My OTTB is just not keeping shoes on - poor, thin hooves and muddy pastures are not helping. I need to pull his shoes for a bit, and I am hoping to ride with Cavallo horse boots to see how he does barefoot. Has anyone successfully transitioned to barefoot using Cavallo horse boots? How have you done it? I see I should start with just 10-15 min for the first rides and move up from there - any other advice? Thank you for any experiences that could help guide me!
The key to a successful transition is to make sure the boots fit the horse. My first boots were Cavallo Simple boots, and they just didn’t fit my horse’s feet very well even though I had the correct size according to the chart. I constantly had problems with them twisting and coming off. I switched to Cavallo Trek boots (same size) and they fit perfectly. In more than five years I had one come off only once, when my horse wedged his foot between two rocks. I dismounted, put the boot back on, and we went on our way. No damage to either the boot or my horse’s hoof.
Yes, start with just short rides to let your horse get used to the boots and work up from there.
I think Cavallos are a good choice for transitioning to barefoot. They’re easy to put on and take off, and they’re more forgiving on sizing than some other brands. I switched to Scoot Boots a couple of years ago because I like the more open design and they’re easier to clean than Cavallos. On the other hand, it’s trickier to find the right size with Scoots, and I find it harder to get them on. I had to order shells of different sizes to get the sizing right.
1 Like
I agree Cavallo Treks are pretty forgiving size-wise. They do have rather hard plastic bottoms so at first you may want to add pads/“insoles.” My retiree has been wearing them for turnout for the past month because he started stepping on himself and ripping at least one shoe off every week or two. They were already broken in from previous use so he has been wearing them all night from Day 1. No rubs and he’s never taken them off even though the Velcro straps need replacing.
I tried Scoot Boots for him last year and even though my farrier who’s very experienced with them helped me choose the size, he ended up with bloody heels. It was horrible and took forever to heal.
You may want to consider glue on shoes like Sigafoos instead. Hoof boots have their place, but they do change the breakover (forward), and aren’t going to be suitable for 24/7 use, so your horse is still going to have issues in turn out. I would consider the glue ons until the nail holes grow out and the hoof health is improved, and THEN move to hoof boots.
Unfortunately, I don’t know of any farriers in our area that do glue-ons, or I would definitely go that route!
Ours didn’t do them either…until we told him he was doing them…It wasn’t a steep learning curve, but you need to stall your horse until the glue dries.
I’ve used and abused and literally worn holes in the toes of Cavallo boots for many years. I had Boa boots before my first set of Cavallo Simple boots and just picked up the same size (2) which wasn’t necessarily the best way of doing it, but I got lucky and they fit (except when his feet are in need of a trim).
According to the size chart he should be wearing a size 3. My horse hung a foot over a high tensile wire and pulled the wire off four fence posts before getting free. Put a nasty hole at the base of his pastern which left a big scar when it healed. This scar bleeds if rubbed so I use the Cavallo neoprene pastern wraps. I use a size larger - the ones for size 3-4 boots.
On a fresh trim the 3s rattle even with the pastern wraps taking up space. Later in the cycle the 2s seem very snug with the wraps. I use 2s until his hoof is too wide for the boot. The pair I use for shipping are 3s (they have ice studs to give my horse traction and confidence in transit). I find more stuff (vegetation, sand, dirt, gravel, etc) in the 3s than the 2s.
I found the leather upper of the Simple boots shaped themselves to the foot quite nicely, especially given some long wet grass, puddles or similar wet conditions. Unfortunately the leather upper wore away at the bottom edge in wet grass and muddy conditions.
This led me to try the (then) new Treks which were made on the same footbed as the Simple boot. The synthetic upper (leather lined heel) took a bit longer to break in but stood up to riding conditions much better. With the pastern wraps I haven’t had any rub issues and I have used them for turnout a number of times.
My advice is to try the size recommended by the size chart. If it seems big try pastern wraps to take up some space. If it’s still big try a size down.
If you want to use them for turnout have two pairs of boots and wraps for each pair of feet and swap them daily. The used pair can be cleaned and dry overnight. I saw someone use Gold Bond foot powder when they had one pair. If it’s dry just brushing off the inside of the wraps daily will be enough - no need to swap out. My horse lives out and hasn’t had trouble wearing the Treks for 2-3 weeks. Pastern wraps!
The trick with hoof boots of any kind is to go through the process of figuring out what works for your horse. Once you’ve got that worked out you’ll find those boots easy. With the Boa boots my horse got small, minor rubs in a few places. I duct taped those areas until the boots broke in and that was enough protection. I did end up getting the Boa gaiters to protect his scar.
1 Like
I used solely Cavallos for many years.
Make sure you get a good measurement right after a trim. Use the Cavallo measurement directions and charts as they do work.
When I start a horse out in them, I put them on and let them stand in them for a little while before asking them to move off. I then hand walk for a bit, and might repeat this a few days before getting on.
The only issue I have had with the Cavallos is some rubbing on the back of the heel and just above the coronary band, and it feels like it takes them forever to dry out if they get wet in use. Easy Boot gaiters or an old sock with the toe cut off can help with rubbing, as well as using something like Body Glide in the area of the rub.
I pulled my OTTB’s shoes last fall because I was pregnant and have been using the Cavallo entry level boot since. He had pretty great feet to begin with, so was completely comfortable in the pasture and comfortable in my arena 99% of the time.
Coming back into work I had planned on putting shoes back on him, but so far I’m really happy with slapping the boots on when we hack along the road or my arena is particularly dry/hard. He seems very happy and comfortable with the arrangement.
I do have a rasp and my farrier gave me some pointers on how to clean up his toes when they start to get long and the boots start to get snug toward the end of our 6 week cycle.
My only complaints are that the velcro sucks after some time. If I’m going to be riding trails and through grass I’ll slap some vet wrap over them to keep the velcro secure.
1 Like
I have a horse that gets turned out in boots. I have a big problem with the boots turning on one foot and sometimes they come off. The pastern wraps really help keep the boots from turning. BUT the straps on the boots are too short to fasten using the pastern straps. This is for boots that fit the hoof. If I go up a size the boots will flop on her hoof. I mean - REALLY- just spend the 50 cents it costs to make the straps long enough. End of vent!
1 Like
Add biotin to his diet if you haven’t already. I put my gelding on it after he developed a tiny dent in the hoof wall that started to crack. The only way you could locate it was after a trim. His feet were always pretty good, but I put him on biotin. The farrier said it made a big difference - walls and soles were thicker and stronger. Patience is a virtue because it takes upwards of a year for the hoof to grow out. He was on pasture board with plenty of mud.
I drove my horses on the roads near my house, and started having problems with them being barefoot when the county put large rocks down–you couldn’t call it gravel, the stones were so big.
I had my Hackney pony in front shoes for a while, but wasn’t happy doing that as he was happy barefoot except on the road. I tried Boa boots on him (because it was the only boot small enough to fit his tiny feet), but I really disliked them because we’d be trotting down the road and then I’d hear his footfalls change because the boots loosened up. I spent more time tightening them than I did driving, although he did go well in them when they were tight enough.
When I started driving my large pony (probably a Welsh cross), I tried Cavallos on him. They fit him perfectly, didn’t rub, but he absolutely hated them. As soon as I put them on, he would shift his weight from side to side. And he just would not trot. I listened to what he was telling me, and stopped using them. I got lucky and sold them to someone on COTH years ago. Her pony went fine in them.
Rebecca
If you have Treks the length can be adjusted as they velcro to two rings. Adjust the end that stays attached to the boot to give more room on the other end. I’ve made the ones on my 3s shorter and 2s a bit longer.
At my barn I’ve watched experiences with four different brands of hoof boots on three different horses and the Cavallos were the only ones that caused problems - but I think they didn’t fit properly. Having said that, it was 3 different horses and 2 different owners so there were lots of factors influencing the situation. If possible, I would hire a boot fitting expert to come out and recommend the best fit and style for your situation. I use Renegade boots for my gelding and I love them because they are so open that there is minimal chance of rubbing. I put them on him sporadically when his soles are sensitive and he does just fine without a gradual introduction. Renegades are a fair bit more expensive than Cavallos but I think they are worth it.
1 Like
I started using Cavallos for trail riding last year and have been very happy. I ride two big draft crosses; one with more narrow hooves, so he wears slims. I looked around a bit and many hoof boots seemed very complicated fitting-wise, the Cavallos were not. Just read all of the sizing information because I remember one if this, than that caveat - IIRC it was something about if the hoof is wider than the length (my case) then go with ________. Anyway, they fit well and my horses seem happy. I got a set of four for both horses with gel inserts for the fronts. I have not ridden in them in extreme muddy conditions, so can’t say how they will stand up to those conditions, but generally avoid those conditions anyway as not what I consider fun.
