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TA L K
a practice in Kentucky in 1999. There I was
exposed to various cases of foals born with
crooked legs. We used to use casts but they
needed replacing regularly to prevent injury
to the foal’s skin. I had previously worked as
a taxidermist, and through this I had learned
how to work with fibreglass and other resins,
so I had the idea to make something that
could be removed and re-applied more
easily, even by the owner. My colleagues
challenged me to attempt it. So I invested in
a $30 fibreglass repair kit and a few days
later I had created a handmade boot that
could be opened and closed, fastened with
Velcro straps. It worked well and, as it was
red, when vets saw it they would ask:‘Can you
make one of those little red boots for me?’
That was 17 years ago. Today, Redboot is
a well-established brand, producing various
models of leg-saving devices – not only for
foals, but also to manage fractures and
wounds in horses. In some cases the use of
traditional acrylic long-term casts is being
replaced. Redboot has also created the first
modern designs of equine braces – in lighter
and more durable materials, with the
advantage being that they can be applied,
removed and replaced easily when needed,
saving time and money.
To ensure the best possible outcome for
a horse that has suffered a distal (lower)
limb fracture, it is essential for the limb to
be properly immobilised while the animal is
transported to a referral clinic. At the request
of an orthopaedic equine surgeon in
Lexington, I created the first model of the
Emergency Compression Redboot to help in
this scenario. Then, two years ago, I created
the first prosthetic limb, for a mare that had
suffered an amputation. She and a few other
similar cases are now enjoying a good quality
of life. Although this is currently only viable
in special cases, with better understanding
and advances in materials and technology,
I hope many more will be saved in the future.
My private practice is just outside Buenos
Aires. I work mainly with polo and race horses,
but I am permanently assisting in cases of
deformed or injured foals and horses from
clinics, teaching hospitals, horse breeders
and owners all over the world. It brings me
great satisfaction to be able to help them.
I hope my work will inspire others to join me in
improving our knowledge in this area, and to
discredit the myth that a horse with a broken
or badly crooked limb has to be put down.
Dr Agustin Almanza trained in equine surgery
and internal medicine in Canada, and in
diagnostic imaging at the University of
California, Davis. He now lives and practises
in Argentina, but consults worldwide. He
founded Redboot in 2007; redboot.com.ar
Opposite
: Dr Agustin Almanza assists
a foal using his orthopaedic invention.
This page, from top:
the boot can be
opened and closed for ease of removal;
Redboot is more efficient than
traditional casts
