Carole Herder and the Growth of Cavallo
Article Provided by Cavallo Press
Cavallo president, inventor, teacher and best-selling author Carole Herder possesses an inquisitive mind and a powerful desire. Ms. Herder didn’t grow up with horses; she was a city girl who had to wait until adulthood to follow her passion by moving to the country and learning to ride. She quickly discovered that horses are burdened with various conditions accepted by the horse community as something that automatically comes with horse ownership. These conditions seemed unnatural to her and when her beloved first horse Rocky was put down due to “irreparable” lameness, she became committed to challenging conventional practices.
“Equus has survived on this planet for 50 million years,” says Carole. “They are not a design flaw that needs to be improved upon. We have domesticated them, but things like laminitis, navicular syndrome, ringbone, sidebone, splints and arthritis should not be so widespread.”
Ms. Herder first put her dedicated nature to work by developing the Total Comfort System (TCS) range of saddle pads to repair saddle fit problems and improve horses’ back issues and overall comfort. She then went on to examine problems originating in the hooves.
“The saying ‘no hoof, no horse’ is valid,” she says. “Horses are prey animals and without the ability to run, they don’t make it. It’s about biological imperative, and healthy hooves are the horse’s ticket to survival.”
Observing horses fraught with hoof problems and lameness triggered Carole’s investigation into the 1,500-year-old practice of traditional horseshoeing. “People are led to think that metal shoes protect the hoof, but when you really look into the issue, we can do a whole lot better for the horse than nailing metal onto their feet.”
Almost overnight Carole made the decision to pull the metal off her own horses, and this is where the real work began. Her speculations were confirmed after hours of studying textbooks that made her head swim, hoof dissections with cadavers that left her smelling of rancid blood, and trimming clinics with various expert instructors. She decided that not only would she never nail metal into another hoof, she would provide a better option for protection.
“The hoof conditions to its living environment, but we often wish to ride on different, harder terrain. In addition we’ve added an average weight of 200 pounds on the horse’s back, pushing the hoof further into aggressive terrain. Of course we must offer hoof protection, but not by using metal shoes.”
Carole thought hoof boots could be the answer, but the options available at the time were complicated to use and could actually do more harm than good. This is when Carole developed and patented the Cavallo hoof boot, particularly with the trail rider in mind. This boot’s unique design provided the hoof with comfort, protection and shock absorption over any surface, at any speed.
“Cavallos are like Nikes for horses,” says Carole. “You could simply pull the metal shoes off and ride your barefoot horse but, instead, give your horse 100% hoof protection by popping on Cavallos—no worries, or complicated instructions. The boots are easy-on and easy-off.”
Now available in 27 countries, Cavallo hoof boots are user friendly, well made, reasonably priced and have the best guarantee in the business. They are available at all your favorite tack stores and through equine catalogues. The Cavallo support team is on live chat or the toll free line to assist you with your choices and measurements. Find out more at cavallo-inc.com or call 877-818-0037.
By request, Carole compiled her findings into a book, which recently launched on Amazon. Within the first hour it became #1 Bestseller in Canada, followed by the USA, then Australia and overnight the UK joined in. Within 24 hours There Are No Horseshoes in Heaven became an international bestseller.
Ms. Herder has become a trusted authority on the subjects of barefoot care and booting. She speaks at horse events and conferences around the globe and shares her wealth of knowledge through articles and blogs that have created a loyal following of like-minded horse owners.
The Northwest Horse Source is an independently owned and operated print and online magazine for horse owners and enthusiasts of all breeds and disciplines in the Pacific Northwest. Our contemporary editorial columns are predominantly written by experts in the region, covering the care, training, keeping and enjoyment of horses, with an eye to the specific concerns in our region.
