your home or work.

All orders are shipped from our distribution facility in Bacliff, Texas, USA.

Soft Ride will try to package for shipment within 24 hrs. Most orders ship out the same day if they are received before 2p.m. EST Monday through Thursday. Weekend orders are shipped the next business day, except holidays or otherwise noted dates. If unable to ship due to backorder, assembly required, or weather disruptions, Soft Ride will email you.

We’re available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday-Thursday to answer your questions via phone or email. Our physical address can be used for return products only.

Telephone US:

855.763.8743

International:

281.334.2576

Sales Email:

Sales@SoftRideBoots.com

Testimonials Email:

Testimonials@SoftRideBoots.com

Company:

Soft Ride Distribution

Address:

626 Grand Ave

City:

Bacliff,

State:

TX

Zip Code:

77518

Soft Ride boots come in pairs unless you specifically request a single replacement. The boots should always be worn together in sets of two or four depending on if you are using them on just the front hooves or on all four legs.
Soft Ride Ice Spas are sold individually and should be used with a Soft Ride comfort boot on the opposite leg to ensure there are not counter-limb issues from the height difference.

Soft Ride boots are compatible with both shod and unshod hooves. They were originally designed with metal shoes in mind, so shoes won't damage the gel orthotic, and they are equally beneficial for barefoot horses to give them a little extra support and comfort when it's needed.

Yes! Our deep gel orthotic is designed to compress under the weight of your horse and can form to different types of shoes. However, many people are using pads/bars/wedges for a specific reason or to correct a problem and prefer to remove the frog support portion of the orthotic. This is easily done with a belt sander or a hoof knife and does not change the integrity of the overall orthotic.

Soft Ride products are returnable within 30 days of purchase as long as the products are in new, unused clean and dry condition. If used, horse forum sites are a good avenue for you to sell gentle used product.

If product is new and unused, but very slightly dirty when returned, up to a 25% restocking fee may be assessed to wash and prep for restocking, To prevent a cleaning fee, use clean measures as outlined on the fitting page and if needed, wash with gentle dish soap and water and dry before packing up. It is Soft Ride discretion on cleaning fee based on services needed. Allow a few weeks for inspection, cleaning, credit request and posting to cc (by your cc company.)

Included in the box with each order is a packing ship form that you return with the order, as well as the address to return it to. Soft Ride, 626 Grand Ave, Bacliff, TX 77518. Shipping costs are not refundable.

Soft Ride offers a limited warranty against specific defects in material and/or workmanship as determined upon inspection by Soft Ride. This warranty is valid for 6 months from date of verified original purchase only. This warranty is only valid if product is returned at customer’s expense with the Packing/Return Merchandise slip that was provided at purchase. Soft-Ride provides no refund or further warranty on warranty claims.

Items not covered by the Soft-Ride warranty include, but are not limited to:

Soft-Ride offers a limited warranty against specific defects in material and/or workmanship as determined upon inspection by Soft Ride. This warranty is valid for 6 months from date of verified original purchase only. This warranty is only valid if product is returned at customer’s expense with the Packing/Return Merchandise slip that was provided at purchase. Soft Ride provides no refund or further warranty on warranty claims.

Items not covered by the Soft Ride warranty include, but are not limited to:

1. Normal wear and tear. Neither boot soles or gel orthotics are warranted against wear
2. Damage due to misuse or improper storage
3. Damage due to using the wrong size boot
4. Damage due to sharing of boots among horses
5. Damage due to neglecting to clean the product and follow recommended maintenance
6. Damage due to using the product in a manner not recommended by Soft Ride
7. Damage caused by customer altering the product in any manner
8. Damage occurring outside of normal use
9. Damage caused by animals biting or chewing on the product
10. Soiled or improperly cared for products are not considered defective

Recommend sending Soft Ride an email with photos before sending back and we will assist to determine if applicable to return for inspection.

Ideally, we would like the boots to fit snugly with 1/8” or less showing around the outside of the orthotic. The closer the fit is, the better it will work for your horse. Much like people’s shoes, the boot should be the smallest size that isn’t too small. Issues can arise if the boots are too large or too small. Boots that are too small will tear out because your horse’s hoof will rest on the hard plastic and material seam of the boot instead of sinking into the gel orthotic. Boots that are too large will be sloppy on the hoof and can spin around, and there is also potential for the extra material to fold under the hoof as the horse walks, which will lead to a rub-through in the material.

Yes, if you just need new orthotics, you can insert them into your current boots Verify the size of the orthotic by looking at the orthotics themselves, not the boots as may be narrows. Orthotics are sold in pairs unless otherwise specified and are $70 for standard turquoise and $90 for specialty orthotics.

We do all our sales directly off the website to ensure that all our customers are treated fairly and receive the boots at the best possible price point. We don't have sales or deal days on the boots because we believe in giving our customers the advantage of always being able to buy the boots without having to worry about the cost being lower or higher in the future. Professional vets and farriers contact Soft Ride.

The boots are designed to be worn continuously if needed except when doing recommended daily maintenance. They have openings on the sides to allow air flow and venting. This also means that debris can enter the boots, so they should be taken off once a day or two and cleaned out. Pull orthotic from boot and brush all debris out. Build up of debris can push hoof to the side or back and cause premature wear. When your horse is first acclimating in the boots you should keep him in a fairly confined area (ie not turned out in the back 40) because they can throw/mess with them at the beginning if they get frisky until acclimated to the boots.

Trailering, stall and small paddock turnout is recommended. Riding, exercise and pasture use is not a specified use and not recommended as premature wear or loss is possible.

Soft Ride provides narrow orthotics sizes that fit into the standard size boot, so a size 6L boot stamped on outside can be fitted with a standard 6L orthotic or a 6LN (narrow) orthotic depending on width size measurement provided. You will notice side clips on the sides of the narrow orthotic that take up some of the width of the standard boot size. When reordering, its best to check the size of the orthotic itself to verify if regular size or narrow size. Also, a side clip can be trimmed off if needed to accommodate in-between sizes or growth.

Yes, if you just need new orthotics you can insert them into your current boots as long as the inserts and boots are the same size. Orthotics are sold in pairs unless otherwise specified and are $70 for standard turquoise and $90 for specialty orthotics.

All Soft Ride Boots sizes 2-7 include a pair of standard turquoise orthotics, and sizes 8-10 include a pair of standard purple orthotics. Specialty pairs of orthotics can be purchased additionally.

We offer six different specialty orthotics that can be used with the Soft Ride boots to help provide comfort and support to horses suffering from chronic laminitis, sinking or medial rotating laminitis, acute laminitis with dorsal to palmer (planter) rotation, navicular syndrome, sesmoiditis, stone bruises, abscesses, stinging hooves, and a wide variety of other hoof conditions and disorders. Click here for details on each of the different gel orthotic options.

Our gel orthotic is designed specifically for the Soft Ride boot, and as such should not be used with any other brand of boot.

You’ll find complete, step-by-step sizing instructions, as well as a sizing video, here.

We do! You can input your horse’s measurements in our size calculator and it will generate the size boot your horse needs. When using the size calculator, be sure to input the size of each hoof on which you want to put a boot; this will ensure you get the correct size boots. You can find the size calculator here: Sizing Page .

Our largest boot is a size 2, which measures 6 ¾” wide by 6 ½” long. We can fit most warm bloods and some draft breeds, but it’s best to measure your horse to see if his hooves fit into the size restraints.

You should size your horse’s foot shortly after his hooves have been trimmed. It’s important that the boot is not too big. This will ensure that the Gel Orthotic massages the bottom of the foot and does not get squeezed up around the outer edges of the hoof.

Yes! To ensure a continued proper fit, we recommend that your horse’s hooves be trimmed regularly, roughly every six to eight weeks, depending on how quickly they grow.

Ideally, we would like the boots to fit snugly with 1/8” or less showing around the outside of the gel orthotic. The closer the fit is, the better it will work for your horse. Much like a person’s shoes, the boot should be the smallest size that isn’t too small. Issues can arise if the boots are too large or too small. Boots that are too small will tear out because your horse’s hoof will rest on the hard plastic and material seam of the boot instead of sinking into the gel orthotic. Boots that are too large will be sloppy on the hoof and can spin around, and there is also potential for the extra material to fold under the hoof as the horse walks, which will lead to a rub-through in the material.

You can size your horse now and purchase a boot that will fit your horse’s untrimmed hoof. However, when you finally do trim his hoof you will likely need to purchase a smaller boot to ensure a proper fit.

Double check your measurement to ensure that it is precise. If your horse’s hoof is between two sizes, we recommend ordering the bigger size.

Our narrow option applies specifically to the orthotic inside the boot. The boot size will reflect the normal sizing (i.e. 6L) but the orthotic inside is shaped differently to provide a narrower opening. This is achieved by incorporating a sidewall of orthotic material around the front and sides of the gel orthotic. Narrow sizes must be ordered over the phone.

The SoftRider shoe is a center-loading shoe, which means it takes the weight that usually rests solely on the hoof wall and distributes it across the entire hoof. The base of the shoe rests directly against the sole. This allows for loading and unloading of the sole (just like the Gel Orthotic in a Soft Ride Comfort Boot), which stimulates circulation throughout the hoof and leg when standing or moving. SoftRiders also allow multi-directional breakover, which minimizes ligament and tendon strain when moving in any direction.

SoftRiders can be cast, glued, or nailed on like a traditional shoe by a vet or farrier. In most cases, they will first wrap the shoe in place to assure proper placement. They will then will mark nail locations that are most beneficial to the horse. They’ll remove the shoe to pre-drill nail holes and then nail the shoe like a traditional shoe. Finally, they will seal the back of the shoe with farrier silicone (or a similar material), leaving an open cavity in front of the frog to allow for loading and unloading of the hoof sole.

Your vet or farrier can best determine which SoftRider model is best for your horse. The SoftRider Gel Max has a taller profile than the Gel Arena. This allows more breakover, which enables a horse to find the most comfortable resting position for the foot, and is thus more suited for laminitic and navicular horses. The SoftRider Gel Arena has a lower profile and aggressive tread pattern, which makes it a great choice for competition, trail, pleasure and general riding.

Yes. SoftRiders are specifically designed to be worn for work and performance. Several NFR riders use the SoftRider Gel Arena on horses competing in roping, barrel racing, cutting, reining and more. English riders use the Gel Arena for dressage, jumping, and other equestrian events. And everyday owners use the SoftRider for activities like work, ranch and trail riding.

Not yet. We are working on developing a special gel orthotic for the Soft Ride Comfort Boot that would work specifically with the SoftRider shoe.

Here is some general sizing information about the Ice Spa, which can be used on fore or hind legs:

• The Ice Spa Pro 17" has a 17" colling column and will need leg length of approx 25" to fully secure spa to the leg.

The Soft Ride Ice Spa comes as a single boot for use on any leg (fore or hind). They are available in one size currently, Ice Spa Pro 17". When using the Ice Spa Pro on your horse, we highly recommend putting a Comfort Boot on the opposite foot to offset the height difference created by the Ice Spa.

The Ice Spa orthotic uses the same material as the gel orthotic that’s found in our Soft Ride boots. However, the Ice Spa orthotic features grooves that allow cold water to flow to the bottom of the hoof and cool the frog without allowing potentially damaging ice chunks to get under the hoof.

You’ll find a video on how to use the Ice Spa here.

Yes. We sell an adaptor that can attach your air compressor to the Ice Spa drain line and control the pressure of the air being used in the Spa. For more details, click here. Minimum compressor specs should be 3.5 HP, 135 psi. Decrease flow initially so horse can adapt to the sensation of flow.

If you prefer, Soft Ride offers a portable Aerator that is great when you have multiple horses, locations or are on the road.