Cavallo hoof boots

[scattymare]

Has anyone used these? We are looking to get Flossy some boots (and I am possiblly thinking of taking Eddie barefoot if I can)
Any experience. They seem easier and quicker to put on than Old Macs and are cheaper too but look very similar.

[haffyfan]

Nope sorry although the price is tempting!

[spotti]

I looked into them, but as Faith has dodgy shaped feet (wider than long typical lami feet really!) there were only the Original Old Macs that would suit her shape...all the others on the market seem to be for longer than wide feet .

As a general comment re:hoof boots - they are worth every penny! Granted, being barefoot might not suit all horses but I think it's worth a try. Yes ok so they can be a bit fiddly to put on and add to tacking up time, but think of all that money you'd save by having one pair of boots costing ~£100 that lasts a year or two, compared to having new shoes on every 6-8 weeks at ~£60 a set...after 2 sets (12-16 weeks) the boots have pretty much paid for themselves .

My advice would be to go on websites and find sizing charts (don't know much about Cavellos, but EasyCare are now in charge of all things Boa, Old Mac, EasyBoot etc so their website is well worth a look - www.easycareinc.com/ ) and then really accurately measure Flossy's feet just after the farrier has been and have a look at which boots would fit best. If she's between sizes, go for the bigger one. I think EasyCare have people who can come out with a range of boots and fit you with some...I never did that, but then again I didn't know it could be done until Frankiesmum had someone out to fit Frank!

[soniahayles]

my friend has a rescued tb, that had such bad abcessess at such shocking feet it took 9 months before she could get shoes on him,when he was up to wait she bought these as he was so lame and foot sore. with these on the from he was a differant horse. she mannaged to hack canter etc even do the stubble fields with us. also the people that make them were seriously helpfull and friendly, she ordered the wrong size to start off with and we taped the bottoms when we tried them on, so they didn't scuff and they swapped them on next day delivery. they look a bit funky as they look like trainers for horses, but as a product goes i think they are great. also they velcro on so no bulky metal bits sticking out. they really are a trainer for horses. very cool and well worth the money.

[scattymare]

Thanks sonia. I've used the Old Macs on my old horse before and they were great, but such a faff to put on. These look much easier.

[joandlad]

Cavallos are much easier to put on than Old Macs. One of my clients uses them and has had no problem with them. But, unfortunately, as with any boot you really just need to go with what is the best fit for the size foot you have. Some fit wider than long, some fit longer than wide. My fav boots at the moment are Gloves but they don't fit all feet.

[spotti]

I want some Gloves, but they're completely the wrong shape for ponybum's feet . Nevermind, we have some boots that fit nicely (Old Mac Originals), even if we did have to search the entire world (no kidding!!!) for them!

[haffyfan]

Scatty did you ever try these?

[scattymare]

No Haffy as Flossy has stayed fine barefoot. But funnily enough I was looking at them again at the weekend for Eddie so will let you know if I get some.

[haffyfan]

Thanks Scatty - think I might just sod it and try some. Downloaded the measuring chart - my only concern is they only measure by length of foot! But they are about £80 inc postage and the cheapest old macs I could find this time around and in UK were £120.

[haffyfan]

Just bumping this - Sol am i right in thinking you had some cavallo's for Pete? How did you find them?

Old macs seem more expensive than ever right now - about £140 and there are some Cavallo's on ebay at £76 so seriously considering them as Harry in need of new pair pretty badly. How secure are they...they only look to have thin velcro rather than multiple fastenings?

[solomon]

Pete has a pair, they fit him well. They do look like pony trainers. He was very comfortable in his. Has a slightly long but boxy hoof takes a size three. I advertised in wanted section of local horse website and got a pair for £60.

[haffyfan]

Thanks Sol

[rainbow]

I have been thinking about getting some boots for rose as her feet have worn down a fair amount and have a huge crack up the middle.
Will have a look into some of these.

Or is it a bad time to get some untill her feet grow out?