Goodbye Metal Shoes; Hello Comfy Horse Boots

Goodbye Metal Shoes; Hello Comfy Horse Boots LIVESTOCK Horses/Mules Tennis shoes for horses? That s kind of what Cavallo s boots are for horse folks who believe the time for metal horseshoes has come and gone     Traditional horseshoes restrict hooves from spreading and metal doesn t exactly absorb shock notes Carole Herder president of Cavallo Horse and Rider a Canadian company that offers a variety of horse-related products     Some horse owners are moving toward keeping their horses barefoot They use the hoof boots when the horse is ridden or in a trailer They also help horses recover from injuries And for those horses that still wear metal shoes horse boots can be like a spare tire for when a horse loses a shoe      We try to keep them as simple and basic as possible Herder says explaining that the only measurement needed to get the right size is the length of the hoof     Cavallo boots are made with tough plastic urethane soles with leather uppers that conform to shape without rubbing They fasten in front with Velcro« closures     The boots have built-in drainage for riding through water and most importantly Herder says They stay on no matter what terrain you re on     She notes that there are other hoof shoes on the market but she believes Cavallo boots are simpler easier to put on and affordable at $129 95 for a pair Typically horses only need the boots on their front hooves     There are two styles: Simple boots for hooves that are as wide as they are long and Sport boots for horses with narrower hooves The Simple boots are available in pink red brown and black     Boots last about two years for horses ridden 3 to 4 days a week on good terrain Herder says     The boots are sold in more than 400 retail stores in the U S in catalogs or direct from Cavallo s website      Cavallo has a toll-free line to answer questions about making the transition to barefoot she says We re there to facilitate this big change We truly think this makes a big difference for the comfort and health of horses     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Cavallo Horse and Rider 1714 Lockyer Road Roberts Creek B C Canada V0N 2W1 ph 877 818-0037 U S and Canada toll-free; www cavallo-inc com

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