How to replace cables in Renegade Boots – Part Two

Apr 272010
 

Continued from Part One…

Pulley buttons removed


Next remove the screws from the pulley buttons. Getting the cover off was a bit challenging, as they are flush with the heel captivator. I knocked the captivator against my kitchen counted a few times, until there was enough to grab with a fingernail. Once the front is off, you can pop the pulley out the back side.
When everything is disassembled, it’s not a bad time to clean it all. I did that as I went.


New cable


Take a new cable and thread it through the top hole in the shell.


Loop for the pulley button


Run the cable into the pulley hole and back out on the bottom side leaving a loop inside the heel captivator.


Inserting the back side of the pulley button


Place the pulley into the loop and pull the end of the cable to seat the pulley. Replace the pulley button cover and screw.

Cable run back through the shell


Run the end of the cable back through the shell and into the cable slot.

Cables run through the new cable clamp


Place the new cable clamp in the shell and run each cable though the clamp. Adjust the cables, tighten the cable clamp and seat it back into the boot.


The reassebled boots


With the straps reassembled, these boots are ready to go try on Lily.

How to replace cables in Renegade boots – Part One

Apr 272010
 

WordPress is croaking on the image laden post, so I’ve cut it into part one and part two.

I traded a pair of size 0 Renegades for a pair of size 1. The 1s were too large for Lily. The cable clamps turned out to be stripped or jammed. Whichever it was didn’t matter. I couldn’t adjust them. The only way to fix it was to replace the clamps and cables. I searched the Renegade site and the web for instructions, but found nothing. So I just went for it, taking photos along the way. I thought that it would be worthwhile to post this How To.

The tools I used


After several trips to the tool chest, these are the tools I used: flat screwdriver for prying the cable clamp out, phillips screwdriver for the pulley buttons, wire cutters, pliers (a smaller standard pair of pliers would have been a better choice.), and the tiny allen wrench for the cable clamp, of course!


The spart parts


Here are the new cables and cable clamps ready to go.


Boot- cleaned with the heel captivator liner removed.


The liner in the heel captivator needs to be removed. You can do this now or after the next step. I also found that it was easier to remove all the straps at this point.


The first cable cut off


Cut the cables between the heel captivator and the shell. If your cables are just frayed and can be removed by loosening the cable clamp, you can do that instead.


The shell with all the cables and straps removed.


The next step is to remove the clamp. Prying it out can be challenging. Newer clamps have a small hole on the front. It allows you to use the allen wrench to lever the clamp, exposing the screws. Mine were older and didn’t have that nifty feature.


Cable clamp pried out showing the adjustment screws (and mud).


Once I had the cable clamp out enough to grab it with my pliers, I just pulled it out. It did look like it was ripping the boot where the cables run though, but it only stretched. No real damage was done.


Cable clamp with stuck cables removed.


Success! But look at all the mud that had accumulated under there…


On to Part Two!



How To – Mud Knots

Dec 192009
 

I thought I would put up a How To today on tying up tails for the winter. I’ve done this most years here in wet, western Oregon. Vinnie’s tail had started to get clods of adobe permanently building up on the end of his tail. They can become heavy, get caught on branches and even pull out large sections of tail. Vinnie’s tail already touches the ground. Add a few inches of mud to sink into and I’ve got a problem… I’ve found this to be an excellent solution.

100_0814webHStart with a relatively clean tail. I washed, combed and conditioned both Lily & Vinnie’s tails, thanks to abundant free samples of Eqyss Premier Cream Rinse Conditioner from my local feed store. I’ve liked all the products from this company that I have used so far. I’ll see how their tails look when I take them down in a few weeks. Vinnie was my model today, since his tail is so nicely multi-colored.


100_0817webHYou will need a strip of fabric. I use the end of a turban, handy for me, but likely not for the average horse owner. Any lightweight cotton fabric will do. Mine was about 50″ long and maybe 3″ wide. Locate the end of the tail bone and section the tail into three parts. Take the middle of the fabric strip and run it behind the tail with each side running along two braiding sections.


100_0821webHBraid the tail, holding it down toward the horse’s hocks and the ground, incorporating the fabric into the braid. If you don’t hold the tail downwards, your braid will not hang nicely or will have a bulge on the underside. I leave about 10″-12″ of unbraided tail. This will be left open when the mud knot is finished. Wrap the fabric once around and tie. You should have about 6″ or more fabric left for the next step.

If you don’t want any loose hair, you can braid to the end of the tail. You will either need a longer piece of fabric or braid half way before adding the fabric in. Either way you need some fabric left at the end.


100_0824webHOpen a space in the braid at the top, just under the end of the tail bone.


100_0826webHThread the end of the braid through this space from the underside.


100_0829webHRun one fabric end through the space and wrap them around the tail, so that they can be tied into a square knot. Be sure to stay below the end of the tail bone. We don’t want to damage any of the living part of the tail by putting pressure on it.


100_0831webHLay the open, brush end of the tail flat against the front of the, now folded, braid. This is a side view of the bundle just before wrapping in vetwrap. I cover the entire braided portion, making a point of not covering the loose end or the tail bone.

If I were going to wrap the entire tail, I would make the bundle longer, just folding the braided end of the tail up. It would then get covered in vetwrap.


100_0834webHThe end result – a much shortened tail that will stay clean and protected from the mud!



100_0867webHUnless my work falls apart, I plan to leave their tails up for 3-4 weeks. I’ll take them down, check them and likely put them back up. It will be interesting to see how long they grow over the winter. I may need to do some trimming come springtime.

For more photos of them enjoying the nice grass, visit my Flickr page. It was a really lovely day and they enjoyed some time in a new paddock. Their paddock was getting gravel added around the gate.