I was introduced to Cavallo Hoof Boots shortly after we began our carriage business. I had previously used Easy-Boot brand boots on my light horses, and found them cumbersome and awkward to work with. Besides, they didn't offer sizes I needed for my draft horses.

Cavallo was the first company we found that offered hoof boots in sizes large enough to fit our needs. Initially, we purchased them to use with ice studs during the winter, for improved traction. However, we quickly noticed the many other benefits. We noticed our carriage horses remained more energetic during their work thanks to the excellent cushion and shock absorbing properties of the boot, and they were not as fatigued at the end of a long event. We started experimenting, and discovered that on some surfaces, the rubber bottom of the boot offer better traction year-round than a bare hoof, and certainly better than a metal shoe (even those with drill-tech). It also protected our horses hooves from the hot asphalt during warmer summer events. We also found that they helped our new arrivals who had previously worn metal shoes transition to being barefoot more comfortably (horses often experience tenderness during this transition--much like you trying to walk outside barefoot after wearing shoes for a long time), and without downtime.

The biggest test came with our most severe rescue/rehab case, Grace. She needed hoof protection almost 24/7 in the beginning. Although she wasn't able to wear the Cavallo boot full time, we rotated the Cavallos with Cloud boots, Hoof Armor, and casting (to change up the pressure point areas and prevent rubs from long-term wear). Of all the protection options we had, Cavallos quickly became one of our absolute favorite forms of protection for her. Grace improved rapidly once we started using the Cavallos on a regular basis, and the additional movement it allowed played a significant role in her founder recovery. We were even able to use the boots to help keep her feet dry and clean enough to heal up her chronic thrush!