Shires ARMA Horse Boots

Shires ARMA brushing boots: Air Motion, Contour Pro and OXI-ZONE

Shires ARMA brushing boots are the everyday boot for flatwork, hacking and schooling: each style wraps the cannon with a strike pad on the inside of the leg, where a horse knocks itself. The difference between them is the shell and the lining, from lightweight Air Motion mesh to the vented OXI-ZONE shell.

Shires describes Air Motion mesh as letting air circulate while the horse moves, and gives the Contour Pro a memory-foam core that springs back after each ride and recessed stitching to cut wear on the seams. The SupaFleece versions add a fleece trim at the top and bottom edges for horses that rub.

Rider reviews are quoted word for word from public rider discussions and checked against the original posts, October 2026.

Shires ARMA tendon, fetlock and cross-country boots for jumping

For jumping, Shires ARMA pairs open-front tendon boots in front with fetlock (ankle) boots behind. Open-front tendon boots cover the back of the leg and leave the front of the cannon open, so the horse still feels a rail; the fetlock boots match the tendon boots in each line.

There are four lines. The ARMA Tendon and Fetlock Boots have a hard strike-resistant shell over perforated neoprene. Carbon adds a TPU outer over a honeycomb foam center with CoolMax lining and mesh vents. OXI-ZONE uses a vented TPU shell with Air Motion 3D mesh and a fine metal mesh behind the vents. Vortex has a carbon fiber splint along the back of the tendon boot and Poron high-density foam. Each line except the original ARMA Tendon and Fetlock Boots also comes with a SupaFleece lining.

Shires ARMA Carbon XC boots

For cross-country, the ARMA Carbon XC boots come as a front and a hind pair. Shires builds them with a carbon-texture outer, an EVA foam center, a soft grip lining and an ActionGuard strike pack inside the boot over the cannon bone.

Shires ARMA over reach and bell boots for turnout and schooling

Over reach (bell) boots are the biggest group of Shires ARMA boots at Tack of the Day, and riders talk about them often: boots that stay on in the field and survive horses that are hard on them. The choice comes down to the bell and the top edge.

The classic ARMA Over Reach Boots are 6 mm rubber with a rubber-covered touch-close strap; the Fleece Trim version adds a soft trim at the pastern. Gloss, Comfort Gloss and Smooth Gloss boots are glossy PVC or rubber in bright colors with wide rubber straps. Neoprene Over Reach Boots are lighter for schooling and shows, and SupaFleece Neoprene adds a fleece top. The Soft Top has a soft edge that Shires says won't pick up shavings, and the Hard Over Reach Boots have hard sides with a padded neck.

Rider reviews are quoted word for word from public rider discussions and checked against the original posts, October 2026.

Shires ARMA ice, hot/cold and magnetic therapy boots

Shires ARMA therapy boots are for the barn, not for riding: you fit them after work or while the horse stands. There are three kinds, and Shires sells a replacement ice pack for the relief boots.

The Subzero Ice Boots hold 32 gel cushions per boot; you chill them in the freezer, and they fit front or hind legs and are sold as a pair. The Hot/Cold Relief Boots (lower leg) and Hot/Cold Joint Relief Boots (knees, hocks and fetlocks) carry gel packs you heat in hot water or a microwave or cool in cold water or the freezer, in a neoprene boot with touch-close straps. The ARMA Magnetic Boots hold 10 magnets per boot, each rated 2,800 gauss by Shires, in a breathable fabric meant for short spells in the stall or while traveling. Talk to your veterinarian about when to use heat, cold or magnets on your horse.

Shires ARMA boot sizes: Small Pony to X Large Horse

Shires ARMA boots come in Small Pony, Pony, Cob, Horse, Large Horse and X Large Horse, though no single style is made in all six. Shires's own size charts use the UK names Full, Extra Full and XX Full for our Horse, Large Horse and X Large Horse. Fetlock Boots come in two overlap sizes, and the therapy boots are one size.

Measure your horse's leg and compare it with the chart for the style you want, because the same size name measures differently from line to line. For brushing, tendon and fetlock boots Shires gives the boot height (A) and width (B); for over reach boots it gives the height, the bottom edge and the top circumference that sits around the pastern.

Shires ARMA size charts by style

Measurements from Shires Equestrian's Horse Size Guides, checked October 2026; inches converted from Shires's centimeters and rounded to the nearest 0.1. Shires publishes no chart yet for the Vortex, Carbon XC, Soft Top, Smooth Gloss or Hard Over Reach boots.

Rider reviews are quoted word for word from public rider discussions and checked against the original posts, October 2026.