The pony version of combat boots

Great work, but I wonder if anthro ponies would make like hobbits and just go barefoot (barehoof?) most of the time. Hooves seem to be a little tougher than the bare skin of a human foot.

IIRC, this is a workup for 'Mac as a trucker' drawing, so from personal experience:

HELLS NO. You honestly don't want to know half the crap we end up wading through. Toxic, sharp, or just plain disgusting. Being able to take your boots off and leave them in the toolbox outside until you can knock the dried gunk off in the morning is a necessity.

And on top of that, if my knowledge of equine anatomy is sound, there's a spongy tissue on the sole of the foot filled with blood vessels that's meant to pump blood back up the leg with each step. With the amount of sharp debris strewn around the average truck stop, he'd be bleeding out through his frogs just walking in for coffee.

I have not worked as a truck driver but I have done shipping and receiving for over twenty years, and I will completely stand behind  NutjobGTO observations about hazards of industry not just for footsies but hoofs. Also consulting with my wife who has worked at horse boarding ranches she agrees that in an industrial environment equines and anyone else with hoofs would wear safety footwear. Getting a pallet dropped on your hoof would be just as bad as having it fall on your foot. Also NutjobGTO was correct the underside of the hoof, the frog, is very sensitive. That's why caltrops work.

I didn't know this either. Thanks for taking the time to explain it.

I think it makes complete sense too.

My time has mostly been in mines, construction sites, and various industries.

Ah! Thank you for taking the time to explain that, sir.

You wanna know the scariest mess I've ever seen?

Moving a ten year old storage trailer from a dock at a dairy plant, with bad grading and drainage.

A full FOOT of milk sludge had built up underneath. Every color of the rainbow.

Uuugh. I've seen some nasty stuff at supermarkets when working at them over the years, but that beats everything I ever saw.

Is there any particular reason the zips are placed on the outside of the boot instead of on the inside? Just curious, since I have a pair of combat boots that have the zips on the inside. I would think that having the zipper on the outside would make it harder to zip them up.

I've seen some with it on the outside and some with it on inside. I just decided to put them on the outside for this sketch.

cool

are they good at stomping in mud?

They are good at stomping a mudhole in someone and then walking it dry.

How deep is a mudhole? and what do you mean stomping a mudhole in someone and then walking it dry?

It's a term for beating someone within an inch of their life.

Those forelegs feel a bit thin but the boots are definitely nice.

I think it would be helpful for you to look at some of Trogan's work.
He has some interesting points and solid experience when it comes to designing and presenting digitigrade anthros.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7316501/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7316515/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7316553/

His hooves look tiny

I have to agree with  bennyfur on the fact this pony's rear hooves look small in proportion to his body.
However, he would definitely have boots, for a variety of reasons:
1. As  nutjobgto said, the hoofnail may be strong, but the frog as well as the fetlock need protection from dirt, debris, and abrasion/laceration. Heck, I could even see "steel fetlock plate" as a selling feature for PonyTredz™.
2. To have a strong traction surface when you know you're working in places that are slip zones (like metal receiving docks, icy roads, wet tiled floors, etc.) Hooves are quite smooth and slide on these easily. Watch a deer on a frozen lake and you know exactly what I'm talking about.
3. Potentially there may be joint support issues. Every military guy will note how useful it is to have their boot up over the first joint for support when they're on a long march. I don't know how long truckers have to be standing around while handling loads, but if they stand anywhere near as long as they drive, the fetlocks are going to want additional support.

Just my two bits for the pile.

I really love this idea! As a supporter of ponies wearing boots, this is a really amazing design!
Of course, I did imagine BM having thicker hooves in order for them to support his body in a bipedal configuration. Just like taurens, which have pretty thick and stable hooves.

I completely agree he would wear boots.

However, regarding the zipper...

I've always considered it a frilly fashion cheat. There's 22 holes in that boot for a reason, Lace them all up soldier! Or not, but I really can't recall seeing any certified safety boots with zippers. They might exist, but I suspect not, as the zipper is a conductive risk. Also, not sure but I have the suspicion a zipper would work itself open relatively quickly on the traditional steel toe, steel sole, steel plate heavy-as-all-get-out boot. It might be okay on the lighter composite ones.

I wouldn't trust a zipper on a high boot.

If you need speed in and out, get boots with hooks instead of eyelets.

Are they made to do mud?