Cavallo – Proudly Canadian, family owned
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“She is a Piaffe & Passage Dressage Machine!”
How Indre Took an Unlikely Thoroughbred from the Track to Dressage Grand Prix
There is nothing ordinary about the road Indre Malaiskaite and Freckles have taken to Grand Prix. Freckles is an off-the-track Thoroughbred mare competing at the very top level of dressage. And she didn’t get there because everything came easily. Quite the opposite. At Grand Prix level, where purpose-bred Warmbloods overwhelmingly dominate the arena, Freckles is something of a wonderful anomaly. Freckles has gone from a life bred for racing to performing the exacting movements of Grand Prix dressage.
A horse like Freckles doesn’t simply arrive at this level. Behind Freckles’ remarkable transformation is Indre Malaiskaite: the patient, skilled and determined rider who recognized what was possible in a horse she believed in. Indre spent years carefully developing the strength, balance, confidence and understanding required to bring that possibility to life. Their achievement together is a compelling reminder of something at the very heart of classical dressage: that great training isn’t simply about what a horse starts with, but what thoughtful, correct and persistent horsemanship can help a horse become.
And you know us at Cavallo… We just HAD to get to know the woman and the remarkable little mare behind this most unlikely Grand Prix partnership:
Question: For people who don’t know Freckles yet, who is she – and what do you wish more people knew about her?
“Freckles is an off-the-track Thoroughbred mare. Her registered name is Count’s Classic. She is a young gal at only 13, and this is her second year performing at the top level of dressage. She is a piaffe and passage machine! She is a very sensitive princess and has to be treated like a flower! But once she enters the arena, she takes over! Game on!”
Q. When you think about the journey you and Freckles have taken all the way to Grand Prix, what part of that story means the most to you – or are you most excited to share?
“She is a funky breed to make it all the way to the top. She is an exceptional horse. Her work ethic is incredible! She is the most difficult horse I ever trained. She gave nothing for free, in fact, when I met her, I could not pick up right lead canter for 1.5 years. Just as I was about to retire her, she got it! From there, we trained up fast. Then, teaching her flying changes, I was frustrated to the point of tears. Just as I thought she would never get it, she came out with tempis, not just single changes.”
Q. Was there a point along the way when you realized, “We might actually make it to Grand Prix!”? What was happening with Freckles at that time?
“No! Never! Even now, I wake up, and I don’t believe we are at this level, and we’re continuing on, polishing her skills. There were so many roadblocks that just getting to 3rd level was going to be enough for me. Last year I tried Grand Prix for fun, and it wasn’t too bad, this year we are getting even stronger and better.”
Q. You’ve earned a perspective that relatively few riders ever get to have. Having taken a horse all the way to Grand Prix, what do you know now that you wish you could have told yourself (and other dressage riders) when you were starting that journey?
“Basics, basics, basics! Correct basics will win over any crazy front-end-moving horse. When I was younger, I thought super modern moving horses were cool. As I started training toward Grand Prix, I was humbled by the basics of dressage and correctly moving horses. All you need is front end to match hind end. Look at Valegro, he never moved like a modern horse. You also do not need a warmblood to make it to the top level. It sure helps, though.”
Q. Cavallo Boots have been part of Freckles’ life along the way. Can you tell us how and when you’ve used them with her, and what, if anything, they’ve meant to you in her training or management?
“The boots have been our saving grace. Nail-on shoes ruined her hoof wall and left cracks and holes in her hooves. I transitioned her to barefoot back in 2020 and got her boots then. To this day, she is barefoot, and we train in the boots. She lands very well in them – she does not shy away from changes or passage.
Without the Cavallo boots, her soles are sensitive, and she may avoid changes or passage in order to protect her feet. Cavallo boots are also very shape-forgiving, as her hoof shape has changed over the years. Hoping one day I can petition and have them rated show-legal!”
Q. What has Freckles taught you about developing a horse to this level that you couldn’t have learned from a textbook or another rider?
“There are no easy horses. You have to be creative when it comes to training. Each horse will endure a roadblock, and you have to figure out how to get to the other side. It’s a very humbling journey.”
Your Horse Can Execute a Smooth Trot Half-Pass… But Can He Cross the Parking Lot?
Dressage can ask a lot of a horse’s body — strength, balance, engagement, collection and increasingly precise control of every stride. And every one of those strides begins and ends at the hoof. Whether your dressage horse is barefoot like Freckles, or wears metal shoes, Cavallos can become an incredibly useful tool in your training and management kit. They can give a barefoot horse protection and comfort when needed or be worn over metal shoes to add cushioning, traction and full-hoof protection. From the training arena to turnout, the trailer to the showgrounds, booting up lets you protect the feet beneath all that movement without having to change your horse’s everyday hoof-care program.
8 Ways Cavallos Keep Your Dressage Horse Dancing
1. Train a Barefoot Horse with Confidence:
For barefoot dressage horses who are sensitive on certain surfaces, Cavallos can provide protection and cushioning during schooling so discomfort doesn’t become a reason to shorten a stride or move defensively.
2. Protect Those Precious Show Shoes!
Put Cavallos over metal shoes during turnout to help prevent pulled or lost shoes. Particularly useful in the days before a competition when the last thing you need is an emergency farrier call!
3. Get Across Gravel Comfortably:
Showgrounds aren’t always beautifully groomed arenas. Gravel parking lots, stony paths and hard-packed access roads can be uncomfortable underfoot. Cavallos can soften the journey between trailer, stable and competition areas for barefoot or shod dressage horses.
4. Add Traction During Transport
A horse is constantly making tiny movement adjustments to stay balanced in a moving trailer. Cavallos can provide added grip, cushioning and hoof protection during transport, especially valuable for horses travelling long distances to competitions.
5. Cushion Hard Surfaces
Concrete aisles, hard-packed ground and other unforgiving surfaces are common around barns and competition venues. Cavallo’s TPU soles provide shock absorption between the hoof and the ground.
6. Help Protect Heels & Hoof Wall
Full-hoof coverage provides another layer of protection around the hoof, including the heel-bulb area — useful for horses who play hard, overreach or are particularly talented at removing a shoe at precisely the wrong moment.
7. Support the Transition to Barefoot
For dressage riders like Indre, considering removing metal shoes can initially seem daunting. Cavallos can protect sensitive hooves after the shoes come off and while the hoof adapts, helping you manage the transition more gradually and comfortably.
8. Keep Your Horse Moving During Hoof Setbacks
Cavallos can also serve as therapy and rehabilitation boots for a range of hoof-care situations, giving owners another useful option when a horse temporarily needs extra protection.
Wishing you many happy trails,
Carole Herder
President and Founder of Cavallo Horse & Rider Inc
Founder of Cavallo Hoof Boots, and a lifelong advocate for better, kinder hoof care.
For over two decades, I’ve worked to challenge traditional thinking and create solutions that support both performance and well-being—helping horses move freely and comfortably around the world.
This journey continues to be shaped by the horses themselves.
