Handy Hoof Hints Part 6
by Carole Herder
As President of Cavallo Horse & Rider, one of the best parts of my job is hearing the heartfelt stories from our community regarding the care and progress of their horse’s hooves. Some are funny, some are sad, and some are downright tear-jerking. Through the tales, I have come to understand our Cavallo fan very well. It is a common tale and she can take comfort that she is not alone. I too, personify her. Specific histories vary, but our collective stories are the very similar.
I have a deep passion for this industry and the women and men I serve, because at the core we are all the same in our love for our horses. Our horse has served as our best friend, our solace, our comfort in times of need, an outlet when we need a diversion, our source of joy and our personal emotional support.
When we are with our horse everything else drifts away like feathers on a breeze. We forget the bills, the groceries, the work that never ends, the extra pounds we carry, the too busy lifestyle, the too busy jobs and neglecting partners. Our horse is our partner. We will do everything to ensure the comfort and safety of our horse connection, even if it means foregoing new clothes, a truck payment or a meal.
We are powerful independent thinkers and our horse gives us the strength to walk the talk and travel down the less trodden trail. We gravitate to ideas around natural holistic healthcare, for ourselves, our family and our horses. We do not adhere to doctrines just because they have always existed. We question. We seek. We want to know. We need answers. And we are not afraid. We want to do the best we can by our horse. We owe him that for all he does for us.
Keeping our horse barefoot just makes sense. The idea of nailing metal into our best friend’s feet has always seemed repulsive. Now that we have a solid viable option, we are embracing it. We have researched and done our homework and we understand that in order to leave the archaic metal shoeing practice behind, we have to find a good trimmer or learn to trim ourselves, exercise our horse and consider things like terrain and socialization. Above all, if we want to ride our naturally barefoot horse, we have to have good hoof boots that are easy to put on, provide comfort and protection while riding and do not come off while we’re out on the trail. We understand the various applications for hoof boots such as protecting our property, protection when horses play together, protection in breeding, as a veterinary aid for injuries or poultices, protection for transportation and as a spare tire for a lost shoe, but our primary purpose for hoof boots is so we can ride horses comfortably through all terrain at any speed.
We are now crusaders of sorts because we are so happy with the path we have chosen; we want to share it with family and friends. We gravitate to people who are like-minded and thoughtful. These are the people we tell about our success with the barefoot movement and delight with Cavallo. It was a lonely path at first. We were seen as outcasts in the eyes of some. We let that be, because we knew that sooner or later the penny would drop and people all over the world would begin to understand the new amazing development in hoof care. It’s happening now.
If we can help just one friend’s horse out of metal shoes, we have served a purpose and aided in the shift towards comfort and freedom for horses.
We are proud members of the Cavallo barefoot community, striving to make a difference while keeping it simple––one horse at a time.
Published September 2018 Issue
Carole Herder is the author of #1 bestselling books There Are No Horseshoes in Heaven and Hoofprints on The Journey. Her company, Cavallo, manufactures, and distributes Cavallo Hoof Boots and Saddle Pads to 26 countries worldwide, and all Cavallo products are designed and developed by Carole. She’s an honoured recipient of the BCBusiness Women Innovator Award, Royal Bank of Canada Woman Entrepreneur Award, a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization and a certified Chopra University Yoga Instructor and Ayurvedic Teacher.
