Cavallo Trek Boot Fit

[ERNurseonaHorse]

Hello! Happy 4th of July!

I bought my horse a pair of Cavallo Trek Boots, he’s been wearing them for about a week now. I have concerns about the boots rubbing, how much is too much? It seems to be on the heel bulb area.

I’ve been breaking the boots in slowly, 20min, 30min, then a 40min ride. I’ve used leather conditioner, and got the boots wet. His foot is very pear shaped, with the widest part being his heel area. Easy Boots, and Scoot Boots did not fit because of this issue. I tried a size 3 Cavallo and it seemed like a very tight fit. I measured him as a 4. I’ve attached a picture of the rubbing after our last ride, the boot was wet, so it made it very easy to see.

I cut up some socks today, and put those on first, it seemed to help? Please tell me about breaking in these boots!

[four2farm]

I am going through the same thing with mine. I have oiled them and gotten then wet but he still moves funny in them and gets a little tender in the heels. Farrier suggested pads inside. So I cut a rubber mouse pad and put those in the boots while I waited for the Cavallo pads to come in. Worked really well I guess the fraction of an inch made a difference. The Cavallo pads just arrived so hopefully they will work as well.

[ERNurseonaHorse]

Thank you for the suggestion! That might work for me too.

[RedHorses]

I use the Cavallo “pastern wraps” on my horse. He has an old scar on the back of one front foot (from hooking his foot over a high tensile wire fence strand) that gets rubbed raw by the boots without some kind of protection.

I used to use the Cavallo Simple boots which have a leather upper, not just leather lined like the Treks. The Trek upper is much more durable but as it is a synthetic material it takes longer to break in.

Have you actually ridden in wet conditions? Riding in conditions that get and keep the boots wet can speed break in, but the wet conditions also soak the horse’s skin leaving it more vulnerable to damage. Mud, puddles, wet grass that is at least 8" long, and wet snow are examples of the wet conditions I mean.

For temporary protection of rubbed areas during break in duct tape is useful, or a generous layer of zinc ointment - though this is a very messy option. I did a 15 mile Endurance training ride/clinic recently and about a week earlier my horse got raw, bloody rubs on both fronts from his Scoot boots. They were healing very well but still at the scabby stage for the clinic ride. I put a generous slather of zinc ointment on, then duct taped a non stick wound dressing pad over the rubs. He wore his Cavallo wraps and Treks and had zero issues. The rubs were clean and not irritated after everything.

The wraps do add bulk and if your boots are a very snug fit already there may not be room for the wraps.

[Weezer]

I am having a similar problem with Cavallos and have not found a solution. Pads seemed to stop the rubbing on the heel but create rubbing on the front coronet band. Cut up an old sock to protect the coronet band and that caused the heel to rub. I would love to hear some suggestions.

[lenapesadie]

I’m a newb to the hoof boot world, so my input may not be useful.

I had my senior rehab project fitted for hoof boots to wear in turnout. My trimmer had a giant box of hoof boots. Two brands and several models of each. My trimmer said the most important thing was to have boots that fit the horse’s hooves. I ordered a pair of the boots that fit my horse the best and we went straight to 24/7 use (less an hour or so once a day to let hooves and boots dry out). No rubs. All that to say, maybe those boots don’t fit your horse.

[mlb722]

Use the pastern wraps or even an old sock. Cavallos often rub, which is annoying. I prefer easyboots but those are quite finicky and I found I needed two sizes to get through a normal trim cycle.

[gradytb]

I have a pair for an OTTB and got the pads with them. The pads ALWAYS turned sideways inside the boots and I cut them exactly as instructed. I oiled them to soften them but they rubbed my guy too on the heels and also back of pastern. I even cut wool hiking socks for him to wear inside the boots but that didn’t help and the socks would fall down! For the price, I’m not impressed and I wouldn’t order another pair. They’re for size 2 feet if anyone wants them! I’d tried Scoot boots before that and could NOT keep them on.

[Libby2563]

My old guy who’s struggling to stand for the farrier has recently gone barefoot and is wearing Cavallos for turnout. They were rubbing him too so I made him duct tape liners and that has helped a lot! For the parts that touch his skin, I stick two pieces of duct tape together so nothing sticks to the hair/skin. I have to add tape every couple of days when different spots get worn, and I have been redoing it completely once a week or so. In the photo there’s gauze underneath because I was dressing one of the rubs, but since I’ve been using the tape consistently there are no rubs and no gauze. I ordered Scoot Boots that are stuck in Ohio right now…thanks, DHL!

[Weezer]

Careful with the scoot boots! I’ve heard some awful stories about them rubbing when used for turnout - but we all know that there isn’t one answer for us all so hopefully they work well for you!

[Libby2563]

@Weezer

Careful with the scoot boots! I’ve heard some awful stories about them rubbing when used for turnout - but we all know that there isn’t one answer for us all so hopefully they work well for you!

Ugh! That’s disappointing to hear. My farrier recommended Scoot Boots as less likely to rub, but I guess we will see. Maybe now that he’s been wearing the Cavallos with tape for a few weeks he could tolerate them better without it. I’ll have to experiment.

[Weezer]

The problem I’ve heard with scoot boots is the strap rubbing and digging into the bulb of the heel. I hear this happens during turnout, not so much when used just for riding. So if you’re able to get out and check the boots every day, you should be able to catch signs of rubbing. Hoof boots are such a challenge to fit without rubbing. I’ve had the most luck with Easy Boots and Renegades, although the soles of Renegades are not very cushioned.

[lenapesadie]

@Weezer

Renegades,

This is what my horse is in. He wore them 24/7 this week. No rubs.

[OzarksRider]

Instead of wrapping the horse’s hoof in duct tape, try lining the inside back of the boot with duct tape. I did this when I was using the Cavallo Simple boots, and it worked. I never had a problem with rubs with the Cavallo Treks, but maybe that was because my horse’s heels had toughened up. And it may be that hoof boots are not meant to be worn 24/7.

I’ve also used duct tape to line rough places on halters and the inside of Hock Shields, rather than trying to get something to stick to the horse. I think the smooth texture of the duct tape keeps rubs from forming.

[Libby2563]

@OzarksRider

Instead of wrapping the horse’s hoof in duct tape, try lining the inside back of the boot with duct tape. I did this when I was using the Cavallo Simple boots, and it worked. I never had a problem with rubs with the Cavallo Treks, but maybe that was because my horse’s heels had toughened up. And it may be that hoof boots are not meant to be worn 24/7.

Maybe I’ll try that. I was worried that sticking duct tape inside a concave thing (boot) rather than outside a convex thing (hoof) would cause the tape to crinkle and rub. Hopefully this is only short term anyway. The boots are only on for turnout, so at least he gets a break from them for about 8 hours a day.

[ERNurseonaHorse]

Thank you all for the suggestions! The boots ended up breaking in on their own, I went slowly. Getting them wet helped too. My horse is no longer having issues, I just needed to be more patient with the process!