Barefoot Trimming and Booting: Review of the Cavallo Simple Hoof Boot

In this article I review the Cavallo Hoof Simple Boot. I think it's important to write about my experiences because it took a lot of research to figure out how to fit this boot to my quarter horse gelding, Walker, who is currently in transition from shoes to barefoot living. If I had not done the research, I would have ended up with boots that were the wrong size, not to mention ultimately detrimental to Walker's progress.

Walker's Barefoot Trimming Situation
Walker is a 4-year-old quarter horse gelding I purchased as a reining prospect. The moment I brought him home I immediately yanked his shoes off. His feet were typical of an overly-bred quarter horse: thin walls, hoof wall separation (giving his toes that lovely long "ski" look), and a thin sole. I figured this was no big deal, as I had had a lot of experience transitioning horses out of shoes. Plus, Walker had only worn shoes for about four months.

I was wrong. Walker, being a Shao Yin personality type (read more about this and other horse personality types on Dr. Madalyn Ward's Horse Harmony site), was a hot house flower. With every barefoot step he took he winced. He limped. He looked totally pathetic. Worst of all, he was totally unrideable. I live in rough country, where rocks, gravel, and rough terrain abound. Walker, in total contrast to my mustang mares, could not hack a single step.

I tried to tough out the situation for a couple of months. I tried several different barefoot strategies. I tried taking off less flare with each trimming and using a severe mustang roll. This only caused the hoof wall to separate more. I tried taking off all the flare. Walker, in contrast to his name, could not walk. I tried trimming every few days. No dice. Same with going a long time between trimmings. Ditto with all kinds of hoof paint, iodine, and other remedies. The nutritional aspect, with my home made "horse goo" of mangosteen juice and algae, was helping him grow much better hoof wall, but that was way up at the top of his hoof. In the meantime, he was trying to walk on the crummy lower portion of his hooves. Ouch!

Cavallo Simple Hoof Boots
I finally broke down and decided that my boy needed some artificial help; I either had to slap shoes back on him (makes me wince) or buy him some boots. Since the boots cost exactly double the cost of a shoe job (about $145), I opted for boots. In my experience they last longer and cost less in the long run.

In the past, I've often used Old Macs, especially on my bigger horses. I love the Old Macs and have taken them everywhere, but they are fairly large and clunky. Walker is small (not quite 15 hands) and has slender legs and tiny quarter horse hooves. Instead, I opted for the Cavallo Simple Hoof Boots, which have a much slimmer profile and looked easy to put on and take off.

I got online and researched a bunch of reviews, as well as visiting the Cavallo site for their sizing chart and instructions. According to those instructions, I measured Walker after a fresh trim. Using their sizing chart, Walker was a size 2. I was all ready to hit the "buy" button for a pair of size 2 boots when I decided to read through a few more user reviews. Here's what I learned based on the user reviews:

1. Order one size smaller boot than the sizing chart suggests

2. If your horse's hoof has a lot of flare, measure the hoof after a fresh trim in which you take off all the flare

3. These boots stretch with use so buying one size smaller makes sense

4. In order to ensure a better fit, buy a few of the pad inserts in case you need them

5. You want the fit to be snug (with Walker, I put the boot halfway on and then he has to put his full weight on the boot to get his hoof in). With a snug fit you prevent rotation and rubbing (the inserts also help with this)

6. When you first get the boot, wrap a plastic bag around your horse's hoof and around the boot to try the boots for fit. This prevents the boots from getting dirty and allows you to exchange the boots if necessary

7. Let your horse break the boots in slowly to prevent rubbing and sores (20 minutes the first day, an hour the next, and so forth)

Walker's Experience with the Cavallo Simple Hoof Boot
Walker loves his Simple Hoof Boots. The first day I put them on and rode him, he literally galloped down our gravel drive. This is the same gravel drive he literally could not limp across barefoot. He wore the boots for a short 20 minute ride the first day, then for a longer hour ride the next day. Over time, we've increased the amount of time he wears them.

One day I decided to let him wear the boots all day in his pasture. He was mostly sound in his pasture barefoot, but occasionally he would hit a rough spot and limp. Plus, I noticed that he rarely ran or bucked with Fezzywig, his pasture buddy. I also noticed that he had become quite swaybacked and had been working to remedy that with bodywork. The day he wore his boots all day in pasture, he ran and bucked like a maniac. He also didn't look as swaybacked. To understand what has happening to his body, I got down on my hands and knees and tried to imitate a sore-footed stance. In that stance, I noticed that I rocked back on my knees and dropped my back down to avoid putting weight on my hands. Hmmm, not exactly rocket science but pretty nifty nonetheless.

Walker now wears his boots all day and has them off at night. We live in a dry climate, the high desert of Colorado, so he can get away with wearing his boots for long stretches without any moisture buildup. This is important since the goal is to develop a hard, dry, tough hoof, and moisture buildup tends to soften the hoof (especially the sole). Depending on where your horse lives most of the time, you may wish to do keep boots on him for many hours at a time, or to just put them on when you are riding him.

Finally, in addition to his new Simple Hoof Boots, Walker loves his extra doses of Omega Sun Algae, which is unparalleled when it comes to building strong hoof wall. We are about four months away from him actually walking on his new hoof wall (you can see a line that separates the old hoof from the new growth), but I can tell that the algae is producing a much thicker and stronger wall. Can't wait for him to actually be able to walk on it!

I hope this article helps those of you who are considering buying the Cavallo Simple Hoof Boot. It's a high quality boot and well worth the investment for those who want to transition their horses to barefoot but need a little "help"!

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Barefoot Trimming: To Shoe or Not to Shoe?

Barefoot trimming, or the practice of not shoeing your horse, is a wonderful gift that you can give your horse. Leaving your horse barefoot allows his body to function the way nature intended, with the hooves able to expand and contract as they strike the ground. This allows them to act as shock absorbers for your horse's entire body.

At present, I have three mustangs and one quarter horse, and all of them are barefoot. In the past, every horse I have owned, with the exception of my very first horse, has been barefoot. But barefoot trimming isn't for every horse or every horse owner. I love barefoot horses, but I am also enough of a realist to understand the limitations of this approach.

Why Barefoot Trimming Isn't for Everyone
There are numerous reasons why barefoot trimming does not work for every horse and rider combination. I believe that every horse CAN go barefoot under the right conditions, but often times those conditions can't be met, which means the horse will need to be shod. So why isn't barefoot the way to go for every horse?

1. The Transition Is Too Long or Painful
If a horse has worn shoes for many years then the transition to being barefoot can be painful and take a long time. A horse shoe protects the bottom of the horse's foot, especially the sole and heel, from contact with the ground because the shoe lifts the hoof off the ground. This means that the horse tends not to grow a thick sole or thick hoof wall. When you remove the horse's shoes, the resulting hoof is tender, thin-walled, thin-soled, and very sensitive. Now every rock and bump on the ground makes the horse go, "Ouch!"

Now the horse has to grow a different kind of hoof to accommodate his new conditions. As you know, it can take up to a year for a horse to grow a completely new hoof, from the coronet band to the ground. During this transition, the sole and hoof wall have to thicken, the heel usually has to expand and widen, and the whole hoof has to achieve more concavity (which raises the center of the hoof off the ground). All of this change takes a long time (from a few months to a few years). During this transition, the horse will need to wear some kind of boot to protect his sensitive hooves. In addition, he will need access to both gravel and smooth ground. The gravel will give his feet stimulation, which will encourage the right kind of hoof growth, while the smooth ground allows him to rest his feet when they are feeling sensitive. The horse will probably also need a nutritional boost to strengthen his hooves.

So are you starting to get the picture? The transition period can take a while, and you'll have to provide special care for your horse during this time. For some horses, such as ones that haven't been shod for long periods of time, the transition can be very simple. For others, it can take a while. Just be prepared to boot your horse to keep him rideable during this period. Learn more about how to transition your horse to barefoot by reading books by Pete Ramey and Jaime Jackson.

2. The Horse's Feet Are in Poor Shape
Given enough time and care, every horse can probably go barefoot. I've had some horses that had terrible feet, and I was able to transition them to barefoot. But a horse with a good set of hooves is going to make the transition to barefoot a lot easier than a horse with genetically poor feet. A horse with platter-shaped hooves, crumbly hoof walls, compressed frogs, or thin soles is going to have a much more difficult time going barefoot. Also, horses with bad feet living in demanding environments (like rocky soil) will find the transition quite challenging, since the rocky soil tends to wear away the hoof wall faster than it can grow. Having said that, if you are truly dedicated to making your horse barefoot, it can be done. I've done it with some of the most impossible cases!

3. The Owner Doesn't Have the Time, Energy, and Money
This is the biggest problem that most people run into when taking their horses barefoot -- the investment of time, energy, and money. With the cost of shoeing rising out of sight, it can be tempting to think that going barefoot is a cheap alternative. It can be -- if you can find a barefoot trimmer who does a good job. A good job means that your horse is trimmed so that he remains sound and continues to make progress toward a healthier hoof. With bad-footed horses, I find that I have to trim their hooves every two weeks or so to make speedy progress toward healthy hooves. If you horse has lousy feet and you don't want to learn to do barefoot trimming yourself, you'll find shoeing a cheaper alternative than having your farrier visit you every two to three weeks for barefoot trims. On the other hand, if you are willing to invest the time and money up front, your horse will eventually be able to go barefoot on a six to eight week schedule.

Barefoot is Great for Many Horses
I hope this article doesn't discourage you from transitioning your horses to barefoot. I prefer it as a much healthier alternative to shoeing, but I also realize that barefoot won't work for every horse or every horse owner. My three mustangs are blessed with solid hooves of steel, and they've never worn shoes. My quarter horse gelding, bless his sensitive little soul, is transitioning out of shoes. I expect it will take a year or so for him to complete that transition, and in the meantime he is a happy pasture ornament. I am fine with having a pasture ornament, but many if my friends are not.

The choice is yours: to shoe or not to shoe? That is the question. I hope this article sheds some light on reasons you may or may not want to take your horse barefoot!

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