Sensitive & Thin-Soled Horses Rejoice!
Is Your Sore-Footed Horse Communicating with you?
Do you notice your horse veering off to the soft side of the road whenever he gets a chance? Or seeming stubborn at times? Does his stride become short on surfaces that could be causing discomfort?
Moving on gravel, hard pavement, dry Summer ground, frozen Winter ground, asphalt and rocky trails can be extremely painful for thin-soled horses or horses with hoof sensitivity due to sole bruising or even after trimming. Add the extra weight of a rider to the equation? YOWCH!
With supportive, protective footwear, these surfaces can become easy and enjoyable for your horse to tackle. According to your fellow horse owner’s experiences below, you’ll soon be seeing some very different signs of communication from your horse!
Immediate Relief for Horse & Owner
Thin and sensitive soles need extra protection to limit discomfort and reduce the risk of possible abscesses or bruising. Cavallo Boots help protect thin, sensitive soles from uneven ground and absorb shock to help horses feel better immediately. You can SEE the difference. Riders also experience a different kind of relief, knowing their equine friends are not in pain during their time together.
Horses with thin soles may be affected by changing weather and moisture levels or may need time for their soles to grow out to help pad and protect their inner hooves. Cavallos also offer thin-soled horses support as their soles grow out.
Here’s a collection of relatable stories sent in by people who’ve been through this and got it all sorted out:
"Disgustingly Thin Soles..."
“Our sweet, spotted wonder has joined the Cavallo family! This horse has struggled for years with hoof issues. We had Green Glen out at the beginning of the year for x-rays and he’s perfectly healthy, besides wonky conformation. No Laminitis and no arthritis, but he has disgustingly thin soles and very brittle hoof walls making shoes a no-go.
Cavallo was fantastic. They sized him and I cannot believe the difference after putting his boots on. Almost instantly he was jogging and acting silly! He’s NEVER before walked side by side like this and did all gaits when I asked for them without a lead or aid of any kind, besides my hands and voice. My heart.
Excited to see him happy, sound, and healthy and for the adventures we can finally go on together!!!”
– Courtney Marie
No More Sole Bruising on Gravel Roads
“Here’s my Tango in Bangkok Thailand in his Cavallo Treks. We moved to a new stable which has a gravel road and Tango was getting sole bruises. Now, with his boots, he can walk to and from the paddocks and the arena with ease.
I’m so happy with the boots.” 😊
-Karen Wainwright
Thin-Soled Performance Horse Goes Barefoot with BFB
“I would recommend Cavallo Boots to my students and clients.
I looked into boots for my older eventing horse when he continued to have sore feet after each time his feet were trimmed. The farrier said his soles were thin and he should be shod. I’m not a fan of all those nails in his hoof and the cycle of shoeing required, so I researched the many types of boots out there. I actually tried another brand first as a friend of mine was a dealer. Try as we may, we could not get a good fit and I didn’t want to shim them here and there and all over just to make them fit.
I saw the BFB by Cavallo and looked more into them They were great online helping with fitting. I ordered them with trepidation but when they came they fit first time like a glove!!! I have ordered the Pastern Wraps as an added comfort.
Protection from Bruising on Rocky Terrain
“Cavallo Trek boots are an essential piece of equipment for both of my horses. Velvet is a Welsh Quarter pony that doesn’t need horseshoes but does need protection from the rocky terrain we ride in. She has a history of Laminitis. She loves her boots!
My draft cross (Percheron/Thoroughbred) Lady gets stone bruises very easily and has sensitive feet. We tried shoes on her but they didn’t work for her. We took them off and started using Cavallos about 6 years ago.
We ride at least 5 days a week for a minimum of 5 miles a day. We have rocky sections in our trail system, which she prances through in her boots and hold on to when we open up in the fields. She’s 26 now and thanks to these boots, she hasn’t slowed down all that much. 2 weeks ago I put her boots on for a ride and mid-way she was short-stepped and seemed lame. I just wanted to let you know how impressed I am with them. She’s a 1500-pound horse that has given them the ultimate test. Thank you for having such awesome technology and keeping us riding together.
Sincerely, Andrea Geniton & Lad
"Absolutely Atrocious" Feet No More!
“I have the Simple boot for my OTTB who had absolutely atrocious feet. I never thought he’d go barefoot but we had to do something different because even my husband who is a professional farrier of 20+ years, and works primarily on high-end Hunter-Jumpers, deemed my TB’s feet as “the worst feet he works on”.
This horse even managed to throw casts which were needed since he had nothing to nail to, but absolutely couldn’t go barefoot without being crippled. My husband and veterinarians all agreed the best thing would be for him to be barefoot for a while to have a chance to rebalance and revive his feet, the trick was going to be how to do that without him having endless stone bruises and abscesses.
A friend talked me into trying her Cavallo Treks when he was down with yet another abscess, and I’m so grateful she did. I bought him a set of Simple Boots a week later and I will forever sing your praises and encourage people to give them a try because they definitely changed my Charlie’s life for the better. We even got to go for a couple of trail rides this fall because he was finally staying sound enough to do so, and he had a blast!
And I just leased all my ponies out and have asked they all use Cavallos as needed over full-time shoeing, everyone has agreed.
We did x-rays to make sure there were no structural issues before deciding to go barefoot. So when the radiographs were clean, we knew it was simply a matter of letting his hooves learn to function like proper hooves again. His Cavallos have given him the support he needs to get there safely and without pain. And they will continue to give that support under saddle as needed. We will continue to take radiographs periodically to make sure he is maintaining correct structure internally.
-Tearney Waterman
Winter Ground Hard on Tender Feet
Meg and Parker from Ontario Canada have enjoyed seeing their thin-soled shire more at ease:
“I wouldn’t use any other boots for my horses! After seeing how amazing these boots were helping my late QH with contracted heels, I knew I had to have a pair for my Shire! Back when he arrived, I couldn’t figure out why he didn’t want to go back into his pasture (lives out 24/7/365) during the Winter – the ground was frozen, lumpy and unpleasant.
After realizing it was his thin soles, I ordered some Cavallos after hearing they had draft sizes! After a few days of getting used to his boots, he was confidently walking around his field without issues! Absolutely in love with the fact that he can wear these for as long as he needs to without worrying about rubs and discomfort! These have also been amazing for helping provide extra support when he injured a muscle during the wet, muddy season! Multi-use boots I recommend to everyone!”
-Meg and Parker from Ontario, Canada
Shod, Thin-Soled Horse's Owner Rethinks Shoeing Protocol
“My horse wears these Trek Boots over his shoes (for now) because he has thin soles and comes up lame on harder ground.
The boots over seem to help. I may be changing his shoeing protocol next round.”
– Heather Leslie Weinberger
A Bit of a Battle...
“Thin soles have been a bit of a battle since May. We tried different shoeing which he seemed to do well in…for a few days. Every. Time.
We decided to just leave them be & let his feet grow out. I wanted something to protect his feet being barefoot for the first time and a friend introduced me to the Cavallo ELB boot. It was easy to put on, lightweight, very durable..so I bought two of my own. After 3 months of use, one boot developed a wrinkle in the leather in the heel. ONE call and a picture via email to Cavallo and they sent a replacement boot via Fedex that day! No questions, no arguing, no defensiveness – just, “I’ll send you a replacement today”.
I work with a lot of manufacturers/vendors for equine products at my job. I have never dealt with a more pleasant company. I cannot say enough great things about this company and their boots! We love our ELB’s!! Thank you Cavallo!”
– Missy Maggi
Does your horse need relief? Contact us HERE to find the style and size of boots and pads that will work best!
Wishing you many happy trails,
-Carole
Your Cavallo website is loaded with research, testimonials, and FAQs to help guide you as you transition to barefoot and prepare to ride in any sport. Visit HERE for more help or join the discussion on Facebook HERE. Sign up here for Cavallo’s free newsletter and special community discounts: www.cavallo-inc.com/CavalloNews